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On this Day June 28

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Celebrity Birthdays

1926 – Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning comedic director-writer-producer Mel Brooks (“The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Silent Movie,” “High Anxiety,” “History of the World, Part I,” “Spaceballs,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”)

1932 – Actor Pat Morita (“Happy Days,” “The Karate Kid”) (d. 2005)

1948 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Kathy Bates (“Misery,” “Fried Green Tomatoes,” “Delores Claiborne,” “Titanic,” “Primary Colors,” “About Schmidt,” “American Horror Story”)

1966 – Actor John Cusack (“Say Anything,” “The Grifters,” “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “Being John Malkovich,” “High Fidelity,” “2012,” “The Raven”)

1971 – Engineer, inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk, who established PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX

History Highlights

1836 – Fourth U.S. President James Madison, drafter of the Constitution, recorder of the Constitutional Convention and author of the “Federalist Papers,” dies on his tobacco plantation in Virginia.

1953 – Workers at a Chevrolet plant in Flint, Michigan, begin building the first Corvette, a two-seater sports car that quickly becomes an American automotive icon. It rolls off the assembly line two days later. Only 300 Corvettes were built for the 1953 model year — all Polo white with red upholstery.

1969 – A police raid of the Stonewall Inn — a gay club located on New York City’s Christopher Street — turns violent as patrons and local sympathizers begin rioting against police officers. The clashes become a watershed moment in the struggle for gay rights in the U.S. In 2016, the Stonewall Inn was designated as the first national monument honoring the LGBTQ movement. The monument covers 7.7 acres, including nearby Christopher Park.

1975 – One of television’s most successful writers, “The Twilight Zone” creator Rod Serling dies of a heart attack at the age of 50. During his career, Serling racked up more Emmy Awards for dramatic writing than anyone in history. He also won a Golden Globe and Peabody Award for productions other than “The Twilight Zone.”

1997 – Boxing fans are horrified as Mike Tyson bites both of Evander Holyfield’s ears in the third round of their heavyweight rematch. The attack leads to his disqualification from the match and suspension from boxing.

Musical Milestones

1969 – The No. 1 single comes from the big screen. It’s “Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet,” by Henry Mancini & His Orchestra.

1975 – Elton John is captain of the Billboard album chart with “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy,” which remains at No. 1 for six weeks. The album contains the hit “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.”

1975 – The Captain & Tennille are Billboard chart-toppers with “Love Will Keep Us Together.” The song, from the husband-and-wife team’s debut album of the same name, was written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield.

1980 – “Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)” by Paul McCartney & Wings begins a three-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track was recorded on December 17, 1979 during the band’s tour of the UK.

1997 – “I’ll Be Missing You,” a tribute to slain rapper The Notorious B.I.G. by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112, is in the midst of an 11-week domination of the Billboard singles chart.

2003 – Clay Aiken commandeers the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks with “This Is the Night.” Aiken has “American Idol” to thank for his musical career. He was a second-place finalist in Season 2 of the reality singing competition. 

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