On This Day April 23 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1564 – Poet-playwright William Shakespeare (d. 1616) 1928 – Oscar-winning child star Shirley Temple (d. 2014) 1936 – Rock and roll singer-songwriter Roy Orbison (“Oh, Pretty Woman,” “Crying,” “Dream Baby”) (d. 1988) 1939 – Actor Lee Majors, best remembered for his role as astronaut Steve Austin in the 1970s hit series “The Six Million Dollar Man” 1942 – Golden Globe-winning actress Sandra Dee, nicknamed “Queen of Teens” (“Gidget,” “A Summer Place”) (d. 2005) 1954 – Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore (“Roger and Me,” “Bowling for Columbine,” “Fahrenheit 9/11″”Capitalism: A Love Story”) 1960 – Actress Valerie Bertinelli (“One Day at a Time,” “Touched by an Angel,” “Hot in Cleveland”) 1961 – Actor-comedian George Lopez, best known for his self-produced sitcom “George Lopez” that aired on ABC-TV for six seasons 1977 – Actor and former Obama administration aide Kal Penn, born Kalpen Suresh Modi (the “Harold and Kumar” films, “House,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Designated Survivor”) 1990 – Actor Dev Patel (“Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “The Newsroom,” “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Chappie,” “The Man Who Knew Infinity,” “Lion,” “Hotel Mumbai”) History Highlights 1896 – Entertainment is revolutionized as an audience at Koster and Bial’s Music Hall on 34th Street in New York City watches the first movie ever projected onto a screen. 1953 – Paramount Pictures releases “Shane,” starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur and Van Heflin, a film considered by many to be one of the greatest Westerns ever made. 1968 – Columbia University students, opposed to the Vietnam War and the school’s plans to construct a gymnasium in a Harlem neighborhood adjacent to the campus, seize administration buildings, take the dean hostage and shut the university down for a week. 1969 – Sirhan Sirhan is sentenced to the death penalty following his conviction for the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York. In 1972, Sirhan’s sentence is commuted to life in prison after California abolishes the death penalty. 1985 – Coca-Cola replaces its original formula Coke with a beverage called New Coke. However, consumers overwhelmingly reject the new soft drink. Three months later, the company backtracks and announces the return of the original formula, which is branded Coca-Cola Classic. 2004 – The romantic comedy “13 Going on 30,” starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, opens in U.S. theaters. Garner plays the adult version of a 13-year-old girl whose dream of being “30, flirty, and thriving” comes true with the help of some magic dust. Musical Milestones 1961 – In what’s been called “the greatest night in show business history,” Judy Garland — beloved for her role as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” — performs at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Garland sings 27 numbers, frequently interrupted by extended standing ovations. The double album of the historic performance becomes a smash, charting for 94 weeks on the Billboard chart, including 13 weeks at No. 1. It also captures five Grammy Awards. 1966 – “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration,” by The Righteous Brothers, marks its third and final week as the No. 1 single. It is the duo’s first major hit after leaving their longtime producer, Phil Spector. 1977 – Thelma Houston’s disco smash, “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song goes on to capture a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. 1983 – The hottest single belongs to one-hit-wonder Dexys Midnight Runners: “Come On Eileen.” 1988 – “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?,” by Whitney Houston, begins a two-week hold on the No. 1 slot on Billboard Hot 100. 1994 – R. Kelly rules the singles chart with “Bump n’ Grind.” 2005 – “Candy Shop,” by 50 Cent featuring Olivia, begins its eighth week on top of the pop chart. It will remain there for one more week. READ MORE
On this Day June 22 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1936 – Golden Globe-winning singer-songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson ( “Me and Bobby McGee” and “For the Good Times,” “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “A Star Is Born”) 1949 – Emmy-winning actress Lindsay Wagner of TV’s “The Bionic Woman” 1949 – Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep (“Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Sophie’s Choice,” “Silkwood,” “Out of Africa,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “The Iron Lady”) 1953 – Grammy, Emmy and Tony-winning singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, born Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper (“Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Time After Time,” “She Bop,” “True Colors”) 1954 – Comedian Freddie Prinze, best known for starring in the TV series “Chico and the Man” (d. 1977) 1971 – Actress Mary Lynn Rajskub, best known for her role as Chloe in the FOX-TV action series “24” History Highlights 1944 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the GI Bill to provide financial aid to veterans returning from World War II. 1950 – Prominent figures in the music industry, including Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Lena Horne, Pete Seeger and Artie Shaw, are named publicly as suspected Communist sympathizers as part of America’s infamous Red Scare.T Their names appear in Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television. 1966 – Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton grace the big screen with the release of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” It’s the first movie to contain certain four-letter words and adult content, but still receive the production code seal of approval. 1969 – Award-winning actress-singer Judy Garland, best known for playing Dorothy in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz,” is found dead of a drug overdose in her London home just days after her 47th birthday. 1981 – Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to the murder of music legend and former Beatle John Lennon. 2001 – There’s plenty of burning rubber on the screen as the action movie “The Fast and the Furious,” starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, debuts in U.S. theaters. The film becomes a blockbuster — grossing $200 million worldwide — and spawns several sequels. 2011 – After 16 years on the run from law enforcement, James “Whitey” Bulger, a violent Boston mob boss wanted for 19 murders, is arrested in California. Bulger was among the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” fugitives. He dies in prison in 2018 at the age of 89. Musical Milestones 1963 – “Fingertips, Part 2,” by 13-year-old singing sensation ‘Little’ Stevie Wonder, becomes the now-legendary Motown artist’s first of 61 chart records through 1988. 1968 – Trumpeter Herb Alpert finds success as a vocalist when he starts four weeks on top of the singles chart with “This Guy’s In Love With You” — his first No. 1 hit. The track is a Burt Bacharach-Hal David composition. 1974 – “Billy Don’t Be a Hero,” by Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods,” enters its second and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100. 1985 – The soundtrack from the Eddie Murphy action comedy “Beverly Hills Cop” tops the Billboard album chart. It spawns the hits “Axel F” by Harold Faltermeyer and “The Heat is On” by Glenn Frey. 1985 – Bryan Adams scores his first chart-topping single with “Heaven,” which holds at No. 1 for two weeks. 1991 – Paula Abdul conquers the pop chart with “Rush Rush,” which remains at No. 1 for five weeks. 1996 – “Tha Crossroads,” by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, tops the Billboard singles chart. 2002 – Ashanti wraps up a 10-week domination of the pop chart with “Foolish.” 2013 – “Blurred Lines,” by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell, begins a 12-week reign over the Billboard Hot 100. The track samples Marvin Gaye’s 1977 smash, “Got to Give It Up.” READ MORE
On this Day June 10 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1895 – Hattie McDaniel, first African American actress to receive an Academy Award, which she won for her supporting role as Mammy in “Gone With the Wind” (d. 1952) 1922 – Actress-singer Judy Garland, best known for her role as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” (d. 1969) 1921 – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms 1928 – Children’s author-illustrator Maurice Sendak (“Where the Wild Things Are,” “Little Bear”) (d. 2012) 1962 – Actress Gina Gershon (“Showgirls,” “Face/Off,” “The Insider,” “Killer Joe,” “House of Versace”) 1963 – Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn (“Basic Instinct,” “The Firm,” “Big Love,” “Criminal Minds”) 1965 – Model-actress Elizabeth Hurley (“Passenger 57,” the first two “Austin Powers” movies, “Bedazzled”) 1982 – U.S. Olympic champion figure skater Tara Lipinksi 1983 – Actress Leelee Sobieski (“Joan of Arc,” “The Glass House,” “Deep Impact”) History Highlights 1692 – Bridget Bishop, the first Massachusetts Bay colonist to be tried in the Salem witch trials, is hanged after being found guilty of the practice of witchcraft. 1752 – Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm and collects ambient electrical charge in a Leyden jar, enabling him to demonstrate the connection between lightning and electricity along with an understanding of positive and negative charges. His experiment leads to development of the lightning rod, which grounded buildings thereby helping prevent deadly fires. 1935 – Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as AA, is founded by two recovering alcoholics — Bill W., a New York stockbroker, and Dr. Bob S., an Ohio surgeon. Today, the organization continues to fulfill the pair’s original mission to help alcoholics stop drinking and stay sober. 1943 – Hungarian Laszlo Biro patents the ballpoint pen. In many languages, the word for ballpoint pen is “biro.” 1967 – In the Middle East, the Six-Day War ends when Israel and Syria agree to a U.N.-brokered ceasefire. 1980 – A letter written by imprisoned anti-apartheid crusader Nelson Mandela and smuggled out of Robben Island prison, is shared publicly by the African National Congress (ANC). The letter is a call to arms against apartheid. 2007 – An estimated 12 million viewers tune in to “Made in America” — the final episode of HBO’s critically acclaimed, award-winning Mob family drama, “The Sopranos,” starring James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Lorraine Bracco and Steven Van Zandt. Musical Milestones 1967 – Aretha Franklin begins her second and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Respect.” 1972 – Sammy Davis, Jr. starts a three-week run with a No. 1 single — his only chart-topper. It’s “Candy Man,” from the movie “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” 1976 – The first concert ever performed at the Seattle Kingdome features Paul McCartney and Wings, and draws a crowd of more than 67,000 — beating the record attendance that The Beatles had a decade earlier at New York’s Shea Stadium. 1978 – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John conquer the singles chart with “You’re The One That I Want,” from the movie in which they co-star: “Grease.” 1989 – Bette Midler tops the singles chart with “Wind Beneath My Wings,” from the film “Beaches.” 1995 – Bryan Adams reigns over the pop chart with “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” The track, from the Johnny Depp movie movie “Don Juan DeMarco,” holds at No. 1 for five weeks. 2000 – The Grammy-winning single “Maria Maria,” by Santana featuring The Product G&B, begins its tenth and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100. 2004 – Pioneering R&B/soul singer Ray Charles (“I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Hit the Road Jack,” “What’d I Say,” “Georgia on My Mind”) — a 1986 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee — dies of complications from liver disease at the age of 73. READ MORE