Ronald Reagan – Time Rewind

On this Day June 5

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On This Day April 24

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Celebrity Birthdays

1934 – Oscar-winning actress-author Shirley MacLaine (“The Apartment,” “Irma la Douce,” “Terms of Endearment,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Postcards From the Edge”)

1942 – Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Golden Globe-winning singer-actress-producer-author Barbra Streisand

1947 – Professional hunter-turned reality TV star Phil Robertson (“Duck Dynasty,” “Buck Commander”)

1964 – Actor Cedric the Entertainer, born Cedric Antonio Kyles (“Def Comedy Jam,” “Barbershop,” “The Original Kings of Comedy”)

1982 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson, whose career got a jump-start on “American Idol”

History Highlights

1916 – The Irish Republican Brotherhood, a secret organization of Irish nationalists led by Patrick Pearse, launches the so-called Easter Rebellion (also known as Easter Rising), a six-day armed uprising against British rule.

1945 – President Harry Truman is briefed on the full details of the Manhattan Project, an effort by American scientists to develop the world’s first atomic bomb. The project was so secret that President Franklin Roosevelt never informed Truman, his fourth-term vice president, that it existed by the time FDR died.

1962 – The first coast-to-coast satellite telecast takes place, as signals from California bounce off the first experimental communications satellite, Echo I, and are received in Massachusetts.

1967 – Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov is killed in Soyuz 1 when the spaceship’s parachute fails to open during its descent to Earth. It is the first in-flight fatality in aerospace history.

1980 – Eight U.S. servicemen die in a failed mission to rescue 52 American hostages in Iran. The fatalities occur when two U.S. military aircraft collide. In a nationally broadcast address, President Jimmy Carter says he assumes full responsibility for the disastrous outcome of Operation Eagle Claw.

1980 – Longtime Illinois Congressman John Anderson announces he is quitting the Republican party and will run as an independent presidential candidate against incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter and Republican challenger Ronald Reagan. He ends up finishing a distant third, capturing less than 7 percent of the vote and failing to win a single electoral vote.

1982 – Already well established as an Oscar-winning actress and outspoken political activist, Jane Fonda adds fitness guru to her credentials with the release of the million-plus-selling “Jane Fonda’s Workout” video. The video sparks the aerobics craze and popularizes leg-warmers and Spandex among fitness-minded women.

Musical Milestones

1961 – Del Shannon’s “Runaway” is the No. 1 single in the U.S. and remains on top for four weeks.

1965 – “Game of Love,” by Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders, tops the Billboard singles chart.

1976 – “Disco Lady,” by Johnnie Taylor, begins its fourth and final week as the No. 1 single.

1989 – Tom Petty releases his debut solo album, “Full Moon Fever,” featuring his Top 10 and longest-charting hit, “Free Fallin’.” The album, produced by Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra fame, soars to No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

1993 – Snow marks his seventh and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Informer.”

2003 – ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer interviews the Dixie Chicks after singer Natalie Maines created a firestorm by telling a London audience that she was “ashamed the president of the United States (George W. Bush) is from Texas,” her home state.

2016 – Soul singer Billy Paul dies at his New Jersey home from pancreatic cancer at the age of 81. He was best known for his Grammy-winning 1972 hit “Me and Mrs Jones.”

On This Day April 26

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Celebrity Birthdays

1933 – Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe-winning comedian-actress Carol Burnett

1936 – Guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Duane Eddy

1958 – Actor Giancarlo Esposito (“Do The Right Thing,” “School Days,” “The Usual Suspects,” “Malcolm X,” “Breaking Bad”)

1963 – Martial artist-actor Jet Li (“The War Lords,” “Lethal Weapon 4,” “Romeo Must Die,” “Kiss of the Dragon,” “The Forbidden Kingdom”)

1965 – Actor-comedian Kevin James (“Everybody Loves Raymond,” “The King of Queens,” “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” “Grown Ups,” “Zookeeper,” “Pixels”)

1980 – Actor Channing Tatum (“Coach Carter,” “21 Jump Street,” “22 Jump Street,” “She’s the Man,” “The Dilemma,” “White House Down,” “Foxcatcher,” “The Hateful Eight,” “Hail, Caesar!”, “Smallfoot”)

History Highlights

1865 – Presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth is killed by Union soldiers that track him to a Virginia farm 12 days after Booth fatally shot Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C.

1954 – More than 1.8 million American children (“Polio Pioneers”) participate in the Salk polio vaccine field trials. Dr. Jonas Salk developed the vaccine in an effort to wipe out polio — an infectious disease occurring primarily in children that can result in paralysis. A year later, researchers declare that the vaccine is safe and effective, and it becomes a standard part of childhood immunizations across the U.S.

1984 – President Ronald Reagan visits China — the first such mission by a U.S. president since the historic Nixon trip in 1972.

1986 – An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine sets off fires that release deadly radioactive material into the air, becoming the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

1986 – Almost a decade after meeting at a celebrity tennis tournament, TV news reporter Maria Shriver weds movie actor and former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. The marriage lasts 25 years.

1989 – An American entertainment icon, comedian Lucille Ball (“I Love Lucy”) dies at the age of 78.

1994 – South Africa’s 18 million blacks vote in multi-party elections for the first time ever and anti-Apartheid crusader Nelson Mandela is elected president.

Musical Milestones

1969 – The Edwin Hawkins Singers hit the singles chart with “Oh Happy Day,” which eventually soars to No. 4 and million-selling status. It becomes the first gospel track to cross over to the pop chart.

1975 – B.J. Thomas owns the hottest single in America with “(Hey Won’t You Play), Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.”

1980 – Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” begins its 15th and final week on top of the Billboard album chart. It becomes the best-selling album of 1980.

1986 – “Kiss,” by Prince and The Revolution, holds at No. 1 on the singles chart for a second week. The song clinches Prince a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

1988 – A jury in White Plains, New York finds Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger not guilty of copyright infringement. Reggae singer Patrick Alley had sued Jagger for $7 million over the song “Just Another Night,” claiming the chorus’s lyrics were similar to his version. Jagger provided jurors with a rare glimpse into his work habits by playing homemade and studio tapes demonstrating the development of his song.

1997 – “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down,” by Puff Daddy featuring Mase, wraps up a six-week run as a Billboard chart-topper.

2008 – Leona Lewis kicks off a week at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Bleeding Love.”

2013 – George Jones, known as “the greatest voice in country music,” dies in Nashville at the age of 81.

On This Day April 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1928 – Human rights advocate Ethel Kennedy, widow of assassinated U.S. Senator and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy

1932 – Oscar and Tony-winning actor, singer and dancer Joel Grey, born Joel David Katz, best known for his role in both the screen and stage versions of “Cabaret”

1939 – Actress Louise Lasser (“Take the Money and Run,” “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”)

1987 – Grammy-winning British soul singer-songwriter and actress Joss Stone (“Super Duper,” “Fell in Love with a Boy,” “Spoiled,” “Right to Be Wrong”)

History Highlights

1814 – An alliance of European nations signs a treaty removing Napoleon Bonaparte from the French throne and banishing him to the small Italian isle of Elba.

1945 – American troops liberate Buchenwald, one of the largest concentration camps established by the Nazis during World War II.

1951 – In one of the most famous civilian-military confrontations in United States history, President Harry S. Truman relieves General Douglas MacArthur of command of American forces in Korea.

1968 – One week after the assassination of civil rights crusader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968 into law, banning housing discrimination.

1970 – Apollo 13 blasts off on a mechanically flawed mission that denies astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert a moon landing.

1981 – President Ronald Reagan is released from the hospital 12 days after he was shot outside a Washington D.C. hotel in an assassination attempt.

2001 – President George W. Bush announces that the Chinese government has agreed to release the crew of a U.S. spy plane that collided with a Chinese fighter jet, killing the pilot.

Musical Milestones

1960 – Movie music dominates the pop chart as Percy Faith’s “Theme From A Summer Place” remains at No. 1 for an eighth consecutive week. The track holds the top spot for a total of nine weeks and goes on to capture a Grammy for Record of the Year.

1964 – “Can’t Buy Me Love,” by The Beatles, is in the middle of five weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

1970 – The Beatles’ “Let It Be” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains there for two weeks. It is the Fab Four’s last hit before their break-up.

1981 – Rocker Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli (“One Day at a Time”) tie the knot, The marriage lasts until 2007, when their divorce is finalized.

1981 – Darryl Hall & John Oates have the No. 1 single in the U.S. with “Kiss on My List.” The song remains on top of that list for three weeks.

1988 – Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley (of The Righteous Brothers) perform “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” at the Academy Awards. The song, from the “Dirty Dancing” movie soundtrack, becomes the third one by Warnes to capture an Oscar.

1992 – “Save the Best for Last,” by Vanessa Williams, is parked at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100. It holds the top spot for five weeks.

1998 – “All My Life,” by R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo, is midway through a three-week domination of the Billboard pop chart.

2006 – June Pointer, the youngest of the four Pointer Sisters, who went from teenage gospel singers to the top of the pop chart with hits like “‘Fire,” “Slow Hand” and “I’m So Excited,” dies of cancer at the age of 52.

2009 – The Billboard Hot 100 deals Lady Gaga a favorable hand as “Poker Face” begins a week at No. 1. The track, which also tops the charts in 19 other countries, wins Best Dance Recording honors at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

On This Day March 30

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Celebrity Birthdays

1746 – Artist Francisco Goya (d. 1828)

1853 – Artist Vincent Van Gogh (d. 1890)

1926 – TV game show host Peter Marshall

1930 – Actor John Astin, best known as Gomez Addams in the hit TV series “The Addams Family”

1937 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor-director Warren Beatty (“Splendor in the Grass,” “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Shampoo,” “Reds,” “Bulworth,” “Rules Don’t Apply”)

1945 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Eric Clapton, born former member of the bands the Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Derek and the Dominos and Cream, and considered one of the world’s greatest guitarists and the only musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 3 times.

1957 – Comedian-actor Paul Reiser (“Diner,” “Aliens,” “Mad About You”)

1962 – Grammy-winning rap icon and actor M.C. Hammer, born Stanley Kirk Burrell (“U Can’t Touch This,” “2 Legit 2 Quit”)

1964 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman (“Fast Car,” “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution”)

1968 – Grammy-winning singer Celine Dion, best known for “My Heart Will Go On,” from the blockbuster 1997 movie “Titanic”

1979 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and pianist Norah Jones (“Don’t Know Why,” “Sunrise,” “Here We Go Again”)

History Highlights

1814 – European forces allied against Napoleonic France march triumphantly into Paris, formally ending a decade of French domination on the continent.

1842 – Anesthesia is used for the first time in an operation by Dr. Crawford Long.

1858 – The first wooden pencil featuring a built-in rubber eraser on top is patented by Philadelphia inventor Hymen Lipman, who later sells his patent for $100,000 (about $2 million in today’s market). In 1875, The Supreme Court invalidates the patent, ruling that because the pencil combined two existing devices, it was not a legitimate invention. Nevertheless, this is observed as National Pencil Day.

1867 – U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward signs a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million. Despite the bargain price of roughly two cents an acre, the Alaskan purchase is ridiculed in Congress and in the press as “Seward’s Folly.”

1981 – President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by John Hinckley, Jr., who claims he was seeking to gain the attention of actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley is found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a psychiatric hospital until 2016, when he is allowed to live with his mother in her Virginia home. Reagan is released from the hospital less than two weeks after the attempted assassination.

2009 – President Barack Obama issues an ultimatum to struggling American automakers General Motors (GM) and Chrysler: In order to receive additional bailout loans from the government, he says, the companies need to dramatically change the way they run their businesses.

Musical Milestones

1957 – Buddy Knox becomes the first artist in the Rock ‘n’ Roll era to write his own No. 1 hit when “Party Doll” tops the Billboard singles chart. Knox goes on to score four more Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1961.

1963 – “He’s So Fine,” by The Chiffons, tops the Billboard Hot 100 and holds there for four weeks.

1963 – Seventeen-year-old Lesley Gore records her breakthrough hit, “It’s My Party.” The song, produced by Quincy Jones, reaches No. 1 that June.

1967 – The Beatles pose in costume for the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” cover photo shoot. Designed by British pop artists Peter Blake and Jann Haworth, the cover goes on to win a Grammy Award.

1974 – John Denver’s “Sunshine on My Shoulders” reaches the top of the Billboard pop chart.

1985 – “One More Night,” by Phil Collins, begins two weeks on top of the singles chart. It is Collins’ second U.S. chart-topper. The first was “Against All Odds” in 1984.

1991 – Gloria Estefan begins two weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Coming Out of the Dark.”

2002 – “Ain’t It Funny,” by Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule, is mid-way through a six-week domination of the singles chart.

On This Day March 23

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Celebrity Birthdays

1905 – Oscar-winning actress Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur (“Grand Hotel,” “Mildred Pierce,” “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”) (d. 1977)

1944 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and The Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, born Richard Theodore Otcasek (“Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Good Times Roll,” “Let’s Go,” “Shake It Up,” “You Might Think”) (d. 2019)

1953 – Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter Chaka Khan (“Tell Me Something Good,” “I’m Every Woman,” “I Feel For You”)

1976 – Actress Michelle Monaghan (“Unfaithful,” “Mission: Impossible III,” “Gone Baby Gone,” “Made of Honor,” “The Heartbreak Kid,” “Eagle Eye,” “Pixels,” “True Detective”)

1976 – Golden Globe-winning actress Keri Russell (“Felicity,” “The Upside of Anger,” “Waitress,” “August Rush,” “Extraordinary Measures,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “The Americans”)

1978 – Celebrity gossip columnist and blogger Perez Hilton, founder of the popular celebrity news blog, Perezhilton.com

History Highlights

1839 – The word “OK” is introduced to the world when the initials are published in The Boston Morning Post. Meant as an abbreviation for “oll korrect,” a popular slang misspelling of “all correct” at the time, OK steadily makes its way into the everyday speech of Americans.

1933 – The German Reichstag (Parliament) passes the Enabling Act of 1933, which marks the start of Adolf Hitler’s transformation from chancellor to dictator by enabling him to implement laws without Reichstag consent.

1983 – Barney Clark dies 112 days after becoming the world’s first recipient of a permanent artificial heart.

1983 – In a televised speech to Americans, President Ronald Reagan calls for development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) to protect the U.S. from a nuclear missile attack. The program is also referred to as “Star Wars.”

1998 – The tide rises for “Titanic” at the 70th annual Academy Awards. The James Cameron blockbuster, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, ties with 1959’s “Ben Hur” for most wins by sweeping 11 categories, including the coveted Best Picture Oscar.

2011 – Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor (“National Velvet,” “A Place in the Sun,” “Giant,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”) dies of congestive heart failure at the age of 79. Taylor starred in more than 50 movies and won two Academy Awards during her colorful acting career.

Musical Milestones

1963 – Ruby & the Romantics’ first recording, “Our Day Will Come,” makes it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week. The song, composed by Bob Hilliard and Mort Garson, becomes a million-seller.

1974 – “Dark Lady” becomes Cher’s third solo No. 1 hit and her last until “Believe” a quarter-century later. The track holds the top spot for a week.

1985 – “Piano Man” Billy Joel weds his then-“Uptown Girl,” supermodel Christie Brinkley, aboard a yacht in New York Harbor. The marriage lasts nine years.

1985 – REO Speedwagon begins its third and final week on top of the pop chart with “Can’t Fight This Feeling.”

1991 – One-hit wonder Timmy T enjoys a week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “One More Try.”

1996 – Céline Dion sets sail on a six-week cruise at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her Grammy-winning smash, “Because You Loved Me.”

2002 – “Ain’t It Funny,” by Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule, is in the midst of a six-week ride on top of the Billboard singles chart.

On This Day March 8

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Celebrity Birthdays

1921 – Actor Alan Hale, Jr., best remembered as the “Skipper” in the popular 1960s sitcom, “Gilligan’s Island” (d. 1990)

1945 – Micky Dolenz, drummer and lead vocalist for the 1960s rock band The Monkees

1958 – Musician Gary Numan (“Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” and “Cars”)

1959 – Actor Aidan Quinn (“Desperately Seeking Susan,” “Benny and Joon,” “Legends of the Fall,” “Blink,” “Michael Collins,” “Elementary”)

1959 – TV journalist Lester Holt, anchor of “NBC Nightly News” and “Dateline NBC”

1976 – Actor Freddie Prinze, Jr. (“I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,” “She’s All That,” “Summer Catch,” “Scooby-Doo,” “24”)

History Highlights

1950 – The Volkswagen microbus (also known as the VW Type 2) goes into production, becoming an icon of America’s counter-culture movement as the vehicle of choice for hippies during the 1960s.

1971 – Boxing titans Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier meet for the “Fight of the Century” before a crowd of more than 20,000 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The showdown marks Ali’s return to the ring three and a-half years after his boxing license was revoked over his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. Frazier wins by unanimous decision, retaining his heavyweight champion title and delivering Ali the first loss of his career.

1973 – Terrorists affiliated with the Irish Republican Army (IRA) set off two powerful car bombs in London, killing one person and injuring 243 others. Most of the suspects are arrested trying to leave Heathrow Airport. The blasts cause chaos not seen since World War II.

1983 – Addressing the National Association of Evangelicals convention in Florida, President Ronald Reagan publicly refers to the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” for the second time in his political career.

1993 – MTV airs the first episode of the animated series “Beavis and Butthead,” which goes on to become the network’s highest-rated series up to that point.

1999 – Baseball legend and cultural icon Joe DiMaggio (“The Yankee Clipper”), who devoted his entire 13-year Major League Baseball career as a New York Yankees center fielder, dies at the age of 84.

2014 – Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, loses contact with air traffic control less than an hour after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur then veers off course and vanishes. Most of the Boeing 777, and everyone on board, are never seen again.

Musical Milestones

1965 – Bob Dylan releases “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” which becomes his first Top 40 single, peaking at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track, from his “Bringing it All Back Home” album, is used in one of the first modern promotional film clips ever produced — a precursor to the music video.

1969 – “Everyday People,” by Sly & the Family Stone, enters its fourth and final week as a No. 1 single. The track is the band’s first chart-topper.

1975 – Olivia Newton-John’s “Have You Never Been Mellow” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her second consecutive U.S. chart-topper.

1980 – Queen is in the midst of a four-week ride atop the singles chart with “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” — the band’s first U.S. No. 1.

1986 – “Kyrie,” by Mr. Mister, marks its second and final week as a No. 1 single.

1997 – The Spice Girls are mid-way through a four-week domination of the pop chart with “Wannabe.”

2003 – 50 Cent kicks off nine weeks on top of the pop chart with “In da Club” — his first No. 1 single.

On This Day February 6

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Celebrity Birthdays

1895 – Baseball legend Babe Ruth, born George Herman Ruth (d. 1948)

1911 – Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. president (d. 2004)

1917 – Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (d. 2016)

1922 – Actor Patrick Macnee, best known as John Steed in “The Avengers” British TV spy series (d. 2015)

1931 – Actor-comedian Rip Torn, born Elmore Rual Torn, Jr. (“Cross Creek,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Men in Black,” “Men in Black II”) (d. 2019)

1940 – Peabody-winning broadcast journalist, author and former “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Brokaw

1942 – 1950s teen idol Fabian, born Fabiano Forte

1945 – World-renowned reggae singer-songwriter Bob Marley, born Nesta Robert Marley (d. 1981)

1950 – Grammy-winning jazz and pop vocalist Natalie Cole (d. 2015)

1962 – Singer-songwriter and Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose (“Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City,” “Sweet Child o’ Mine”)

1966 – Singer Rick Astley, best known for his 80s hits “Never Gonna Give You Up” and “Together Forever”

History Highlights

1917 – Three days after U.S. President Woodrow Wilson severs diplomatic relations with Germany and warns that war would follow if American interests at sea were again assaulted, a German submarine torpedoes and sinks the passenger steamer California off the Irish coast.

1933 – The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, establishing the beginning and ending of the terms of elected federal offices, takes effect.

1937 – John Steinbeck’s novella, “Of Mice and Men,” the story of the bond between two migrant workers during the Great Depression, is published. Eight months later, the stage adaptation opens in New York and earns Steinbeck the New York Drama Critics’ Circle’s Best Play Award in 1938.

1952 – Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen of England when her father, King George VI, dies following a long illness. But it takes the 25-year-old Elizabeth more than a day to learn of her new royal status. She was on safari at the time, inside a Kenyan tree hut watching a herd of elephants gather at a watering hole.

1978 – One of the worst Nor’easters in New England history pounds the region for more than 30 hours, with wind gusts exceeding 100 mph and snowfall of four inches an hour. High tides cause damaging coastal flooding, while inland, thousands of cars are stranded in snow drifts. Remembered as “The Blizzard of ’78,” the monster storm leaves about 100 people dead and 4,500 others injured.

1993 – Tennis champion Arthur Ashe, the only African-American man to win Wimbledon and the U.S. and Australian Opens, dies of complications from AIDS, at age 49 in New York City.

Musical Milestones

1961 – The Shirelles wrap up two weeks atop the Billboard singles chart with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.”

1965 – “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” by The Righteous Brothers tops the Billboard Hot 100 and holds there for two weeks.

1971 – Dawn, featuring Tony Orlando, begin a third and final week as chart-toppers with “Knock Three Times.”

1982 – The J. Geils Band kicks off six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Centerfold.”

1988 – Tiffany has the hottest single in the U.S. with “Could’ve Been.”

1993 – Whitney Houston reigns over the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Will Always Love You,” a song penned by Dolly Parton and used in the soundtrack to the movie “The Bodyguard.” The track holds the top spot for 14 weeks and becomes one of the best-selling singles of all time.

1998 – Austrian pop superstar Falco (a.k.a. Johann Hölzel), the talent behind the 1982 hit “Der Kommisar” and 1986 smash “Rock Me Amadeus,” is killed in a car accident while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. He is just two weeks shy of his 41st birthday.

2010 – Kesha has the No. 1 single with Tik Tok.

On This Day January 20

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Celebrity Birthdays

1896 – Oscar-winning comedian-actor-singer and writer George Burns, born Nathan Birnbaum (“The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,” “The Sunshine Boys,” “Oh, God!”) (d. 1996)

1920 – Actor DeForest Kelley, who played Dr. “Bones” McCoy in the “Star Trek” TV and movie series (d. 1999)

1920 – Italian film director Federico Fellini (La strada,” “Le notti di Cabiria,” “8 1/2,” “Amarcord”) (d. 1993)

1930 – Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon

1946 – Director David Lynch (“Eraserhead,” “The Elephant Man,” “Blue Velvet,” “Twin Peaks,” “Wild at Heart,” “Lost Highway,” “Mulholland Drive”)

1952 – Singer-songwriter and guitarist Paul Stanley, born Stanley Bert Eisen, of the rock band Kiss

1966 – Actor Rainn Wilson, best known for his role as Dwight Schrute in the TV comedy, “The Office.”

History Highlights

1841 – During the First Opium War, China cedes the island of Hong Kong to the British with the signing of the Chuenpi Convention — an agreement seeking an end to the first Anglo-Chinese conflict.

1937 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated as U.S. president for the second time. His first inauguration, in 1933, was held in March, but the 20th Amendment, passed later that year, made January 20 the official inauguration date for all future presidents.

1961 – President John F. Kennedy is sworn into office and delivers his inaugural address outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The speech concludes with his now-famous line: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

1980 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter calls for the 1980 Summer Olympics to be moved from the planned host city, Moscow, or canceled altogether if the Soviet Union fails to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan within a month.

1981 – Minutes after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration as the 40th U.S. president, 52 American captives held at the American embassy in Teheran, Iran, are released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis.

1984 – Hungarian-born Olympic gold medal swimmer and actor Johnny Weissmuller, who played Tarzan in the movies, dies at the age of 79.

1993 – Actress, fashion icon and philanthropist Audrey Hepburn (“Roman Holiday,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “My Fair Lady”) dies of colon cancer at the age of 63. Hepburn remains among just a handful of performers who have won Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awards.

2009 – On a freezing day in Washington, D.C., Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th U.S. president. The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, Obama was the first African-American to win election to the nation’s highest office.

Musical Milestones

1964 – The British Invasion is on as Capitol Records releases “Meet the Beatles!,” the band’s second album in the U.S.

1965 – American disc jockey Alan Freed is 43 years old when he dies from cirrhosis brought on by alcoholism. Freed, a 1986 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, is credited with coining the term “rock ‘n’ roll.” His career was destroyed by the payola scandal that shook up the American broadcasting industry in the early 1960s.

1968 – “Judy in Disguise (with Glasses),” a parody of The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” puts John Fred and his Playboy Band at No. 1 on the singles chart for two weeks.

1971 – “What’s Going On,” by Marvin Gaye, is released and introduces fans to a different, more personal side of the Motown star in this anthem about social injustice. The song spends five weeks on top of the Hot Soul Singles chart before crossing over to the Billboard Hot 100, where it climbs to No. 2.

1973 – Carly Simon begins her third and final week on top of the singles chart with “You’re So Vain.” After years of speculation, Simon eventually admits that the song refers to actor Warren Beatty.

1988 – Mick Jagger presides as The Beatles are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Paul McCartney decides not to attend, issuing a statement citing ongoing business differences among The Beatles.

1990 – Michael Bolton rules the Billboard Hot 100 with “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You.” The single holds the No. 1 spot for three weeks.

1996 – The Mariah Carey-Boyz II Men collaboration, “One Sweet Day,” is midway through a 16-week ride on top of the Billboard singles chart –the longest-running No. 1 song in the chart’s history at that time.

2007 – “Irreplaceable,” Beyoncé, is in its sixth week on top of the Billboard Hot 100. The track remains there for another four weeks and clinches a Record of the Year Grammy nomination.

On This Day January 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1757 – Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s Founding Fathers, credited with establishing the nation’s financial system and first political party (d. 1804)

1930 – Actor Rod Taylor (“The Time Machine,” “The Birds”) (d. 2015)

1942 – Bruce Springsteen/E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemens (d. 2011)

1946 – Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter Naomi Judd of The Judds (d. 2022)

1952 – Golf legend Ben Crenshaw

1971 – Grammy-winning R&B, soul and hip-hop singer Mary J. Blige

1972 – Actress Amanda Peet (“The Whole Nine Yards,” “Saving Silverman,” “Something’s Gotta Give,” “Identity,” “Syriana”)

History Highlights

1908 – Calling it “the one great sight which every American should see,” U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt declares the Grand Canyon in northwestern Arizona a national monument. It is designated a national park in 1919.

1935 – Three years after becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to achieve a solo flight across the Pacific from Hawaii to California.

1964 – U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry publishes a report stating that smoking may be hazardous to one’s health. It is the first such statement ever made by the federal government.

1973 – Major League Baseball’s American League adopts the Designated Hitter (DH) rule, clearing the way for another player to bat for the pitcher while allowing the pitcher to remain in the game.

1989 – After eight years as U.S. president, Ronald Reagan gives his farewell address to the American people. In his speech, President Reagan said the U.S. was “respected again in the world and looked to for leadership.”

Musical Milestones

1964 – Columbia Records’ “Ring Of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash” becomes the first country album to reach No. 1 on the U.S. album chart. The first track on Side 1 of the album is Cash’s signature “Ring of Fire.”

1969 – Marvin Gaye has the hottest song on the radio with “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.”

1975 – Elton John’s cover of The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” begins its second and final week as a No. 1 single.

1986 – Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me” wraps up a four-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100.

1992 – Nirvana’s “Nevermind” claims the top spot on the Billboard album chart. That same evening, the band is the musical guest on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (“SNL”). It marks the first time a grunge act performs for a mainstream national television audience.

1992 – Michael Jackson is king of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Black or White,” which holds the top spot for seven weeks. It is among four top 10 singles from MJ’s “Dangerous” album.

2003 – “Lose Yourself,” by Eminem from the “8 Mile” soundtrack, is the No. 1 single.