On This Day February 9 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1942 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Carole King, credited with writing 118 singles that have appeared on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart 1943 – Actor Joe Pesci (“Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” the “Home Alone” series, “JFK,” “My Cousin Vinny,” “Lethal Weapon 3,” “Lethal Weapon 4,” “A Bronx Tale,” “Casino,” “The Irishman”) 1944 – Pulitzer Prize-winning author-poet Alice Walker (“The Color Purple”) 1945 – Actress Mia Farrow (“Peyton Place,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “The Great Gatsby,” “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “Widows’ Peak”) 1949 – Tony-winning actress Judith Light (“One Life to Live,” “Who’s the Boss?”) 1981 – Actor Tom Hiddleston, best known for playing the villain Loki in Marvel’s “The Avengers” and “Thor” movies 1987 – Actor Michael B. Jordan ( “Black Panther”, “Creed”, ” Creed II”, “Fant4stic”, “Chronicle”, “Redtails,” “Just Mercy”) History Highlights 1825 – With no presidential candidate receiving a majority of electoral votes in the election of 1824, the U.S. House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams, who won fewer votes than Andrew Jackson in the popular election, as president of the United States. 1870 – The National Weather Service (NWS) is established under the U.S. Army Signal Corps. 1942 – The largest ocean liner in the world, the S.S. Normandie, burns and capsizes in New York Harbor during its conversion to a World War II troop transport ship. The Normandie had been the pride of the French ocean liner fleet. Built in 1935, she was the largest and fastest and most luxuriously appointed of the new ocean liners. 1965 – The U.S. sends its first combat troops to South Vietnam. 1971 – Apollo 14 returns safely to Earth following the third successful manned moon landing. 1971 – Pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He is inducted six months later. Paige was known for his fastball and showmanship during a career that spanned five decades. 1992 – Three months after stunning the world with word that he had contracted the HIV virus and was immediately retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers, basketball great Magic Johnson returns to play in the 42nd NBA All-Star game in Orlando, Florida. After scoring 25 points and dishing out nine assists, Magic receives a standing ovation and is named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Musical Milestones 1963 – “Hey Paula,” by the pop duo Paul & Paula, is the most popular single. 1964 – The Beatles make their American television debut as they perform live on CBS’ “The Ed Sullivan Show” with an estimated 73 million Americans watching. That represents the largest TV audience ever for that time. 1974 – “Love’s Theme,” by Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra, tops the Billboard Hot 100. 1981 – Rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Bill Haley dies in his sleep at his Harlingen, Texas home at the age of 55. 1985 – Madonna begins three weeks on top of the Billboard album chart with “Like A Virgin,” which contains the hit singles “Like a Virgin,” “Material Girl” and “Into the Groove,” and proves that the singer-songwriter is not a one-hit wonder. 1991 – Considered a 90s dance club anthem, “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” by C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams & Martha Wash, begins two weeks as a No. 1 single. 2002 – Usher owns the No. 1 position on the pop chart with “U Got It Bad,” which holds the top spot for five weeks. 2008 – “Low,” by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain, continues on its 10-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100. READ MORE
On This Day November 7 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1918 – Christian evangelist Billy Graham, often called “America’s pastor” (d. 2018) 1938 – Actor Barry Newman (“Vanishing Point,” “Petrocelli”) 1942 – Rock and roll singer-songwriter Johnny Rivers, whose biggest hits were “Secret Agent Man,” “Poor Side of Town”) 1943 – Grammy-winning folk singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, who enjoyed a string of hits in the 1970s, including “Chelsea Morning,” “Both Sides, Now” and “Big Yellow Taxi” 1967 – Grammy-winning DJ and record producer David Guetta (“Love Don’t Let Me Go,” “People Come People Go,” “Gettin’ Over You,” “When Love Takes Over”) 1970 – Documentary producer and host Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me,” “Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?” “30 Days,” “Morgan Spurlock Inside Man”) History Highlights 1944 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) is elected to an unprecedented fourth term in office, but with his physical health in decline during World War II, he dies the following April. FDR is the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms. 1962 – Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt dies at the age of 78. 1962 – The morning after the California gubernatorial election, Richard Nixon concedes to incumbent Governor Pat Brown and then accuses the media of biased, campaign coverage. Nixon tells reporters that this is his last press conference, saying, “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.” 1980 – Moviegoers mourn the death of “The King of Cool,” actor Steve McQueen (“The Great Escape,” “Bullitt,” “The Getaway”). McQueen conquered many tough guys on screen and performed most of his own stunts, but he lost his real-life battle with mesothelioma — a rare form of lung cancer — at the age of 50. 1991 – Basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson stuns the world by announcing his sudden retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers after testing positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Two and a half decades later, the three-time NBA MVP, 12-time All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist continues to promote awareness and education about HIV/AIDS. Musical Milestones 1951 – Legendary crooner Frank Sinatra marries his second wife, actress Ava Gardner. Six years later, they are divorced. 1964 – “Baby Love,” by The Supremes, is in the middle of four weeks as a No. 1 single. It’s a follow-up to the Motown sensation’s “Where Did Our Love Go,” which was their first chart-topper. 1969 – Paul McCartney and his family are the subject of a LIFE Magazine cover story called “The Case of the Missing Beatle: Paul is Still With Us.” Interviewed on his Scottish farm after initially chasing off the reporter, McCartney dispels rumors about his death that had been circulating around the world. 1970 – “I’ll Be There,” by The Jackson 5, is in the midst of a five-week ride atop the singles chart. It is the band’s fourth consecutive No. 1. 1981 – Hall & Oates begin a two-week run at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Private Eyes.” The single becomes the duo’s third of six career chart-toppers. 1987 – Sixteen-year-old Tiffany tops the singles chart with “I Think We’re Alone Now,” originally a hit for Tommy James & the Shondells in 1967, four years before Tiffany was born. 1992 – It’s the end of the road for Boyz II Men’s 13-week reign over the Billboard Hot 100 with their Grammy-winning single, “End of the Road.” 1998 – “The First Night,” by Monica, marks its last week as a No. 1 single. The track enjoys a total of five weeks as a Billboard chart-topper. 2009 – Owl City is perched at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week with “Fireflies.” READ MORE
On This Day November 3 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1921 – “Tough guy” actor Charles Bronson (“The Magnificent Seven,” “The Great Escape,” “The Dirty Dozen,” “The Mechanic,” “Death Wish”) (d. 2003) 1933 – Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy-winning film composer John Barry (“Midnight Cowboy,” “Out of Africa,” “Dances With Wolves” and many more) (d. 2011) 1952 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress-comedian Roseanne Barr, best known for her hit comedy series “Roseanne” 1953 – Actress Kate Capshaw, who met her husband, director Steven Spielberg, while working on the movie “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” 1953 – Comedian, “SNL” alum and political commentator Dennis Miller 1954 – New wave musician Adam Ant (“Antmusic,” “Goody Two Shoes”) 1957 – Swedish actor, director and martial artist Dolph Lundgren, best known for playing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV” and Gunner Jensen in “The Expendables” History Highlights 1903 – With the support of the U.S. government, Panama declares its independence from Colombia. 1948 – The Chicago Tribune mistakenly declares New York Governor Thomas Dewey winner of the presidential race against incumbent Harry S. Truman in a front-page headline: “Dewey Defeats Truman.” Truman had actually defeated Dewey by 114 electoral votes. 1957 – The Soviet Union ups the ante in the Space Race by launching Sputnik 2. On board the spacecraft is a dog named Laika that becomes the first living animal in space. 1964 – In one of the most crushing victories in the history of U.S. presidential elections, incumbent Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) defeats Republican challenger Barry Goldwater, Sr. 1969 – A group of local educational TV stations unites under the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) banner. There are more than 345 PBS stations in the U.S. today. 1976 – Based on a Stephen King novel, the horror film “Carrie,” starring Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, and directed by Brian De Palma, opens in U.S. theaters. 2014 – One World Trade Center officially opens in Manhattan. The 104-story, 1,776-foot-high tower is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and replaces the Twin Towers, which were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Musical Milestones 1962 – “He’s a Rebel,” by The Crystals, begins a two-week ride on top of the Billboard singles chart. 1967 – The filming of “Magical Mystery Tour” wraps, with sequences for George Harrison’s song, “Blue Jay Way,” shot at Ringo Starr’s house with Ringo himself directing. 1972 – James Taylor and Carly Simon are married by a judge in Simon’s Manhattan apartment, beginning an 11-year marriage. That evening, Simon joins Taylor on stage at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and announces their union to a cheering audience. 1979 – One-hit wonder M has the most popular single in the U.S. with “Pop Muzik,” a song credited with ushering in the new wave era. 1984 – Billy Ocean starts a two-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart with “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run).” 1990 – Vanilla Ice owns the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week with “Ice Ice Baby” — the first No. 1 hip hop single. The track is constructed on the bassline of “Under Pressure,” by Queen and David Bowie. 2001 – “Family Affair” becomes Mary J. Blige’s first No. 1 single. It holds the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks. 2007 – “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” by Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, enters its seventh and final week as a No. 1 single. READ MORE
On this Day May 1 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1907 – Singer Kate Smith, known as “The First Lady of Radio,” and most famous for her rendition of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” (d. 1986) 1916 – Actor Glenn Ford (“3:10 to Yuma,” “the Courtship of Eddie’s Father”) (d. 2006) 1939 – Folk-pop singer-songwriter and activist Judy Collins (“Both Sides, Now,” “Someday Soon,” “Chelsea Morning,” “Send in the Clowns”) 1945 – Grammy-winning pop vocalist Rita Coolidge, best known for her 1977 hits “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher” and “We’re All Alone” 1946 – Director John Woo (“Broken Arrow,” “Face/Off,” “Mission: Impossible 2,” “Windtalkers,” “Paycheck,”) 1954 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Ray Parker, Jr. (“Ghostbusters” theme, “Jack and Jill,” “You Can’t Change That”) 1967 – Grammy-winning country music singer-songwriter and actor Tim McGraw (“Don’t Take the Girl,” “Live Like You Were Dying,” “Just to See You Smile”) 1969 – Golden Globe-winning director Wes Anderson (“Rushmore,” “The Royal Tennenbaums,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Isle of Dogs”) History Highlights 1931 – President Herbert Hoover dedicates New York City’s iconic 102-story Empire State Building by symbolically pressing a button in Washington, D.C. that illuminates what is then the world’s tallest building. The art deco skyscraper, standing 1,250 feet tall, was built in just over a year at a cost of $41 million. 1941 – “Citizen Kane” opens in New York, and through the decades, is hailed as one of the greatest movies ever made. Written and directed by 26-year-old filmmaker Orson Welles (also the star), it chronicles the life of a newspaper magnate considered to be real-life publishing baron William Randolph Hearst. 1958 – President Dwight Eisenhower proclaims Law Day to honor the role of law in the establishment of the United States of America. In 1961, Congress follows suit by passing a joint resolution establishing May 1 as Law Day. 1960 – An American U-2 spy plane is shot down over the Soviet Union, prompting cancellation of a planned summit between U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev. 1963 – Jim Whittaker of Washington State becomes the first American to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest mountain. 1971 – The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) introduces passenger rail service in the U.S. with 184 trains a day. The first train, the Clocker, rolls out of New York’s Penn Station bound for Philadelphia just after midnight. AMTRAK was created through the Rail Passenger Act of 1970 to salvage the nation’s struggling passenger rail services. 1997 – After 18 years of Conservative rule, British voters give the Labour Party, a landslide victory in British parliamentary elections. In the poorest Conservative Party showing since 1832, Prime Minister John Major is rejected in favor of Tony Blair, who at age 43 becomes the youngest British prime minister in more than a century. Musical Milestones 1965 – Herman’s Hermits begin a three-week run on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter.” 1967 – Thirty-two-year-old Elvis Presley marries 21-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. They divorce six years later. 1976 – The Bellamy Brothers have a No. 1 single with “Let Your Love Flow.” 1982 – “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, ends its seven-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100. In 2016, the song is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 1999 – TLC enjoys its fourth and final week on top of the pop chart with “No Scrubs.” 2004 – Usher is midway through a 12-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Yeah!” — a collaboration with Lil Jon and Ludacris. The track goes on to capture a Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Grammy. READ MORE