On This Day November 11 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1885 – General George S. Patton, Jr., who made a mark in World War I as the first officer assigned to the new U.S. Army Tank Corps before becoming one of the most prominent military commanders in World War II (d. 1945) 1922 – Author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (“Cat’s Cradle,” “Slaughterhouse-Five,” “Breakfast of Champions”) (d. 2007) 1925 – Grammy and Emmy-winning actor-comedian Jonathan Winters (d. 2013) 1960 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Stanley Tucci (“Prizzi’s Honor,” “Winchell,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Julie & Julia,” “The Lovely Bones,” “The Hunger Games” trilogy, “Spotlight”) 1962 – Actress-producer Demi Moore, born Demetria Guynes (“General Hospital,” “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “About Last Night…,” “Ghost,” “A Few Good Men,” “Indecent Proposal,” “Striptease,” “G.I. Jane”) 1964 – Golden Globe-winning actress Calista Flockhart, best known for her starring role in the sitcom “Ally McBeal” 1974 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor-producer Leonardo DiCaprio (“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “Titanic,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” “The Departed,” “Inception,” “The Great Gatsby,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “The Revenant”) History Highlights 1918 – At 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month in France, World War I — known then as The Great War and called “the war to end all wars” — comes to an end with the signing of an armistice between Allied officials and the leaders of German forces. The document is technically a ceasefire agreement, with the conflict officially concluded when the Treaty of Versailles is signed in June 1919. 1921 – U.S. President Warren G. Harding dedicates the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia during an Armistice Day ceremony. 1926 – Route 66, the highway that Nat King Cole famously sang is the place to “get your kicks,” is established. Through the years, the legendary thoroughfare has been referred to as the “Main Street of America” and has also been named the Will Rogers Highway. 1981 – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela is designated Rookie of the Year and wins the National League’s Cy Young Award, becoming the first player in baseball history to score both honors in the same season. 2000 – A funicular (train) crammed with skiers and snowboarders catches fire as it enters a tunnel in Austria, killing 155 people. Twelve people survive the tragedy, which is known as the Kaprun Disaster. Investigators blame a faulty electric heater for sparking the deadly blaze. Musical Milestones 1938 – “God Bless America” is performed for the first time by the singer for whom composer Irving Berlin wrote it — Kate Smith — during her regular radio broadcast. It becomes Smith’s signature song. 1954 – Bill Haley & His Comets score their first Top-10 single with “Shake, Rattle and Roll.” Originally recorded by Big Joe Turner, the Haley version climbs to No. 7 on the pop chart and remains in the Top 40 for 27 weeks. 1967 – The theme from the movie “To Sir, With Love,” by Scottish vocalist Lulu, continues its five-week reign over the Billboard Hot 100. 1978 – ‘Disco Queen’ Donna Summer begins a three-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart with her version of Jimmy Webb’s “MacArthur Park.” The track is Summer’s first chart-topper. 1989 – Bad English enjoy their first and only trip to the top of the pop chart as “When I See You Smile” reaches No. 1. 1995 – Mariah Carey is in her seventh week on top of the pop chart with “Fantasy.” The song holds at No. 1 for another week. 1999 – The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) names The Beatles the best-selling act of the 20th century. 2000 – “With Arms Wide Open,” by Creed, begins a week on top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the Florida rockers’ first and only No. 1 single. 2006 – “My Love,” by Justin Timberlake featuring T.I., kicks off three weeks as a chart-topping single. READ MORE
On This Day September 18 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1905 – Oscar-winning actress Greta Garbo, born Greta Lovisa Gustafson (d. 1990) 1933 – Emmy-winning actor Robert Blake (“Baretta,” “Money Train,” “Lost Highway”) 1939 – Actor Fred Willard (“This Is Spinal Tap,” “Waiting for Guffman,” “Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind,” “For Your Consideration,” the “Anchorman” movie series) 1940 – Actor, singer and former teen idol Frankie Avalon, best known for his hit single “Venus” and the “Beach Party movie series 1961 – Emmy-winning actor James Gandolfini, best known for playing mobster Tony Soprano in the HBO series “The Sopranos” (d. 2013) 1971 – Actress-producer Jada Pinkett Smith (“True Colors,” “A Different World,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Menace II Society,” “Set It Off, “Scream 2,” “Ali,” “The Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions,” “Madagascar”) 1971 – Former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong 1973 – Actor James Marsden (“X-Men,” “Superman Returns,” “Hairspray,” “Enchanted,” “Hop,” “27 Dresses,” “The Notebook”) 1975 – Actor-comedian Jason Sudeikis (“Saturday Night Live,” “Hall Pass,” “Horrible Bosses,” “Epic,” “We’re the Millers”) History Highlights 1793 – President George Washington lays the cornerstone to the United States Capitol in the building’s southeast corner during a Masonic ceremony that concludes with a 15-gun salute. Washington would return periodically to oversee construction, but did not live to see Congress occupy the new building. He died in December 1799, less than a year before the Senate and House would first convene in the Capitol. 1851 – The first edition of The New York Times is published as the New-York Daily Times and costs readers two cents. 1964 – After a four-season run in primetime, Tod Stiles and Buz Murdock park their Chevy Corvette for the last time as CBS broadcasts the “Route 66” series finale. 1965 – Television viewers meet secret agents Maxwell Smart and 99 as NBC debuts “Get Smart.” The spy sitcom, starring Don Adams and Barbara Feldon and created by comedic genius Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, runs for five seasons and introduces viewers to the first true mobile phone—embedded in the bottom of Smart’s shoe. 1975 – FBI agents in San Francisco capture newspaper heiress and fugitive Patty Hearst and charge her with armed robbery. Hearst is the granddaughter of media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Musical Milestones 1961 – Bobby Vee starts a two-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart with “Take Good Care of My Baby.” 1970 – Jimi Hendrix, considered one of rock music’s greatest guitarists of all time, dies of an apparent drug overdose in London at the age of 27. Hendrix dazzled audiences in the 1960s with groundbreaking guitar-playing techniques and experimental sounds. 1976 – “Play That Funky Music,” by Ohio-based funk-rock band Wild Cherry, kicks off three weeks as a No. 1 single. The track sells more than 2.5 million copies in the U.S. and becomes the band’s only Top 40 song. 1983 – Members of Kiss appear without makeup for the first time during an interview on MTV. 1987 – The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Brian Wilson are nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 1993 – Mariah Carey dominates the Billboard Hot 100 with “Dreamlover,” which holds at No. 1 for eight weeks. It becomes her seventh career chart-topper. 1999 – TLC kicks off three weeks on top of the Billboard singles chart with “Unpretty.” 2004 – “Goodies,” by Ciara featuring Petey Pablo, is in the middle of a seven-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. pop chart. READ MORE