On This Day November 8 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1847 – Bram Stoker, author of the legendary horror novel “Dracula” (d. 1912) 1900 – Pulitzer Prize-winning “Gone With the Wind” author Margaret Mitchell (d. 1949) 1927 – 1950s pop sensation Patti Page (“Tennessee Waltz,” “(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window,” “Old Cape Cod”) (d. 2013) 1931 – CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Morley Safer (d. 2016) 1949 – Grammy-winning blues-rock singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt (“Something to Talk About,” “Love Sneakin’ Up on You,” “I Can’t Make You Love Me”) 1950 – Mary Hart, born Mary Johanna Harum, who hosted the syndicated TV show “Entertainment Tonight” for nearly 30 years 1952 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Alfre Woodard (“Hill Street Blues,” “St. Elsewhere,” “Passion Fish,” “Crooklyn,” “How to Make an American Quilt,” “Miss Evers’ Boys,” “The Practice,” “12 Years a Slave”) 1961 – 1970s teen heartthrob Leif Garrett (“Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer,” “I Was Made For Dancin”) 1968 – Actress Parker Posey (“Kicking and Screaming,” “Waiting for Guffman,” “The Daytrippers,” “You’ve Got Mail,” “Scream 3,” “Superman Returns,” “Irrational Man,” “Café Society”) History Highlights 1895 – German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovers the X-ray, a scientific advancement that would revolutionize the fields of physics and medicine. He is awarded the first Nobel Prize in physics in 1901 for his discovery. 1939 – Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler survives an attempted assassination when the bomb intended to kill him during a speech at a Munich beer hall goes off 13 minutes after he leaves the building. 1960 – At age 43, John F. Kennedy becomes the youngest man ever and the first Catholic to be elected president of the United States, as he narrowly defeats Republican Vice President Richard Nixon. Kennedy’s first term is cut short when an assassin guns him down three years later as his motorcade passes through downtown Dallas, Texas. 1965 – A new soap opera hits American television. It’s “Days of Our Lives” on NBC. Still on the air today, it is one of the longest-running scripted TV programs in the world. 1966 – Actor Ronald Reagan, who goes on to become the 40th U.S. president, is elected governor of California. He defeats Democratic incumbent Pat Brown by nearly a million votes. 1978 – The world mourns the death of artist Norman Rockwell at age 84. Rockwell was best known for the cover illustrations he produced for The Saturday Evening Post magazine for nearly 50 years. Musical Milestones 1969 – “Wedding Bell Blues,” by The 5th Dimension, begins three weeks as a No. 1 single. Written by Laura Nyro, it is the band’s second chart-topping hit. 1975 – Elton John’s “Rock of the Westies” debuts at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart — the same thing that happened with his “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” album six months earlier. 1975 – David Bowie makes his American television debut on the “Cher” variety show on CBS. He performs “Fame” as well as a medley with Cher that includes “Young Americans.” 1980 – Bruce Springsteen’s double LP, “The River,” flows to the top of the Billboard album chart, where it remains for four weeks. Among the work’s 20 tracks is “Hungry Heart,” The Boss’ first No. 1 single. 1986 – Boston has its first and only No. 1 single with “Amanda,” off the rock band’s “Third Stage” album, which was actually recorded in 1980. The power ballad holds the top spot for two weeks. 1997 – Elton John’s tribute to the late Diana, Princess of Wales — “Candle in the Wind 1997” — continues its 14-week ride at the top of the singles chart. 2008 – AC/DC begin two weeks on top of the Billboard album chart with “Black Ice,” the band’s 15th studio album. While the album garners a Grammy nomination, it’s the track “War Machine” that actually captures a Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy — AC/DC’s first-ever Grammy Award. READ MORE
On This Day November 7 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1918 – Christian evangelist Billy Graham, often called “America’s pastor” (d. 2018) 1938 – Actor Barry Newman (“Vanishing Point,” “Petrocelli”) 1942 – Rock and roll singer-songwriter Johnny Rivers, whose biggest hits were “Secret Agent Man,” “Poor Side of Town”) 1943 – Grammy-winning folk singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, who enjoyed a string of hits in the 1970s, including “Chelsea Morning,” “Both Sides, Now” and “Big Yellow Taxi” 1967 – Grammy-winning DJ and record producer David Guetta (“Love Don’t Let Me Go,” “People Come People Go,” “Gettin’ Over You,” “When Love Takes Over”) 1970 – Documentary producer and host Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me,” “Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?” “30 Days,” “Morgan Spurlock Inside Man”) History Highlights 1944 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) is elected to an unprecedented fourth term in office, but with his physical health in decline during World War II, he dies the following April. FDR is the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms. 1962 – Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt dies at the age of 78. 1962 – The morning after the California gubernatorial election, Richard Nixon concedes to incumbent Governor Pat Brown and then accuses the media of biased, campaign coverage. Nixon tells reporters that this is his last press conference, saying, “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.” 1980 – Moviegoers mourn the death of “The King of Cool,” actor Steve McQueen (“The Great Escape,” “Bullitt,” “The Getaway”). McQueen conquered many tough guys on screen and performed most of his own stunts, but he lost his real-life battle with mesothelioma — a rare form of lung cancer — at the age of 50. 1991 – Basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson stuns the world by announcing his sudden retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers after testing positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Two and a half decades later, the three-time NBA MVP, 12-time All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist continues to promote awareness and education about HIV/AIDS. Musical Milestones 1951 – Legendary crooner Frank Sinatra marries his second wife, actress Ava Gardner. Six years later, they are divorced. 1964 – “Baby Love,” by The Supremes, is in the middle of four weeks as a No. 1 single. It’s a follow-up to the Motown sensation’s “Where Did Our Love Go,” which was their first chart-topper. 1969 – Paul McCartney and his family are the subject of a LIFE Magazine cover story called “The Case of the Missing Beatle: Paul is Still With Us.” Interviewed on his Scottish farm after initially chasing off the reporter, McCartney dispels rumors about his death that had been circulating around the world. 1970 – “I’ll Be There,” by The Jackson 5, is in the midst of a five-week ride atop the singles chart. It is the band’s fourth consecutive No. 1. 1981 – Hall & Oates begin a two-week run at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Private Eyes.” The single becomes the duo’s third of six career chart-toppers. 1987 – Sixteen-year-old Tiffany tops the singles chart with “I Think We’re Alone Now,” originally a hit for Tommy James & the Shondells in 1967, four years before Tiffany was born. 1992 – It’s the end of the road for Boyz II Men’s 13-week reign over the Billboard Hot 100 with their Grammy-winning single, “End of the Road.” 1998 – “The First Night,” by Monica, marks its last week as a No. 1 single. The track enjoys a total of five weeks as a Billboard chart-topper. 2009 – Owl City is perched at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week with “Fireflies.” READ MORE