Martin Luther King Jr – Time Rewind

On This Day April 11

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On This Day April 4

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Celebrity Birthdays

1928 – Poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson (d. 2014)

1944 – Actor Craig T. Nelson (“Poltergeist,” “Coach,” “The Incredibles,” “Parenthood”)

1960 – Actor Hugo Weaving (“The Matrix,” “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “V For Vendetta,” “The Hobbit” film series, “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Hacksaw Ridge”)

1965 – Golden Globe-winning actor Robert Downey, Jr. (“Less Than Zero,” “Chaplin,” “Ally McBeal,” the “Iron Man” and “Avengers/MCU” and “Sherlock Holmes” movies, “The Judge”)

1966 – Actress Nancy McKeon (“The Facts of Life,” “The Division”)

1979 – Actor Heath Ledger (“10 Things I Hate About You,” “The Patriot,” “A Knight’s Tale,” “Monster’s Ball,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “The Dark Knight”) (d. 2008)

History Highlights

1949 – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is established by the U.S. and 11 other Western nations.

1960 – William Wyler’s Technicolor epic ,”Ben-Hur,” sets an Academy Awards record when it sweeps 11 of the 12 categories for which it was nominated, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Charlton Heston).

1968 – A sniper shoots and kills civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 39, on the balcony of a Memphis, Tennessee motel. As word of the assassination spreads, riots erupt in cities across the U.S., and National Guard troops are deployed in Memphis and Washington, D.C. In 1991, the murder scene—the Lorraine Motel—is dedicated as part of the National Civil Rights Museum.

1969 – CBS cancels the most popular show on TV at the time, “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” because the brothers failed to submit their script to network executives to review before broadcast.

1973 – A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held in New York’s Lower Manhattan to dedicate the original World Trade Center. At 110 stories each, 1 WTC, or the North Tower, and 2 WTC, the South Tower, would provide nearly 10 million square feet of office space. Reaching more than a quarter of a mile into the sky, the Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in New York City, and for a brief period, the tallest buildings in the world.

1975 – At a time when most Americans are using typewriters, childhood friends and self-proclaimed computer geeks Bill Gates and Paul Allen establish Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Four years later, they relocate the business to Washington State and grow it into a major multinational technology corporation.

1986 – The last episode of NBC’s “Knight Rider,” starring David Hasselhoff as private eye Michael Knight, airs on this day.

2007 – Radio shock jock Don Imus makes offensive remarks about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team on the air, creating a firestorm of criticism across the country. Imus apologizes and loses his job, but ultimately is able to salvage his career.

2013 – Acclaimed movie critic Roger Ebert, who reviewed movies for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years and on TV’s Sneak Previews program for 31 years, dies at the age of 70 after battling cancer.

Musical Milestones

1964 – The Beatles simultaneously claim the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Can’t Buy Me Love” at No. 1 where it remains for five weeks. Never before, and not since, has a single act achieved that kind of musical monopoly.

1970 – “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” by Simon & Garfunkel, begins its sixth and final week as a Billboard No. 1. The track goes on to capture five Grammys, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

1981 – “Rapture,” by Blondie featuring Debbie Harry, is in its second and final week as a No. 1 single.

1987 – “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship is No. 1 on the singles chart and stays there for two weeks. The song appears in the movie “Mannequin,” starring Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall.

1995 – Madonna is mid-way through a seven-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Take a Bow,” from her “Bedtime Stories” album.

1998 – K-Ci & JoJo rule the Billboard Hot 100 with “All My Life.”

2009 – Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha wraps up a six-week domination of the singles chart with “Right Round,” a track that samples the chorus of the 1984 Dead or Alive song “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record).”

On This Day March 25

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Celebrity Birthdays

1881 – Classical composer Béla Bartók (d. 1945)

1918 – Longtime ABC sportscaster Howard Cosell, who was part of the original “Monday Night Football” announcer team (d. 1995)

1928 – Retired NASA astronaut (Apollo 8/Apollo 13) Jim Lovell

1934 – Feminist crusader and Ms. magazine founder-publisher Gloria Steinem

1942 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and undisputed “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin (d. 2018)

1947 – Grammy, Oscar, Tony and Golden Globe-winning pop superstar Elton John, born Reginald Dwight

1965 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Sarah Jessica Parker (“Hocus Pocus,” “Ed Wood,” “Miami Rhapsody,” “The First Wives Club,” “Sex and the City”)

1982 – NASCAR star Danica Patrick, the first woman to lead the Indy 500 and win the pole position at the Daytona 500

History Highlights

1911 – A raging fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City kills 146 garment workers in less than 20 minutes. The tragedy becomes a turning point in labor history, triggering reforms in workplace health and safety laws.

1967 – The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. leads 5,000 demonstrators in Chicago in a march against the Vietnam War, calling the conflict in Southeast Asia “a blasphemy against all that America stands for.” It is King’s first anti-war march.

1975 – Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal is assassinated by his nephew, Prince Faisal Ibu Musaed. A motive is never determined and the king’s son, Crown Prince Khalid, ascends to the throne.

1994 – Wrapping up a largely unsuccessful 15-month mission, the last American troops pull out of Somalia, leaving 20,000 U.N. troops behind to keep the peace and facilitate “nation building” in the divided country.

Musical Milestones

1967 – “Happy Together,” by The Turtles, begins a three-week run as the hottest single in the U.S.

1972 – “A Horse with No Name,” by America, gallops to the top of the singles chart and stables there for three weeks.

1978 – The Bee Gees continue their reign over the Billboard Hot 100 with “Night Fever.”

1983 – Motown celebrates its 25th anniversary with a star-studded concert featuring such musical legends as Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, The Supremes and The Temptations. Michael Jackson uses a performance of “Billie Jean” to introduce the world to his iconic moonwalk.

1989 – Mike + The Mechanics own their first and only No. 1 single with “The Living Years.” The track holds the top spot for a week.

1995 – Madonna is midway through a seven-week domination of the singles chart with “Take a Bow.”

2001 – Icelandic singer Björk walks the red carpet at the Academy Awards wearing a Marjan Pejoski-designed swan dress that is mocked for years to come. Björk had received an Original Song nomination for “I’ve Seen It All” from the movie “Dancer in the Dark.” However, the Oscar goes to Bob Dylan for “Things Have Changed,” from the “Wonder Boys” soundtrack.

2006 – Ne-Yo begins his second and final week on top of the pop chart with “So Sick.”

On This Day January 30

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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.”

On this Day June 8

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Celebrity Birthdays

1867 – Architect Frank Lloyd Wright (d. 1959)

1918 – Actor Robert Preston (“The Music Man,” “Victor Victoria,” “The Last Starfighter”) (d. 1987)

1925 – Former First Lady Barbara Bush (d. 2018)

1927 – Comedian-actor Jerry Stiller, best known for his roles in the sitcoms “Seinfeld” and “The King of Queens” and for the Stiller & Meara comedy routines with his late wife, Anne Meara (d. 2020)

1933 – Comedian-TV host Joan Rivers (d. 2014)

1940 – Singer-actress Nancy Sinatra (“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” “Somethin’ Stupid,” “Sugar Town”)

1944 – Singer-songwriter Boz Skaggs (“Lowdown,” “Lido Shuffle”)

1966 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Julianna Margulies (“ER,” “The Sopranos,” “The Good Wife”)

1977 – Grammy-winning rapper-music producer Kanye West

History Highlights

1949 – An FBI report names Hollywood figures, including film stars Frederic March, John Garfield, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson as members of the Communist Party.

1966 – The rival National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) announce plans to merge. The first “Super Bowl” between the two leagues is held at the end of the 1966 season, though it takes until the 1970 season for the leagues to unite their operations and integrate their regular season schedules.

1968 – James Earl Ray is arrested in London and questioned by authorities in connection with the murder of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. three months earlier.

1968 – The body of Senator Robert Kennedy is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery three days after his assassination.

1984 – “Ghostbusters” opens in U.S. movie theaters, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the film grosses $242 million in the U.S. and more than $295 million worldwide, is nominated for two Oscars and becomes an 80s cinematic classic.

2001 – Tropical Storm Allison makes a second pass over the Houston, Texas area, dumping more than three feet of rain in some neighborhoods, causing deadly flooding and billions of dollars in damage. The storm is blamed for 23 deaths in Texas.

Musical Milestones

1968 – The Rolling Stones release “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” which goes on to top the U.K. singles chart. In the U.S., it climbs as high as No. 3.

1974 – Dolly Parton reaches No. 1 on the country chart with “I Will Always Love You.” In 1982, she re-records it for the soundtrack of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. And, in 1992, Whitney Houston records her own version that spends 14 weeks on top of the pop chart.

1974 – Paul McCartney & Wings scale the summit of the singles chart with “Band on the Run,” off the album of the same title.

1985 – Tears For Fears rules the Billboard Hot 100 with “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” The band’s first No. 1 hit in the U.S. holds the top spot for two weeks. Two months later, the band scores another chart-topper with “Shout.”

1991 – The rock band Extreme claims the No. 1 spot on the Billboard singles chart with “More Than Words.”

1996 – “Tha Crossroads,” by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, is in the midst of an eight-week domination of the pop chart.