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On This Day November 27

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Celebrity Birthdays

1940 – Martial artist and actor Bruce Lee (d. 1973)

1941 – Country music singer Eddie Rabbitt (“I Love a Rainy Night,” “Drivin’ My Life Away,” “You and I”) (d. 1998)

1942 – Pioneering rock guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix (d. 1970)

1955 – Science educator-TV host Bill “The Science Guy” Nye

1957 – Diplomat, author and presidential daughter Caroline Kennedy

1964 – Actress Robin Givens (“Head of the Class,” “Sparks”)

History Highlights

1910 – The largest railway station in the world — Pennsylvania Station — opens in Midtown Manhattan, establishing itself as an architectural and transportation marvel. However, the complex is demolished in 1963 due to declining rail travel and eventually becomes the site of the sports and entertainment venue, Madison Square Garden.

1965 – Detroit Red Wing Gordie Howe scores his 600th goal in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. Howe is the first (until Wayne Gretzky) NHL player to score 600 times in a career.

1971 – The Soviet Union’s unmanned Mars 2 spacecraft becomes the first man-made object to reach the surface of the Red Planet.

1973 – The U.S. Senate votes to confirm Gerald Ford as vice president, succeeding Spiro Agnew, who resigned amid charges of financial misconduct.

1978 – Gay rights activist Harvey Milk and openly gay San Francisco Mayor George Moscone are murdered by former by City Supervisor Dan White. White receives a five-year prison sentence for the killings. Unable to resume a normal life following his release, he takes his own life in 1986.

Musical Milestones

1967 – The Beatles release the “Magical Mystery Tour” album, which introduces fans to hits like “Hello, Goodbye,” “Penny Lane” and “All You Need is Love.”

1968 – Steppenwolf’s self-titled debut album, featuring “Born to Be Wild” and “The Pusher,” is certified gold with sales in excess of 500,000 copies. Both tracks are also part of the soundtrack to the 1969 cult classic, “Easy Rider.”

1970 – George Harrison releases “All Things Must Pass,” which contains the hit singles “My Sweet Lord” and “What Is Life,” as well as songs such as “Isn’t It a Pity” and the title track that had been rejected for Beatles productions. The triple album becomes the best selling album by any solo Beatle.

1982 – Lionel Richie’s “Truly” begins two weeks on top of the Billboard singles chart.

1993 – Meat Loaf is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” the first single from his album “Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell.”

1999 – “Smooth” by Santana featuring Rob Thomas is mid-way through a 12-week domination of the pop chart. The song goes on to capture three Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

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