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On This Day September 24

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Celebrity Birthdays

1896 – Author F. Scott Fitzgerald, most recognized for his novel “The Great Gatsby” (d. 1940)

1921 – Emmy-winning TV sports anchor Jim McKay, best known for his coverage of the Munich Olympics and as host of ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” (d. 2008)

1936 – Puppeteer Jim Henson, the creative mind behind The Muppets (d. 1990)

1939 – R&B singer Sonny Turner (The Platters)

1941 – Musician-photographer Linda McCartney, who was married to Paul McCartney of The Beatles (d. 1998)

1942 – Musician Gerry Marsden, leader of the British Merseybeat and the 60s band Gerry and the Pacemakers (d. 2021)

1946 – Star NFL defensive lineman “Mean” Joe Greene, born Charles Edward Greene

1948 – Emmy-winning actor Gordon Clapp (“NYPD Blue”) 

1948 – Actor-comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alum Phil Hartman (d. 1998)

History Highlights

1789 – Congress passes and President George Washington signs the Judiciary Act of 1789 into law, establishing the U.S. Supreme Court as a tribunal comprised of six justices who were to serve until they voluntarily step down, retire or die. 

1941 – The Japanese consul in Hawaii is instructed to divide Pearl Harbor into five zones, calculate the number of battleships in each zone and report the findings back to Japan. Unbeknownst to U.S. military officials, this information is used to lay the groundwork for Japan’s devastating December 7, 1941 attack.

1957 – President Dwight Eisenhower orders federal troops to escort nine African American students, nicknamed the “Little Rock Nine,” into the previously all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

1968 – One of television’s longest-running news magazines debuts on CBS. It’s “60 Minutes,” with hosts Harry Reasoner and Mike Wallace presenting documentary-style coverage of the week’s news.

1969 – The trial of the “Chicago 8” begins. The band of protesters is accused of conspiracy and inciting a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 

1977 – “The Love Boat” sets out on its maiden TV voyage on ABC, featuring a cruise ship full of celebrity passengers with tales of romance found and hearts broken. 

1988 – Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson runs the 100-meter dash in 9.79 seconds to win gold at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. However, Johnson tests positive for steroids three days later and is stripped of the medal, which is instead awarded to American Carl Lewis.

Musical Milestones

1966 – “Cherish,” by The Association, begins three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

1982 – Prince releases the single “1999,” a month before releasing the album of the same name. It climbs as high as No. 44 that December. Re-released in 1983, the track rises to No. 12 that July. Warner Brothers releases it again in 1985 as a 12″ single with “Little Red Corvette” as the B-side. Within two weeks, it’s a No. 2 hit. The song returns to the pop chart in December 1998, becoming Prince’s last Top 40 hit before his death in 2016.

1983 – Billy Joel rules the singles chart with “Tell Her About It,” off his “An Innocent Man” album. 

1988 – Bobby McFerrin begins a two-week run on top of the singles chart with “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” the first a cappella record to be a No. 1. The accompanying music video features the late actor-comedian Robin Williams.

1991 – The pioneering grunge band Nirvana releases “Nevermind” — the album containing the hit singles “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come as You Are,” “Lithium” and “In Bloom.” It reaches No. 1 on the album chart in January 1992 and goes on to sell around 30 million copies worldwide.

1994 – “I’ll Make Love to You,” by Boyz II Men, is in the middle of a 14-week domination of the pop chart.

2005 – “Gold Digger,” by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx, is the No. 1 single.

2011 – “Moves Like Jagger,” by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera, begins three weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

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