On this Day June 18 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1942 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sir Paul McCartney, former member of The Beatles 1942 – Pulitzer Prize-winning “Chicago Sun-Times” film critic Roger Ebert (d. 2013) 1952 – Actress Carol Kane (“Hester Street,” “Taxi,” “The Princess Bride”) 1952 – Model and actress Isabella Rossellini (“Blue Velvet,” “Cousins,” “Wild at Heart,” “Death Becomes Her,” “Fearless,” “Immortal Beloved,” “Crime of the Century”) 1976 – Country Music Association (CMA) Award-winning vocalist and NBC’s “The Voice” coach Blake Shelton History Highlights 1812 – Frustrated by Britain’s maritime practices and support of Native American resistance to western expansion, U.S. President James Madison signs a declaration of war against Britain, authorized by Congress, that sets the War of 1812 into motion. However, U.S. troops suffer great losses on land and at sea against the stronger British army. In August 1814, British troops enter Washington, D.C. and burn the U.S. Capitol and the White House. By December, both the Americans and British end the conflict with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. 1923 – The first Checker cab is produced at the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan and becomes part of a fleet rolling across the streets of Chicago. The iconic cab eventually serves big cities across the U.S. with a reputation for comfort and reliability. Checker production continues for 59 years until the last model rolls off the assembly line in July 1982. 1961 – The Western series “Gunsmoke” is broadcast for the last time on CBS Radio. 1979 – President Jimmy Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT-II agreement establishing limitations and guidelines for nuclear weapons. The treaty, which never formally takes effect, proves to be one of the most controversial U.S.-Soviet agreements of the Cold War. 1983 – Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space as she sets out on a six-day mission aboard the space shuttle Challenger. During her NASA career, Ride flew on two shuttle missions and later became a champion for science education and a role model for generations. 1984 – Members of a white nationalist group called The Order shoot and kill controversial radio talk show host Alan Berg in the driveway of his Denver home. Musical Milestones 1966 – The Rolling Stones enter their second and final week atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “Paint It Black.” 1967 – A prelude to the “Summer of Love” — the Monterey International Pop Festival — concludes with performances by Jimi Hendrix, The Association, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane and Lou Rawls. 1977 – “Dreams” becomes Fleetwood Mac’s first and only No. 1 single. The song, written by Stevie Nicks and featuring her lead vocals, goes on to sell more than a million copies. The track is from the band’s Grammy-winning “Rumours” album. 1983 – “Flashdance (What a Feeling),” Irene Cara’s Oscar-winning theme from the movie “Flashdance,” is in the midst of a six-week ride on top of the singles chart. 1994 – All-4-One is in the midst of an 11-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Swear.” 2010 – John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to The Beatles’ song “A Day In The Life” sells for $1.2 million at an auction at Sotheby’s in New York. The double-sided sheet of paper with notes written in felt marker and blue ink also contained some corrections and other notes penned in red ink. READ MORE
On this Day June 11 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1913 – Legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi (d. 1970) 1933 – Actor-comedian and author Gene Wilder, born Jerome Silberman (“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein”) (d. 2016) 1945 – Actress-author Adrienne Barbeau (“The Fog,” “Creepshow,” “Escape From New York”) 1956 – Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana, who played for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs 1959 – Golden Globe-winning actor-comedian and musician Hugh Laurie, best known for his starring role in the TV series “House” 1969 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Peter Dinklage (“Death at a Funeral,” “The Station Agent,” “Elf,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” “Pixels,” “Game of Thrones”) 1978 – Actor Joshua Jackson (“Dawson’s Creek,” “The Mighty Ducks,” Fringe”) 1986 -Emmy-winning actor Shia LaBeouf (“Even Stevens,” “Holes,” “Transformers,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”) History Highlights 1944 – Lieutenant John F. Kennedy receives the prestigious Navy and Marine Corps Medal in recognition of his heroic, life-saving actions as a gunboat pilot during World War II. Kennedy, who goes on to become America’s 35th president, also receives a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in battle. He is the only president to have earned either of those high honors. 1955 – Carnage at Le Mans, as an Austin-Healey and Mercedes-Benz collide, showering flaming wreckage onto spectators. Eighty-two people are killed and at least 100 injured in one of auto racing’s worst accidents. 1962 – Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin become the only prisoners to successfully escape from Alcatraz prison. No one ever saw or heard from them again, although there were multiple unconfirmed sightings over the years. 1967 – The Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors ends with a United Nations-brokered ceasefire. That November, the U.N. Security Council adopts a resolution establishing a formula for Arab-Israeli peace whereby Israel would withdraw from territories occupied in the war in exchange for peace with its neighbors. 1963 – An outspoken opponent of school desegregation, Alabama Governor George Wallace physically blocks two African American students from entering the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. President John F. Kennedy responds by federalizing the Alabama National Guard and ordering troops to escort the students to their classes. Wallace then steps aside, but that evening, Kennedy delivers a national address about segregation regarded by many historians as one of the turning points in the civil rights movement. 1977 – MLK assassin James Earl Ray escapes from Brushy Mountain State Prison in Tennessee, but is recaptured three days later. 1979 – Cancer claims the life of screen legend John Wayne (“El Dorado,” “Rio Bravo,” “True Grit,” “The Comancheros”) at the age of 72. 1982 – Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” opens in U.S. theaters and becomes a box office bonanza. The movie launches the career of actress Drew Barrymore, and in 1994, is selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” 1986 – “Bueller… Bueller…” The now-classic John Hughes film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck and Mia Sara, opens in U.S. theaters. Musical Milestones 1957 – Elvis Presley releases “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear,” which becomes a No. 1 hit a month later. 1960 – The Hollywood Argyles claim the top spot on the pop chart with “Alley-Oop,” based on the comic strip of the same name. 1966 – The Rolling Stones rule the Billboard singles chart with “Paint it Black,” which holds at No. 1 for two weeks. 1977 – “I’m Your Boogie Man” becomes the fourth chart-topping hit for KC and the Sunshine Band. 1983 – Irene Cara is in the middle of a six-week run on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Flashdance…What a Feeling,” from the “Flashdance” movie soundtrack. 1988 – London’s Wembley Stadium hosts Freedomfest, a concert celebrating the 70th birthday of imprisoned anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. Performers include Whitney Houston, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Stevie Wonder, Tracy Chapman, George Michael, Eric Clapton, UB40, The Eurythmics and Simple Minds. The concert is broadcast to about a billion people in 67 countries. 1994 – “I Swear,” by All-4-One is in the midst of an 11-week reign over the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 2011 – Pink Floyd’s 1973 album, “The Dark Side Of The Moon,” re-enters the Billboard album chart at No. 47 and reaches a milestone of 1,000 weeks on the charts. This classic contains such fan favorites as “Time,” “Money” and “Breathe (In the Air).” To date, more than 50 million copies have sold worldwide. READ MORE
On this Day May 28 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1892 – Football, baseball and Olympics star Jim Thorpe (d. 1953) 1908 – James Bond author Ian Fleming (d. 1964) 1944 – Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, attorney for U.S. President Donald Trump 1944 – Grammy-winning R&B vocalist Gladys Knight, who, along with The Pips, had many Top 40 hits, including “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” 1945 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter John Fogerty, former lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Susie Q,” “Proud Mary,” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” “Centerfield,” “The Old Man Down the Road”) 1968 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue (“Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” “Slow,” “2 Hearts”) 1977 – Conservative TV personality Elisabeth Hasselbeck, formerly a co-host of TV’s “The View” 1983 – YouTube star and prank video artist Roman Atwood History Highlights 1892 – The Sierra Club is founded by naturalist John Muir. The organization promotes environmental conservation through public policy and has helped with the development of national parks across the United States. 1957 – National League owners vote unanimously to allow the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers to move to San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively. 1961 – Several internationally read newspapers publish British lawyer Peter Benenson’s article “The Forgotten Prisoners”, launching the Appeal for Amnesty campaign which calls for the release of all those imprisoned around the world for peacefully expressing their beliefs. 1987 – In a daring attempt to ease Cold War tensions, 19-year-old West German pilot Mathias Rust evades Soviet air defenses and lands a private plane in Moscow’s Red Square. He serves 18 months in a Soviet prison for his stunt. 1998 – Comedic actor Phil Hartman, best known for his work on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (“SNL”) and “NewsRadio” and FOX’s “The Simpsons,” is shot to death in his sleep by his wife, Brynn, in a murder-suicide that horrifies fans and colleagues. Phil Hartman was just 49. 2014 – Author and poet Maya Angelou, who published more than 30 books, including 1969’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” — a best-selling memoir about the racism and abuse she experienced growing up — dies at the age of 86. Musical Milestones 1966 – Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Percy Sledge begins two weeks with the most popular single on U.S. radio: “When a Man Loves a Woman.” 1966 – Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass reach No.1 on the Billboard album chart with “What Now My Love,” setting a new record with four albums in the Top 10. The other three are “South of the Border,” “Going Places” and “Whipped Cream and Other Delights.” 1976 – The Allman Brothers Band, considered one of the principal architects of Southern rock, breaks up. 1977 – Stevie Wonder is in the midst of a three-week domination of the pop chart with “Sir Duke,” from his Grammy-winning “Songs in the Key of Life” album. 1983 – Irene Cara commandeers the Billboard Hot 100 with “Flashdance…What a Feeling,” from the “Flashdance” movie soundtrack. The single remains at No. 1 for six weeks and goes on to capture an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. 1983 – More than 750,000 fans attend the four-day US Festival ’83’ which opens in California, featuring The Clash, U2, David Bowie, The Pretenders, Van Halen, Stray Cats, Men At Work, Judas Priest, Stevie Nicks and Ozzy Osbourne. 1994 – “I Swear,” by All-4-One,” is the No. 1 single. 2005 – Gwen Stefani begins her fourth and final week as a chart-topping artist with “Hollaback Girl.” READ MORE