Manhattan – Time Rewind

On This Day December 31

Click each item below to learn more!

On This Day December 27

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1822 – French chemist-microbiologist Louis Pasteur, who pioneered the vaccination process (d. 1895)

1939 – Actor John Amos (“Good Times,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Roots,” “Die Hard 2,” “Two and a Half Men”)

1943 – Journalist and ABC News and NPR commentator Cokie Roberts (d. 2019)

1948 – Actor Gérard Depardieu (“1900,” “The Last Metro,” “Cyrano de Bergerac,” “Green Card,” “Man in the Iron Mask,” “Life of Pi”)

1971 – NBC “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie

History Highlights

1831 – British naturalist Charles Darwin sets out from Plymouth, England, aboard the HMS Beagle on a five-year expedition to survey the geology and wildlife of coastal South America. His observations eventually lead to development of his theory of evolution through natural selection.

1932 – In the midst of the Depression, New York City’s iconic Radio City Music Hall opens and is touted as a “palace for the people.” Since then, more than 300 million people have enjoyed stage shows, movies, concerts and special events at the unmistakable Art Deco venue located in midtown Manhattan.

1947 – The first popular American children’s show on television, “The Howdy Doody Show,” premieres on NBC.

1968 – Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, returns safely to Earth after an historic six-day journey.

2016 – “Star Wars” fans around the world are devastated to learn that actress Carrie Fisher, best known for playing Princess Leia in the legendary movie series, has died at the age of 60. Her death comes four days after suffering a massive heart attack on an international flight.

Musical Milestones

1969 – Motown giants The Supremes hit No. 1 on the singles chart for the 12th time in their musical career — this time with “Someday We’ll Be Together.”

1969 – Led Zeppelin score their first No. 1 album with “Led Zeppelin II,” which brings us “Whole Lotta Love,” “What Is and What Should Never Be,” “Ramble On” and six other tracks. It goes on to sell more than six million copies in the U.S. alone.

1975 – The Staple Singers own the No. 1 single, “Let’s Do It Again,” from the movie of the same name.

1980 – “Double Fantasy,” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, begins an eight-week run at No. 1 on the album chart. That same day, one of its tracks, “(Just Like) Starting Over” reaches No. 1 on the singles chart and remains there for five weeks.

1986 – The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian” is mid-way through a four-week hold on the No. 1 spot on the Billboard singles chart.

1997 – “Candle in the Wind 1997,” Elton John’s tribute to the late Princess Diana, maintains its grip on the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

2003 – OutKast is in the middle of a nine-week ride on top of the singles chart with “Hey Ya!”

2008 – Beyoncé delivers the last No. 1 song of 2008 and first of 2009 as she kicks off three weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”

On This Day December 21

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1935 – Former TV talk show host Phil Donahue (“The Phil Donohue Show,” later simply called “Donohue”)

1937 – Oscar-winning actress and 1980s fitness guru Jane Fonda (“Barefoot in the Park,” “Klute,” “Coming Home,” “The Newsroom”)

1948 – Actor-producer Samuel L. Jackson (“Jurassic Park,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Jackie Brown,” “The Incredibles,” “Snakes on a Plane,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Django Unchained,” and several of the Marvel Studios “Avengers” movies)

1954 – Retired U.S. tennis star Chris Evert

1957 – Emmy-winning actor, writer and comedian Ray Romano, best known for the CBS sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond”

1966 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor and singer-songwriter Kiefer Sutherland (“Stand by Me,” “The Lost Boys,” “Young Guns,” “Flatliners,” A Few Good Men,” “The Three Musketeers,” “24,” “Designated Survivor”)

History Highlights

1913 – The first crossword puzzle is compiled by journalist Arthur Wynne and published in the New York World newspaper. It was originally called “Word-Cross” and ran as a feature in the paper’s “Fun” section.

1937 – The Lincoln Tunnel officially opens, allowing motorists to drive between New Jersey and Manhattan beneath the Hudson River.

1968 – NASA successfully launches Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, Jr., and William Anders aboard.

1980 – Socialite Martha “Sunny” von Bulow is found comatose on the bathroom floor of her Newport, Rhode Island mansion — the result of what appeared to be an insulin overdose. Her husband stands trial for attempted murder in what becomes one of the most sensational high society court dramas of all time.

1988 – Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland. All 243 passengers and 16 crew members aboard the 747 are killed along with 11 Lockerbie residents on the ground. A bomb hidden inside an audio cassette player detonates in the cargo hold when the plane reaches an altitude of 31,000 feet.

Musical Milestones

1968 – “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” by Marvin Gaye, is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week and remains a chart-topper all through January 1969.

1969 – The Supremes make their final TV appearance together with Diana Ross on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” singing a medley of their hits.

1970 – Elvis Presley arrives unannounced at The White House for a meeting with President Richard Nixon to offer his services in the administration’s war on drugs.

1974 – “Cat’s in the Cradle” becomes Harry Chapin’s first and only No. 1 single. The track receives a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

1985 – Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” album passes Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to become the second longest-lasting LP on the Billboard Top 10, holding there for 79 weeks. Only “The Sound of Music,” with Julie Andrews, lasted longer at 109 weeks.

2002 – Eminem rules the Billboard Hot 100 with “Lose Yourself,” whcih remains a chart-topper for 12 weeks.

2012 – “Gangnam Style,” by Korean rapper Psy, becomes the first YouTube video to garner one billion views.

On This Day November 27

Click each item below to learn more!

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

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

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.

On This Day November 3

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1921 – “Tough guy” actor Charles Bronson (“The Magnificent Seven,” “The Great Escape,” “The Dirty Dozen,” “The Mechanic,” “Death Wish”) (d. 2003)

1933 – Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy-winning film composer John Barry (“Midnight Cowboy,” “Out of Africa,” “Dances With Wolves” and many more) (d. 2011)

1952 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress-comedian Roseanne Barr, best known for her hit comedy series “Roseanne”

1953 – Actress Kate Capshaw, who met her husband, director Steven Spielberg, while working on the movie “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”

1953 – Comedian, “SNL” alum and political commentator Dennis Miller

1954 – New wave musician Adam Ant (“Antmusic,” “Goody Two Shoes”)

1957 – Swedish actor, director and martial artist Dolph Lundgren, best known for playing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV” and Gunner Jensen in “The Expendables”

History Highlights

1903 – With the support of the U.S. government, Panama declares its independence from Colombia.

1948 – The Chicago Tribune mistakenly declares New York Governor Thomas Dewey winner of the presidential race against incumbent Harry S. Truman in a front-page headline: “Dewey Defeats Truman.” Truman had actually defeated Dewey by 114 electoral votes.

1957 – The Soviet Union ups the ante in the Space Race by launching Sputnik 2. On board the spacecraft is a dog named Laika that becomes the first living animal in space.

1964 – In one of the most crushing victories in the history of U.S. presidential elections, incumbent Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) defeats Republican challenger Barry Goldwater, Sr.

1969 – A group of local educational TV stations unites under the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) banner. There are more than 345 PBS stations in the U.S. today.

1976 – Based on a Stephen King novel, the horror film “Carrie,” starring Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, and directed by Brian De Palma, opens in U.S. theaters.

2014 – One World Trade Center officially opens in Manhattan. The 104-story, 1,776-foot-high tower is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and replaces the Twin Towers, which were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Musical Milestones

1962 – “He’s a Rebel,” by The Crystals, begins a two-week ride on top of the Billboard singles chart.

1967 – The filming of “Magical Mystery Tour” wraps, with sequences for George Harrison’s song, “Blue Jay Way,” shot at Ringo Starr’s house with Ringo himself directing.

1972 – James Taylor and Carly Simon are married by a judge in Simon’s Manhattan apartment, beginning an 11-year marriage. That evening, Simon joins Taylor on stage at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and announces their union to a cheering audience.

1979 – One-hit wonder M has the most popular single in the U.S. with “Pop Muzik,” a song credited with ushering in the new wave era.

1984 – Billy Ocean starts a two-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart with “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run).”

1990 – Vanilla Ice owns the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week with “Ice Ice Baby” — the first No. 1 hip hop single. The track is constructed on the bassline of “Under Pressure,” by Queen and David Bowie.

2001 – “Family Affair” becomes Mary J. Blige’s first No. 1 single. It holds the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks.

2007 – “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” by Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, enters its seventh and final week as a No. 1 single.

On This Day October 27

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1858 – Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States (d. 1919)

1914 – Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, whose works include the poems “Do not go gentle into that good night,” “And death shall have no dominion”, the “Play for Voices” and “Under Milk Wood” (d. 1953)

1922 – Emmy and Grammy-winning actress and playwright Ruby Dee (“A Raisin in the Sun,” “Do The Right Thing,” “The Stand,” “American Gangster”)(d. 2014)

1939 – Actor-comedian, author and Monty Python founder John Cleese (“Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” “Fawlty Towers,” “A Fish Called Wanda,” “Harry Potter,” “Shrek”)

1942 – Country singer Lee Greenwood, best known for his song “God Bless the USA,” which gained popularity following the September 11, 2001 attacks

1952 – Actor-director Roberto Benigni, best known for his Oscar-winning 1997 film “Life Is Beautiful”

1958 – Musician Simon Le Bon, lead singer of the Grammy-winning band Duran Duran (“Girls on Film,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Save a Prayer,” “Rio,” “The Reflex,” “A View to a Kill,” “Ordinary World”)

1984 – Actress, singer and fashion designer Kelly Osbourne, who rose to fame on the reality show about her family, “The Osbournes”

History Highlights

1904 – America’s first rapid transit system begins operating when the New York City subway opens to the public. More than 100,000 people pay a nickel to take their first ride aboard the Interborough Rapid Transit (I.R.T.) under Manhattan.

1954 – “Disneyland,” Walt Disney’s first TV series, premieres on ABC. It airs for 34 seasons, in later years under different names, including “Walt Disney Presents” and “The Wonderful World of Disney.”

1962 – Thirteen days after an American U-2 spy plane first captures photos of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba aimed at the U.S., a Soviet missile destroys the U.S. Air Force jet during another Cuba flyover. The pilot, Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr., becomes the first casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Anderson’s death is believed to have saved millions of American lives in a potential nuclear attack.

1978 – The Nobel Peace Prize is jointly awarded to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat in honor of the Camp David Agreement which brought about a negotiated peace between Egypt and Israel.

1986 – The New York Mets become world champions of baseball, as they beat the Boston Red Sox in Game Seven of the World Series, 8-5.

Musical Milestones

1960 – Soul and R&B sensation Ben E. King records “Spanish Harlem” and “Stand by Me,” launching his successful solo career after leaving The Drifters.

1973 – Gladys Knight & the Pips have their first No. 1 single with “Midnight Train To Georgia,” which stays on top of the pop chart for two weeks and goes on to capture a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group or Chorus.

1975 – Bruce Springsteen’s early career gets a shot in the arm as he lands on the covers of two national news magazines on the same day — Newsweek and Time.

1982 – Prince releases his breakthrough double-album “1999,” which contains the hits “1999” and “Little Red Corvette.” The album peaks at No. 9 a few months later, but climbs to No. 7 on the Billboard album chart following Prince’s death in 2016.

1984 – “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” by Stevie Wonder, marks its third and final week as a No. 1 single.

1990 – Janet Jackson rules the Billboard Hot 100 for a week with “Black Cat,” off her “Rhythm Nation 1814” album.

2001 – “I’m Real (Murder Remix),” by Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule, is in its second and final week as a No. 1 single.

2006 – Amy Winehouse releases her second and final studio album, “Back to Black,” which spawns five singles, including “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good.” It goes on to capture Album of the Year honors at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

On this Day May 24

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1941 – Grammy, Golden Globe and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, born Robert Zimmerman

1943 – Actor Gary Burghoff, most remembered for playing Radar O’Reilly in the movie and CBS sitcom “M*A*S*H”

1944 – Grammy Hall of Fame vocalist Patti LaBelle, most remembered for her 1974 smash, “Lady Marmalade”

1945 – Actress-business magnate Priscilla Presley, who performed in the “Naked Gun” movie series and the prime-time TV series “Dallas”

1955 – Grammy winning singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash (“Seven Year Ache,” “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me”)

1960 – Actress Kristin Scott Thomas (“Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “The English Patient,” “The Horse Whisperer,” “Gosford Park,” “Nowhere Boy”)

1965 – Actor John C. Reilly (“Boogie Nights,” “Chicago,” “Talladega Nights,” “Step Brothers,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “The Sisters Brothers,” Stan & Ollie”)

History Highlights

1775 – Meeting in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress unanimously elects John Hancock of Massachusetts as president. That is why Hancock has the honor of being the first to sign the Declaration of Independence.

1883 – New York’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge opens, concluding a 14-year, $18 million construction project that cost more than two dozen workers their lives. The span links the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan across the East River.

1899 – The first public parking garage in the U.S. opens in Boston as part of the Back Bay Cycle & Motor Company. It is advertised as a “stable for renting, sale, storage and repair of motor vehicles.”

1935 – Major League Baseball’s first night game is played at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the Reds beating the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1.

1976 – Service aboard the Concorde supersonic (SST) airliner begins between London and Washington, D.C.

1991 – “Thelma & Louise,” starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis and directed by Ridley Scott, opens in U.S. movie theaters. The film earns six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director for Scott and Best Actress for both Sarandon and Davis, but wins for Best Original Screenplay. It introduces a young, unknown Brad Pitt and becomes a fixture of American pop culture with the two main characters representing strong women overcoming obstacles in a male-dominated world.

1991 – The firefighting drama “Backdraft,” starring Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Scott Glenn and Donald Sutherland, and directed by Ron Howard, opens in U.S. theaters. The film goes on to receive three Academy Award nominations.

Musical Milestones

1952 – “Blue Tango,” an instrumental composed and conducted by Leroy Anderson, tops the Billboard pop chart.

1969 – “Get Back,” by The Beatles with Billy Preston, begins five weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. A different mix of the song is later produced as the final track of the “Let It Be” album, the band’s last album, released just after breaking up.

1974 – Legendary jazz composer, pianist and bandleader Duke Ellington dies of lung cancer and pneumonia at the age of 75. “The Duke’s” career spanned more than half a century, during which he composed thousands of songs for the stage, screen and contemporary songbook.

1975 – Earth Wind & Fire climb to the top of the singles chart with “Shining Star,” the group’s first and only No. 1 in the U.S. The track goes on to capture a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

1986 – Whitney Houston reigns over the Billboard Hot 100 with “Greatest Love of All.”

1997 – “MMMBop,” by Hanson, kicks off three weeks on top of the pop chart. The band consists of three brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

1997 – The Spice Girls land reach No. 1 on the Billboard album chart with their debut production, “Spice.” They become the third all-female band to ever top the album chart, after The Supremes and The Go-Go’s.

2003 – Sean Paul wraps up three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart with “Get Busy.”

On this Day May 16

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1905 – Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy-winning actor Henry Fonda (“The Grapes of Wrath,” “Mister Roberts,” “12 Angry Men,” “On Golden Pond”) (d. 1982)

1919 – Emmy-winning pianist Liberace, born Wladziu Valentino Liberace, known for his signature candelabra and glittery wardrobe (d. 1987)

1953 – Actor Pierce Brosnan (“Remington Steele,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Dante’s Peak,” “GoldenEye” and three other James Bond films, “The Ghost Writer”)

1955 – Actress Debra Winger (“Urban Cowboy,” “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “Terms of Endearment,” “Legal Eagles,” “Shawdowlands,” “Rachel Getting Married”)

1966 – Grammy-winning pop superstar Janet Jackson

1973 – Actress Tori Spelling (“Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Scream 2,” “The House of Yes,” “Trick,” “Cthulhu”)

1986 – Actress and model Megan Fox (“Hope & Faith,” “Transformers,” “Jennifer’s Body,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”)

History Highlights

1929 – A far cry from the pageantry of today’s Oscar ceremonies, about 270 guests attend a dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel where the first Academy Awards are handed out.

1960 – Two weeks after the Soviet downing of an American U-2 spy plane, Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev lashes out at the U.S. and President Dwight D. Eisenhower at a Paris summit between the two heads of state. Khrushchev’s outburst angered Eisenhower and doomed any chances for successful talks or negotiations.

1965 – The Franco-American food company revolutionizes the way American kids eat when it introduces SpaghettiOs — canned pasta rings in tomato and cheese sauce. “The neat round spaghetti you can eat with a spoon…Uh-Oh! SpaghettiOs.”

1977 – A commuter helicopter accident on the roof of the Pan Am Building (now MetLife Building) in Manhattan leaves five people dead, eight others injured. Investigators blame the crash on “metal fatigue,” which caused the landing gear to fail. The helipad is never used again.

1988 – Surgeon General C. Everett Koop issues a report stating that the addictive properties of nicotine are similar to those of heroin and cocaine.

1996 – The final episode of “Murder, She Wrote,” starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher, airs on CBS, ending a successful 12-season run.

2014 – Broadcast journalist and TV personality Barbara Walters retires from ABC News and as co-host of the daytime program “The View.” The 84-year-old Walters blazed a trail for women in television news during a distinguished career spanning more than 50 years.

Musical Milestones

1964 – Motown sweetheart Mary Wells lays claim to the top of the pop chart for two weeks with “My Guy,” a track written and produced by Smokey Robinson.

1970 – The Guess Who are in the midst of a three-week ride at No. 1 on the singles chart with “American Woman.”

1970 – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young land on top of the Billboard album chart with “Deja Vu,” which spawns three Top 40 singles: “Teach Your Children,” “Our House” and “Woodstock.”

1981 – Kim Carnes begins a nine-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Bette Davis Eyes.” The track goes on to capture Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

1987 – U2’s “With or Without You,” off the band’s Grammy-winning “The Joshua Tree” album, begins three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1990 – Entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. dies of throat cancer at the age of 64. Davis was an acclaimed comedian, actor, dancer and singer, and a member of the “Rat Pack” with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

1998 – “Too Close,” by Next, marks its fourth and final week as a Billboard chart-topper.

2009 – Bob Dylan grabs the top spot on the album chart with “Together Through Life,” which garners two Grammy Award nominations in the Best Americana Album category and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance category for “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’.”

On this Day May 1

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1907 – Singer Kate Smith, known as “The First Lady of Radio,” and most famous for her rendition of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” (d. 1986)

1916 – Actor Glenn Ford (“3:10 to Yuma,” “the Courtship of Eddie’s Father”) (d. 2006)

1939 – Folk-pop singer-songwriter and activist Judy Collins (“Both Sides, Now,” “Someday Soon,” “Chelsea Morning,” “Send in the Clowns”)

1945 – Grammy-winning pop vocalist Rita Coolidge, best known for her 1977 hits “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher” and “We’re All Alone”

1946 – Director John Woo (“Broken Arrow,” “Face/Off,” “Mission: Impossible 2,” “Windtalkers,” “Paycheck,”)

1954 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Ray Parker, Jr. (“Ghostbusters” theme, “Jack and Jill,” “You Can’t Change That”)

1967 – Grammy-winning country music singer-songwriter and actor Tim McGraw (“Don’t Take the Girl,” “Live Like You Were Dying,” “Just to See You Smile”)

1969 – Golden Globe-winning director Wes Anderson (“Rushmore,” “The Royal Tennenbaums,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Isle of Dogs”)

History Highlights

1931 – President Herbert Hoover dedicates New York City’s iconic 102-story Empire State Building by symbolically pressing a button in Washington, D.C. that illuminates what is then the world’s tallest building. The art deco skyscraper, standing 1,250 feet tall, was built in just over a year at a cost of $41 million.

1941 – “Citizen Kane” opens in New York, and through the decades, is hailed as one of the greatest movies ever made. Written and directed by 26-year-old filmmaker Orson Welles (also the star), it chronicles the life of a newspaper magnate considered to be real-life publishing baron William Randolph Hearst.

1958 – President Dwight Eisenhower proclaims Law Day to honor the role of law in the establishment of the United States of America. In 1961, Congress follows suit by passing a joint resolution establishing May 1 as Law Day.

1960 – An American U-2 spy plane is shot down over the Soviet Union, prompting cancellation of a planned summit between U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev.

1963 – Jim Whittaker of Washington State becomes the first American to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.

1971 – The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) introduces passenger rail service in the U.S. with 184 trains a day. The first train, the Clocker, rolls out of New York’s Penn Station bound for Philadelphia just after midnight. AMTRAK was created through the Rail Passenger Act of 1970 to salvage the nation’s struggling passenger rail services.

1997 – After 18 years of Conservative rule, British voters give the Labour Party, a landslide victory in British parliamentary elections. In the poorest Conservative Party showing since 1832, Prime Minister John Major is rejected in favor of Tony Blair, who at age 43 becomes the youngest British prime minister in more than a century.

Musical Milestones

1965 – Herman’s Hermits begin a three-week run on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter.”

1967 – Thirty-two-year-old Elvis Presley marries 21-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. They divorce six years later.

1976 – The Bellamy Brothers have a No. 1 single with “Let Your Love Flow.”

1982 – “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, ends its seven-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100. In 2016, the song is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

1999 – TLC enjoys its fourth and final week on top of the pop chart with “No Scrubs.”

2004 – Usher is midway through a 12-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Yeah!” — a collaboration with Lil Jon and Ludacris. The track goes on to capture a Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Grammy.