On This Day January 30 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1882 – Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), 32nd U.S. president (d. 1945) 1930 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor Gene Hackman (“The French Connection,” “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Superman,” “Reds,” “Unforgiven,” “The Firm,” “Crimson Tide,” “Get Shorty,” “The Royal Tenenbaums”) 1937 – Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave (“Murder on the Orient Express,” “Julia,” “The Bostonians,” “Mrs. Dalloway,” “Howard’s End,” “Girl, Interrupted”) 1941 – Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who previously served as Defense Secretary under President George H. W. Bush 1951 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Phil Collins, formerly of the rock band Genesis (“In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” “One More Night,” “Sussudio,” “Two Hearts,” “Another Day in Paradise”) 1974 – Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale (“Empire of the Sun,” “American Psycho,” “The Machinist,” “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Fighter,” “American Hustle,” “The Big Short,” “Vice”) History Highlights 1933 – Adolf Hitler is appointed and sworn in as Chancellor of Germany. 1933 – “The Lone Ranger” debuts on Detroit radio station WXYZ, introducing listeners to the legendary “masked rider of the plains.” The show remains on Detroit radio until the mid 1940s. The three main actors who played the Lone Ranger were George Seaton (in 1933), Earle Graser (1933-1941), and Brace Beemer (1941-1954). 1948 – Mohandas Gandhi (also known as Mahatma Gandhi), the political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement and a global advocate for non-violent civil disobedience, is assassinated in New Delhi by a Hindu fanatic. 1956 – Civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s home is bombed by an unidentified white supremacist in retaliation for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. No one is injured, and shortly after the attack, King preaches non-violence to a crowd that had gathered near the site of the blast. 1972 – In Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 13 unarmed civil rights demonstrators are shot and killed by British Army paratroopers in an event that becomes known as “Bloody Sunday.” The protesters, all Northern Catholics, were marching in opposition to the British policy of internment of suspected Irish nationalists. 1994 – American speed skater Dan Jansen sets a new world record of 35.76 at the World Sprint Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Musical Milestones 1961 – “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” by The Shirelles, begins two weeks on top of the pop chart. Co-written by legendary singer-songwriter Carole King, the recording is the first by an African American girl group to reach No. 1. 1969 – The Beatles entertain for the last time in public when they play a free rooftop concert above the London headquarters of Apple Records. Throngs of passersby gather below to take in the music. 1973 – Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss make their first appearance as KISS at the Popcorn Pub in Queens, New York (later known as Coventry). About 10 guests attend and, according to Simmons, the band earned $50 for playing two sets. 1982 – “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” by Daryl Hall & John Oates, becomes the duo’s fourth single to top the Billboard Hot 100. 1988 – The Australian rock band INXS rules the singles chart for a week with “Need You Tonight.” The track, from the “Kick” album, is the group’s only No. 1 in the U.S. 1999 – Britney Spears kicks off two weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “…Baby One More Time,” her debut single. 2010 – Ke$ha is in the midst of a nine-week reign over the pop chart with “Tik Tok.” READ MORE
On This Day January 22 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1931 – Soul singing sensation Sam Cooke (“You Send Me,” “Chain Gang” and “Twistin’ the Night Away”) (d. 1964) 1934 – Actor Bill Bixby (“My Favorite Martian,” “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” “The Incredible Hulk”) (d. 1993) 1940 – Actor John Hurt (“A Man For All Seasons,” “Midnight Express,” “Alien,” “The Elephant Man”) (d. 2017) 1949 – Journey frontman Steve Perry 1959 – Actress Linda Blair, best known for her portrayal of the demonically possessed girl in the horror movie “The Exorcist” 1960 – INXS founding member and frontman Michael Hutchence (d. 1997) 1965 – Actress Diane Lane (“Unfaithful,” “The Perfect Storm,” “Under the Tuscan Sun,” “Man of Steel”) 1968 – Restaurateur and TV host Guy Fieri (“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”) History Highlights 1968 – The variety show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” premieres on NBC and helps launch the acting careers of Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin and many others. 1973 – The U.S. Supreme Court delivers its landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, legalizing elective abortion in all 50 states. The 7-2 ruling means that a woman’s right to privacy extends to her right to make her own medical decisions, including having an abortion. 1973 – George Foreman is crowned World Heavyweight Boxing Champion after knocking out Joe Frazier in two rounds during “The Sunshine Showdown” in Kingston, Jamaica. 1973 – Four years after completing his last term as U.S. president, Lyndon Johnson dies at his Texas ranch at the age of 64. 1998 – Mathematics professor-turned-domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski (a.k.a. “The Unabomber”) pleads guilty to federal charges in connection with his 17-year campaign of package bombings that killed three people and injured more than 20 others. He receives a life sentence. 2008 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor Heath Ledger, best known for his roles in the movies “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Dark Knight,” dies from accidental intoxication by prescription drugs at the age of 28. Musical Milestones 1963 – The Drifters enter a studio to record their classic, “On Broadway,” which climbs as high as No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 later that year. In 1978, George Benson’s cover of the hit makes it to No. 7 on the pop chart. 1966 – “The Sounds of Silence,” by Simon & Garfunkel, is the No. 1 single. 1966 – Frank Sinatra’s daughter, Nancy, steps onto the Billboard Hot 100 with “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’.” The track marches its way to No. 1 about a month later. 1977 – Stevie Wonder is on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Wish.” 1983 – “Down Under,” by Australian band Men At Work, is mid-way through a three-week reign over the Billboard singles chart. 1994 – “All For Love” by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting is the No. 1 single. The track is from the movie “The Three Musketeers.” 2000 – Christina Aguilera has the No. 1 single with “What a Girl Wants.” READ MORE
On This Day November 22 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1899 – Singer-songwriter Hoagy Carmichael, known for such standards as “Stardust,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “Rockin’ Chair” and “Lazy River” (d. 1981) 1921 – Stand-up comedian-actor Rodney Dangerfield, born Jacob Cohen (“Easy Money,” “Caddyshack,” “Back to School”) (d. 2004) 1932 – Actor Robert Vaughn, from the 1960s TV spy series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” (d. 2016) 1943 – Tennis legend and LGBTQ advocate Billie Jean King, who famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” matchup 1958 – Actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis (“Halloween,” “A Fish Called Wanda,” “True Lies,” “Freaky Friday,” “Scream Queens”) 1961 – Actress Mariel Hemingway (“Lipstick,” “Manhattan,” “Personal Best,” “Star 80”) 1967 – Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo (“You Can Count on Me,” “Collateral,” “13 Going on 30,” Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Just Like Heaven,” “Zodiac,” “The Avengers,” “Now You See Me,” “Spotlight”) 1984 – Tony-winning actress Scarlett Johansson (“Lost in Translation,” “The Nanny Diaries,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” “The Avengers,” “Hitchcock”) History Highlights 1963 – Americans are horrified as President John F. Kennedy is gunned down by a sniper while his motorcade passes through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. 1975 – Ten years after its theatrical release, “Dr. Zhivago” premieres on television, as NBC pays $4 million for the broadcast rights. 1984 – Fred Rogers of the PBS children’s show “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” donates his famous cardigan sweater to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. 1986 – Twenty-year-old Mike Tyson knocks out 33-year-old Trevor Berbick in just five minutes and 35 seconds to become the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history. 1988 – With members of the U.S. Congress and national media looking on, Northrup officials roll out the first B-2 (stealth) bomber at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The aircraft remains the most advanced bomber in U.S. military service. 1990 – Margaret Thatcher, the first woman prime minister in British history, announces her resignation after 11 years in office. Musical Milestones 1957 – Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel take the stage as ‘Tom and Jerry’ on “American Bandstand” with host Dick Clark. They perform “Hey Schoolgirl,” a song that reaches No. 54 on the Billboard pop chart and sells 100,000 copies. 1968 – The Beatles release their now-classic double LP “The Beatles” (also known as “The White Album”) in the U.K. Among the featured tracks: “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Dear Prudence,” “Helter Skelter,” “Blackbird,” “Back In The USSR” and George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” 1969 – The Fifth Dimension enjoy their third and final week as Billboard chart-toppers with “Wedding Bell Blues.” 1975 – KC and the Sunshine Band’s “That’s The Way (I Like It)” is No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart. 1986 – “Human,” by The Human League, begins a week as a Billboard chart-topper. 1997 – INXS frontman Michael Hutchence is found dead in a Sydney, Australia hotel room after reportedly hanging himself. He was 37. 2003 – The Beyoncé-Sean Paul duet, “Baby Boy,” remains firmly planted atop the Billboard Hot 100. READ MORE