On This Day: February 28

On This Day February 28

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1923 – Actor Charles Durning (“The Front Page,” “North Dallas Forty,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”)  (d. 2012)

1931 – Actor Gavin MacLeod, best known for his TV roles as Murray, the news writer in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and as Captain Stubing in “The Love Boat” 

1939 – Tony Award-winning actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer and choreographer Tommy Tune

1940 – Auto racing legend Mario Andretti 

1948 – Tony Award-winning actress Bernadette Peters (“Dames at Sea,” “The Jerk,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “Silent Movie”)

1957 – Actor-producer John Turturro (“Do The Right Thing,” “Barton Fink,” “The Quiz Show,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Brother, Where Art Thou?,” the “Transformers” movie series) 

History Highlights
History Highlights

1953 – Cambridge University scientists James Watson and Francis Crick announce that they have confirmed the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule containing human genes. They are later honored with the Nobel Prize for their achievement.

1958 – A school bus in Prestonsburg, Kentucky hits a tow truck and plunges down an embankment into the rain-swollen Big Sandy River. The driver and 26 children die in what remains the worst school bus accident in U.S. history. 

1983 – After 11 seasons, CBS broadcasts the finale of the popular sitcom “M*A*S*H” as a special two and a half-hour episode (“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”) watched by 77 percent of the viewing audience. It’s the largest viewership ever for a single TV show up to that time.

1993 – Four federal agents are killed in Waco, Texas after attempting to serve an arrest warrant for weapons charges on Branch Davidian sect leader David Koresh, triggering a 51-day standoff.

1994 – U.S. fighter planes shoot down four Serbian warplanes engaged in a bombing mission that violates Bosnia’s no-fly zone. It marks the first military action in the 45-year history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1970 – “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” by Simon & Garfunkel, tops the singles chart and remains there for six weeks. It captures Record of the Year and Song of the Year Grammys in 1971 and goes on to sell over six million copies worldwide.

1976 – The No. 1 single comes from a prime time police drama on ABC-TV. It’s “Theme From S.W.A.T.” by Rhythm Heritage.

1976 – Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years” captures an Album Of The Year Grammy. In his acceptance speech, Simon tells the audience, “I’d like to thank Stevie Wonder, who didn’t make an album this year.”

1981 – Eddie Rabbitt hops to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Love a Rainy Night.”

1983 – U2 release “War,” the Irish rock band’s third studio album, which gives us their earliest signature songs, “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day.”

1987 – Bon Jovi holds the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with what becomes their signature song: “Livin’ on a Prayer”

1996 – At the 38th Annual Grammy Awards, Kiss shock the audience by appearing in full makeup. Introduced by rapper Tupac Shakur (2Pac), it marks the first time in more than 15 years that all four band members appeared together. Just a few weeks later, they announce a reunion tour.

1998 – Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”, the theme from the blockbuster movie “Titanic,” is captain of the pop chart.

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On This Day: November 27

On This Day November 27

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Celebrity Birthdays
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
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
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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On this Day: May 7

On this Day May 7

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1901 – Oscar-winning actor Gary Cooper (” Sergeant York,” “High Noon,” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” “The Pride of the Yankees,” “City Streets”) (d. 1961)

1922 – Actor Darren McGavin, best known for playing the grumpy father in “A Christmas Story”) (d. 2006)

1923 – Oscar-winning actress Anne Baxter (“The Razor’s Edge,” “All About Eve,” “The Ten Commandments”) (d. 1985)

1946 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Thelma Houston, best known for her 1977 disco smash “Don’t Leave Me This Way”

1950 – Journalist/former NBC “Meet the Press” host Tim Russert (d. 2008)

1954 – Director Amy Heckerling (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “European Vacation,” “Look Who’s Talking,” “Clueless”)

1968 – Actress Traci Lords (“I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell,” “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”)

History Highlights
History Highlights

1915 – Without warning, a German U-boat fires on the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. The ship, which was sailing from New York to Liverpool, England, sinks within 20 minutes, claiming nearly 1,200 lives — including 128 Americans. While packed with passengers, the vessel was a German target because it was transporting wartime munitions to England and was sailing through an established war zone.

1945 – Germany unconditionally surrenders to the Allies in Reims, France, marking the end of World War II in Europe.

1954 – Vietnam’s victory over France at Dien Bien Phu on this day ends the Indochina War. The battle is considered one of the greatest victories by a former colony over a colonial power.

1960 – Leonid Brezhnev, one of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s most trusted proteges, becomes president of the U.S.S.R.

1994 – Norway’s most famous painting, “The Scream” by Edvard Munch, is recovered almost three months after being stolen from a museum in Oslo.

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1965 – Keith Richards awakens in his Florida motel room in the early morning hours with a riff in his head, grabs his guitar and flips on a tape recorder. He only lays down 30 seconds of music before falling back asleep, but what he records leads to The Rolling Stones’ signature “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” once Mick Jagger adds lyrics. The song becomes the Stones’ first U.S. No. 1.

1966 – The Mamas and The Papas start a three-week run at No.1 on the singles chart with “Monday Monday,” the first hit by a coed group.

1977 – “Hotel California,” by the Eagles, checks in at No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart for a week. The track, off the album of the same title, goes on to capture a Record of the Year Grammy.

1983 – Michael Jackson is in the midst of a three-week ride atop the pop chart with “Beat It,” from the “Thriller” album.

1988 – Terence Trent D’Arby has the hottest single for a week with “Wishing Well.”

1998 – Country-pop musician Eddie Rabbitt, best known for his 1980 hits “Drivin’ My Life Away” and “I Love a Rainy Night,” and who wrote Elvis’ popular single, “Kentucky Rain,” dies of lung cancer at age 56.

2005 – Gwen Stefani kicks off a four-week run on top of the Billboard pop chart with “Hollaback Girl.” The track is from her debut solo studio album, “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.”

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