On This Day April 25 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1874 – Nobel Prize-winning radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi (d. 1937) 1908 – Pioneering broadcast journalist and longtime CBS correspondent Edward R. Murrow (d. 1965) 1917 – Legendary Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, affectionately known as “The First Lady of Song” (d. 1996) 1932 – Basketball Hall of Famer and former Harlem Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon, born Meadow Lemon III (d. 2015) 1940 – Oscar, Tony and Emmy-winning actor Al Pacino (“The Godfather” movie series, “Serpico,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” ” …And Justice for All,” “Scarface,” “Scent of a Woman,” “Carlito’s Way,” “The Devil’s Advocate,” “The Insider,” “Oceans Thrteen,” “Danny Collins,” “The Irishman,” “Hunters”) 1946 – Actress Talia Shire, best known for her roles as Connie Corleone in “The Godfather” films and Adrian Balboa in the “Rocky” series 1964 – Emmy-winning actor-producer-comedian Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons,” “The Birdcage,” “Mystery Men,” “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” “The Smurfs,” “Brockmire”) 1969 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Renée Zellweger (“Jerry McGuire,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Me Myself and Irene,” “Chicago,” “Cold Mountain,” “Cinderella Man”) History Highlights 1901 – The first license plate is affixed to an automobile, as New York becomes the first state to require tags. 1945 – A milestone in the approaching end of World War II in Europe is achieved when U.S. and Russian troops meet in Torgau along the River Elbe, cutting Nazi Germany in two. 1980 – President Jimmy Carter informs the nation that eight U.S. servicemen were killed in the collision of two military aircraft to be used to rescue 52 Americans held hostage in Iran. Those hostages are finally freed the following January, on the day Ronald Reagan is inaugurated president. 1983 – Soviet leader Yuri Andropov personally invites American fifth-grader Samantha Smith of Maine to visit his country after reading her letter in which she expressed fears about nuclear war. She makes the trip that summer and becomes an honorary ambassador for peace at a time when U.S.-Soviet relations were strained during the Cold War. Sadly, Smith dies in a plane crash two years later. 1990 – The crew of Space Shuttle Discovery places the Hubble Space Telescope, a long-term space-based observatory, into a low orbit around Earth. Hubble — named after astronomer Edwin Hubble — continues to provide astronomers with an unparalleled view of the solar system, the galaxy and the universe. 1995 – Oscar-winning entertainer Ginger Rogers, best known for her films with dance partner Fred Astaire, dies at the age of 83. Musical Milestones 1956 – Rock and Roll King Elvis Presley signs a seven-year movie contract with Paramount Pictures. 1960 – Elvis Presley gets stuck on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks with “Stuck On You.” It’s his first hit single following his two-year stint in the U.S. Army. 1970 – The Jackson 5 give The Beatles’ “Let It Be” the boot and claim the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks with “ABC.” 1981 – Daryl Hall and John Oates begin their third and final week as chart-toppers with “Kiss On My List.” 1987 – U2 begin a nine-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart with “The Joshua Tree,” which packs chart-topping tracks including “With or Without You,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.” It goes on to capture Grammys for Album of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. 1990 – The Fender Stratocaster that rock guitar legend Jimi Hendrix played at the Woodstock festival is auctioned off for a record $330,000. His two-hour set at the 1969 rock festival included a rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.” 1992 – “Jump,” by hip hop duo Kris Kross, grabs the top spot on the singles chart and remains there for eight weeks. 1998 – Next has the No. 1 single with “Too Close.” The track remains on top of the pop chart for five weeks. 2007 – Leukemia claims the life of 69-year-old Bobby “Boris” Pickett, best known for his hit novelty song “Monster Mash,” which still gets radio airplay every Halloween. READ MORE
On this Day June 6 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1939 – Singer-songwriter Gary U.S. Bonds, born Gary Anderson (“New Orleans,” “Quarter to Three”) 1947 – Actor Robert Englund, best known for playing serial killer Freddy Krueger in the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” movies 1954 – Tony-winning actor-playwright Harvey Fierstein (“Torch Song Trilogy,” “Independence Day,” “Mrs. Doubtfire”) 1955 – Stand-up comedian, actress and singer Sandra Bernhard 1959 – Stand-up comedian and “Saturday Night Live” (“SNL”) alumnus Colin Quinn 1967 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Paul Giamatti (“Private Parts,” “American Splendor,” “Sideways,” “Cinderella Man,” “John Adams,” “Love & Mercy,” “Billions”) History Highlights 1933 – The first drive-in movie theater opens in Camden, New Jersey. Admission is 25 cents per car. 1934 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a law establishing the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 1944 – Allied forces cross the English Channel and land on the beaches of Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control during World War II. D-Day becomes the largest naval, air and land operation in history. More than 150,000 troops, representing the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, come ashore in five designated landing zones. 1971 – The curtain comes down on a Sunday night institution, as “The Ed Sullivan Show” ends a 23-year run on CBS. The last pop act to appear on the program was Gladys Knight & the Pips. 1971 – The Soviets achieve another first in space with the launch of Soyuz-11. The vessel is the first ship to dock with an orbiting space station. Musical Milestones 1962 – The Beatles, with Pete Best on drums, gather at EMI Studios in London for an audition that doubles as their first recording session. They record “Besame Mucho,” “Love Me Do,” “PS I Love You” and “Ask Me Why.” 1964 – The Dixie Cups give The Beatles’ “Love Me Do” the boot and begin three weeks on top of the Billboard singles chart with “Chapel of Love.” 1965 – The Rolling Stones release “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” in the U.S. (the track is released in the U.K. that August), and within four weeks, it becomes a No. 1 hit. 1972 – David Bowie releases what many still consider the definitive rock ‘n’ roll concept album: “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.” 1982 – The “Peace Sunday, We Have A Dream” antinuclear concert draws 85,000 people to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for a musical lineup featuring Tom Petty, Crosby Stills & Nash, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne and more. Dylan and Joan Baez perform duets of “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “With God On Our Side.” 1987 – Kim Wilde’s cover of The Supremes’ 1966 hit, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” is the most popular single. 1992 – Hip hop duo Kris Kross maintain a hold on the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Jump.” 2006 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and keyboard player Billy Preston dies of kidney failure at age 59. Over the years, Preston collaborated with some of the greatest names in the music industry, including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. READ MORE
On this Day May 30 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1908 Actor Mel Blanc, who was the voice of Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote, Barney Rubble and many other beloved cartoon characters (d. 1989) 1909 – Jazz-swing bandleader Benny Goodman (d. 1986) 1943 – Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, also known as “The Kansas Comet” 1951 – Actor Stephen Tobolowsky, best remembered for his role as Ned Ryerson in the movie “Groundhog Day” 1953 – Actor Colm Meaney, best known for playing Miles O’Brien in the TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” 1964 – Country music singer Wynonna Judd (“She Is His Only Need,” “I Saw the Light,” “No One Else on Earth,” “Only Love,” “To Be Loved by You”) 1971 – Tony Award-winning actress-singer Idina Menzel (“Rent,” “Wicked,” If/Then”) 1974 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter-producer CeeLo Green, born Thomas Callaway (“Forget You,” “Crazy”) History Highlights 1431 – Joan of Arc, the peasant girl who became the savior of France, is burned at the stake for heresy. 1783 – The Pennsylvania Evening Post becomes the first daily newspaper published in the United States. 1911 – The Indianapolis 500 is run for the first time and the winner is Ray Harroun, travelling at an average speed of 74.6 miles per hour in his single-seater Marmon Wasp. 1922 – Supreme Court Chief Justice and former President William Howard Taft dedicates the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Memorial was designed to heal national divisions caused by the Civil War. Yet for many, Lincoln’s promise of freedom remained incomplete. Over the next half century, the looming figure of Abraham Lincoln witnessed a number of events and demonstrations that reinforced the memorial’s importance as a symbolic space for civil rights movements. 1927 – The Kentucky River peaks during a massive flood caused by torrential rains. The disaster kills 89 people and leaves thousands homeless. 1971 – The unmanned spacecraft Mariner 9 launches on a mission to gather scientific information from Mars. It circles the Red Planet twice each day for almost a year, photographing the surface and analyzing the atmosphere with infrared and ultraviolet instruments. 1990 – With the Soviet economy on the brink of collapse, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Washington, D.C., for three days of talks with President George H. W. Bush. The summit centers on the issue of Germany and its place in a changing Europe. Musical Milestones 1960 – Brenda Lee is just 15 years old when her first No. 1 single, “I’m Sorry,” debuts on the Billboard Hot 100. It spends three weeks on top of the chart that July. 1963 – Seventeen-year-old Lesley Gore of New Jersey appears on “American Bandstand” and belts out a tune that goes on to become a No. 1 hit for her: “It’s My Party.” 1964 – “Love Me Do” by The Beatles reaches the top of the singles chart, becoming the Fab Four’s fourth No. 1 in five months. 1970 – Ray Stevens dominates the singles chart with “Everything Is Beautiful.” 1987 – U2’s “With or Without You,” off their album “The Joshua Tree,” concludes three weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. 1992 – Hip hop duo Kris Kross dominate the Bilboard Hot 100 with “Jump.” The track, off the “Totally Krossed Out” album, holds at No. 1 for eight weeks, becoming the pair’s most successful song and the fastest-selling single in the U.S. in 15 years. 2009 – The Black Eyed Peas enter their seventh week on top of the pop chart with “Boom Boom Pow.” The track holds at No. 1 for 12 weeks and goes on to capture a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. READ MORE
On this Day May 23 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1883 – Actor-producer Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., who was one of Hollywood’s founding fathers (“The Mark of Zorro,” “The Thief of Baghdad,” “Robin Hood”) (d. 1939) 1910 – Actor-singer Scatman Crothers (“The Aristocats,” “Harlem Globetrotters,” “Chico and the Man,” “The Shining”) (d. 1986) 1928 – Singer Rosemary Clooney (“Come On-a My House”, “Botch-a-Me,” “Mambo Italiano,” “Tenderly,” “Half as Much,” “Hey There,” “This Ole House”) (d. 2002) 1933 – Golden Globe-winning actress and author Joan Collins, best known for her role in the 80s TV series “Dynasty” 1954 – Former middleweight champion boxer “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler 1958 – Best-selling author Mitch Albom, most widely recognized for his 1997 book, “Tuesdays With Morrie” 1958 – Comedian and TV game show host Drew Carey (“The Drew Carey Show,” “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” “The Price is Right”) 1965 – Actress Melissa McBride (“The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys,” “The Mist,” “The Walking Dead”) 1974 – Singer-songwriter Jewel, born Jewel Kilcher (“Who Will Save Your Soul,” “You Were Meant for Me,” “Foolish Games”) History Highlights 1934 – Authorities shoot and kill outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow (“Bonnie and Clyde”) while the couple drive a stolen car through Louisiana. The ambush ends one of the most colorful and spectacular manhunts in the U.S. up to that time. 1958 – America’s first satellite, Explorer 1, stops transmitting data when its batteries die. However, the probe remains in orbit for 12 years, eventually burning up as it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean on March 31, 1970. 1960 – Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion announces the capture of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, who goes on to stand trial in Israel. 1980 – Stanley Kubrick’s psychological horror film “The Shining,” based on the Stephen King novel of the same name and starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, opens in U.S. theaters. 2015 – Ireland legalizes same-sex marriage. Musical Milestones 1960 – The Everly Brothers begin a five-week ride atop the singles chart with “Cathy’s Clown.” 1964 – Ella Fitzgerald becomes the first artist to enjoy a hit with a Beatles cover when “Can’t Buy Me Love” enters the British pop chart. 1979 – Rocker Tom Petty defies his record label and files for bankruptcy, a move that goes on to permanently change the music industry. 1981 – George Harrison’s “All Those Years Ago” debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, eventually reaching No. 2. Paul and Linda McCartney and Ringo Starr lend their talents to the single, a tribute to John Lennon who died a year earlier. 1985 – Comedian-actor Eddie Murphy’s one and only hit single, “Party All The Time’ — produced by Rick James and Kevin Johnston — is released. The track reaches No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 1992 – “Jump,” by hip-hop duo Kris Kross, is in the middle of an eight-week hold on the top spot on the singles chart. 1998 – Mariah Carey enjoys a week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “My All.” READ MORE