On This Day: March 31

On This Day March 31

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1927 – Labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (d. 1993)

1934 – Oscar-winning actress and singer Shirley Jones (“The Music Man,” “The Partridge Family”) 

1935 – Grammy-winning trumpeter and the “A” in A&M Records, Herb Alpert

1943 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor and frequent “Saturday Night Live” host Christopher Walken (“Annie Hall,” “The Deer Hunter,” “Sarah, Plain and Tall,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Catch Me If You Can”) 

1948 – Environmental activist and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore 

1971 – Actor Ewan McGregor (“Trainspotting,” “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, “Moulin Rouge!” “Big Fish,” “Robots,” “The Island,” “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “T2 Trainspotting”,”Christopher Robin”,”Birds of Prey”)

History Highlights
History Highlights

1492 – Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella issue the Alhambra Decree, also known as the The Edict of Expulsion, mandating that all Jews be expelled from the country by the end of that July.

1889 – The iconic Eiffel Tower, built for the Paris International Exhibition, is formally dedicated. Engineer Gustave Eiffel, who designed the massive structure, presides at the ceremony with French Prime Minister Pierre Tirard, other dignitaries and 200 construction workers.

1959 – The Dalai Lama flees Chinese suppression in Tibet, and after an epic 15-day journey on foot over the Himalayan mountains, is granted political asylum in India.

1968 – During a national address to provide an update on the status of the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson stuns Americans by announcing that he will not seek a second term in office. 

1981 – Robert De Niro wins the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “Raging Bull,” in which he portrays former World Middleweight Champion Jake LaMotta. De Niro gained more than 60 pounds to portray LaMotta’s retirement years. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the movie also features performances by Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty.

1995 – Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, known as the “Mexican Madonna,” is shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club. Selena was the first female Tejano artist to win a Grammy, in the Best Mexican-American album category, for her 1993 album “Selena Live!” At the time of her murder, at age 23, Selena was on the brink of international fame, recording her first English language album.

1999 – The sci-fi thriller “The Matrix,” starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne, opens in movie theaters and goes on to become a cult classic followed, in 2003, by sequels “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions.”

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1943 – Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” premieres on Broadway. In 1955, the musical is produced as a motion picture starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones (in her film debut).

1958 – Chess Records releases “Johnny B. Goode,” by Chuck Berry. The song climbs as high as No. 8 on the pop chart and goes on to become a rock and roll classic.

1962 – Connie Francis claims the top spot on the pop chart for a week with “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You”

1967 – Jimi Hendrix suffers minor burns to his hands when he sets his guitar on fire during a performance at Finsbury Park in London. Nevertheless, he goes on to torch guitars several times during his short career.

1973 – Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly with His Song” returns to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a fifth week after The O’Jays interrupted her for a week with their hit, “Love Train.”

1979 – “Tragedy,” by the Bee Gees, dominates the singles chart for a second and final week.

1984 – Kenny Loggins kicks off a three-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “Footloose,” from the movie of the same name.

1987 – Prince releases his ninth studio album, “Sign o’ the Times,” which spawns three Top 10 hit singles: “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” “U Got the Look,” (with Sheena Easton) and the title track. 

2007 – “Glamorous,” by Fergie featuring Ludacris, enters its second and final week as the No. 1 single.

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On This Day: September 2

On This Day September 2

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1946 – Grammy-winning singer-keyboardist Billy Preston, who collaborated with the Beatles and Rolling Stones and had big hits of his own, including “Outa-Space,” “Nothing From Nothing,” “Will It Go Round in Circles” (d. 2006)

1948 – Legendary NFL quarterback and sportscaster Terry Bradshaw

1948 – Schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion (d. 1986)

1951 – Actor Mark Harmon (“St. Elsewhere,” “The Presidio,” “Wyatt Earp,” “Chicago Hope,” “The West Wing,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” “Freaky Friday,” “Weather Girl,” “NCIS”)

1952 – Tennis great Jimmy Connors

1964 – Actor-director and bass player Keanu Reeves (“Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” “Speed,” “The Matrix” trilogy, “A Walk in the Clouds,” “Devil’s Advocate,” “John Wick”)

1966 – Emmy-winning actress Salma Hayek (“Desperado,” “The Faculty,” “Wild Wild West,” “Fools Rush In,” “Frida,” the “Grown Ups” movies, “Puss in Boots,” “Tale of Tales”)

History Highlights
History Highlights

1789 – Congress establishes the U.S. Treasury Department to maintain the day-to-day activities of the federal government. 

1945 – Japan officially surrenders to the Allies aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, marking the end of World War II (V-J Day).

1959 – Ford introduces the 90-horsepower, 30 mile-per-gallon Falcon during the first nationwide closed-circuit TV news conference. Marketed as “the small car with the big car feel,” the Falcon becomes an overnight success.

1969 – Personal banking is revolutionized as America’s first automatic teller machine (ATM) goes into service, dispensing cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville Centre (Long Island), New York.

2013 – Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad becomes the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the use of a protective shark cage. The 64-year-old Nyad completes the 110-mile swim from Havana to Key West, through the jellyfish-and shark-infested waters of the Straits of Florida, in approximately 53 hours.

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1957 – Elvis Presley’s first soundtrack album, “Loving You,” tops the Billboard 200 and spawns the chart-topping hit, “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear.”

1967 – Bobbie Gentry is mid-way through a four-week ride on top of the Billboard singles chart with “Ode to Billie Joe.” Gentry was among the first female country music artists to write and produce her own material.

1972 – Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again (Naturally)” returns to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 after spending four weeks there in July and August.

1986 – Sixteen-year-old Debbie Gibson signs with Atlantic Records, launching a string of 11 chart singles.

1989 – Paula Abdul has the No. 1 single with “Cold Hearted.”

1995 – The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame opens in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Most of the celebration actually takes place at nearby Cleveland Municipal Stadium with a marathon concert featuring a slew of legendary musicians and vocalists.

1995 – Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone,” off his “HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I” album, becomes the first single in Billboard history to debut at No. 1. It is also Jackson’s 13th and final chart-topper.

2000 – Janet Jackson rules the Billboard Hot 100 with “Doesn’t Really Matter.”

2006 – Fergie begins her third and final week at No. 1 on the pop chart with “London Bridge.”

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