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: October 15

On This Day October 15

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1924 – Former Chrysler Corp. Chairman and Ford Motor Co. President Lee Iacocca (d. 2019)

1937 – Actress-singer Linda Lavin (“Alice”)

1943 – Actress-director Penny Marshall (“Laverne & Shirley,” “Big,” “Awakenings,” “A League of Their Own,” “Riding in Cars With Boys”) (d. 2018)

1946 – Singer-songwriter Richard Carpenter of the 1970s sibling pop duo, the Carpenters

1959 – Sarah Ferguson (“Fergie”), Duchess of York

1959 – TV chef-restaurateur Emeril Lagasse

History Highlights
History Highlights

1863 – The H.L. Hunley, the world’s first successful combat submarine, sinks during a test run, killing its inventor and seven crew members. The vessel is recovered, and four months later, becomes the first submarine to destroy a ship (USS Housatonic) in battle.

1915 – Exotic dancer and spy Mata Hari is executed by a French firing squad after it was discovered that she also worked for the Germans.

1951 – Television’s first, long-running, sitcom hit, “I Love Lucy,” debuts, starring comedian Lucille Ball and her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz. The half-hour show runs for six seasons on CBS, becoming one of the most beloved and enduring TV comedies of all time.

1966 – With the stroke of his pen, President Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) creates the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

1989 – During a game against his old team, the Edmonton Oilers, Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky breaks Gordie Howe’s National Hockey League career scoring record of 1,850 points.

1990 – Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end Cold War tensions with the United States.

1991 – After a bitter confirmation hearing, the U.S. Senate votes 52 to 48 to confirm Clarence Thomas as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1930 – Legendary composer and bandleader Duke Ellington (a.k.a. “The Duke”) records his first big hit, “Mood Indigo.” Ellington explained that he wrote the the track, originally titled “Dreamy Blues,” in 15 minutes while waiting for his mother to finish cooking dinner.

1964 – Composer Cole Porter, whose musical notes fill much of the Great American Songbook, dies at the age of 73.

1966 – The Four Tops hit No.1 on the singles chart with “Reach Out And I’ll Be There.”

1973 – Ten years after her death, Patsy Cline (“Walkin’ After Midnight,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Crazy,” “Sweet Dreams”) becomes the first female solo performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

1977 – Debby Boone begins 10 weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “You Light Up My Life.”

1983 – “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” by Bonnie Tyler, is in the middle of four weeks as a Billboard chart-topper.

1988 – UB40’s version of the Neil Diamond song “Red, Red Wine” spends a week on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

1994 – Boyz II Men are in the midst of a 14-week ride atop the pop chart with “I’ll Make Love to You.”

2006 – CBGB, the iconic New York City nightclub considered the birthplace of the punk rock movement, closes its doors after 33 years of business. The club, nestled in Manhattan’s East Village, helped launch the careers of such pioneering artists as the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Patti Smith Group and Joan Jett.

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