sci-fi – Time Rewind

On This Day April 3

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On This Day March 31

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Celebrity Birthdays

1927 – Labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (d. 1993)

1934 – Oscar-winning actress and singer Shirley Jones (“The Music Man,” “The Partridge Family”)

1935 – Grammy-winning trumpeter and the “A” in A&M Records, Herb Alpert

1943 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor and frequent “Saturday Night Live” host Christopher Walken (“Annie Hall,” “The Deer Hunter,” “Sarah, Plain and Tall,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Catch Me If You Can”)

1948 – Environmental activist and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore

1971 – Actor Ewan McGregor (“Trainspotting,” “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, “Moulin Rouge!” “Big Fish,” “Robots,” “The Island,” “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “T2 Trainspotting”,”Christopher Robin”,”Birds of Prey”)

History Highlights

1492 – Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella issue the Alhambra Decree, also known as the The Edict of Expulsion, mandating that all Jews be expelled from the country by the end of that July.

1889 – The iconic Eiffel Tower, built for the Paris International Exhibition, is formally dedicated. Engineer Gustave Eiffel, who designed the massive structure, presides at the ceremony with French Prime Minister Pierre Tirard, other dignitaries and 200 construction workers.

1959 – The Dalai Lama flees Chinese suppression in Tibet, and after an epic 15-day journey on foot over the Himalayan mountains, is granted political asylum in India.

1968 – During a national address to provide an update on the status of the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson stuns Americans by announcing that he will not seek a second term in office.

1981 – Robert De Niro wins the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “Raging Bull,” in which he portrays former World Middleweight Champion Jake LaMotta. De Niro gained more than 60 pounds to portray LaMotta’s retirement years. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the movie also features performances by Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty.

1995 – Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, known as the “Mexican Madonna,” is shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club. Selena was the first female Tejano artist to win a Grammy, in the Best Mexican-American album category, for her 1993 album “Selena Live!” At the time of her murder, at age 23, Selena was on the brink of international fame, recording her first English language album.

1999 – The sci-fi thriller “The Matrix,” starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne, opens in movie theaters and goes on to become a cult classic followed, in 2003, by sequels “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions.”

Musical Milestones

1943 – Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” premieres on Broadway. In 1955, the musical is produced as a motion picture starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones (in her film debut).

1958 – Chess Records releases “Johnny B. Goode,” by Chuck Berry. The song climbs as high as No. 8 on the pop chart and goes on to become a rock and roll classic.

1962 – Connie Francis claims the top spot on the pop chart for a week with “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You”

1967 – Jimi Hendrix suffers minor burns to his hands when he sets his guitar on fire during a performance at Finsbury Park in London. Nevertheless, he goes on to torch guitars several times during his short career.

1973 – Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly with His Song” returns to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a fifth week after The O’Jays interrupted her for a week with their hit, “Love Train.”

1979 – “Tragedy,” by the Bee Gees, dominates the singles chart for a second and final week.

1984 – Kenny Loggins kicks off a three-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “Footloose,” from the movie of the same name.

1987 – Prince releases his ninth studio album, “Sign o’ the Times,” which spawns three Top 10 hit singles: “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” “U Got the Look,” (with Sheena Easton) and the title track.

2007 – “Glamorous,” by Fergie featuring Ludacris, enters its second and final week as the No. 1 single.

On This Day October 26

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Celebrity Birthdays

1942 – Actor Bob Hoskins, best known for his role as Detective Eddie Valiant in the movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” (d. 2014)

1945 – Actress Jaclyn Smith, best known for her role in the popular TV detective series “Charlie’s Angels”

1946 – TV host Pat Sajak (“Wheel of Fortune”)

1947 – Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

1962 – Actor Cary Elwes (“The Princess Bride,” “Glory,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” “Days of Thunder,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Hot Shots!” “Twister,” “Liar, Liar”)

1963 – Singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant, former lead singer of the popular folk-rock band 10,000 Maniacs

1967 – Grammy and Golden Globe-winning country music singer Keith Urban (“But for the Grace of God,” “Somebody Like You,” “You’ll Think of Me,” “Stupid Boy,” “For You”)

1973 – Actor-producer and “Family Guy” and “American Dad” creator Seth MacFarlane

History Highlights

1881 – The Earp brothers face off against the Clanton-McLaury gang in a legendary shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. The gunfight only lasts 30 seconds, but when the dust clears, Billy Clanton and the McLaury brothers are dead, and Virgil and Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday are wounded.

1958 – The Jet Age begins as the first Boeing 707 commercial airliner, operated by Pan Am, takes off from New York’s Idlewild Airport (now JFK) and crosses the Atlantic to Paris-Le Bourget Airport on an 8.5-hour flight.

1970 – The “Doonesbury” comic strip, created by Garry Trudeau, premieres in 28 newspapers across the U.S.

1982 – “St. Elsewhere,” a drama set at the fictional St. Eligius Hospital in Boston, captivates viewers when it premieres on NBC. Then-unknown actors Denzel Washington and Howie Mandel co-star.

1984 – Surgeons place a baboon heart into the chest of Baby Fae (Stephanie Fae Beauclair), an infant with a heart defect that normally kills newborns within their first 10 days of life. The transplant keeps Baby Fae alive for 21 days.

1984 – Director James Cameron’s career-launching sci-fi action film, “The Terminator,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, opens in theaters. The movie is produced on a $6.4 million budget and grosses more than $78 million worldwide. It supercharges Schwarzenegger’s acting career, and “I’ll be back” becomes a popular catch-phrase.

2001 – President George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act, an anti-terrorism law drawn up in response to the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Musical Milestones

1958 – Bill Haley and his Comets play the first rock and roll concert in West Berlin, Germany, where riots erupt among the 7,000 fans in attendance. The band had to flee the stage as equipment was damaged and four police officers were injured.

1965 – Queen Elizabeth II presents The Beatles with prestigious MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) medals at Buckingham Palace.

1968 – The Beatles are in the midst of a nine-week ride atop the Billboard singles chart with “Hey Jude.”

1974 – The No. 1 single is a collaboration between Dionne Warwick and The Spinners: “Then Came You.”

1985 – Whitney Houston has her first No. 1 single with “Saving All My Love For You,” which goes on to earn the late pop sensation her first Grammy Award.

1991 – Mariah Carey begins her third and final week atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “Emotions.”

1999 – Singer, songwriter and actor Hoyt Axton, who penned songs for Elvis Presley, Three Dog Night, John Denver, Ringo Starr and Glen Campbell, dies of a heart attack in Victor, Montana at the age of 61.

On This Day October 2

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Celebrity Birthdays

1869 – Civil rights leader Mahatma Gandhi, who successfully led India in a nonviolent revolution against the British Empire (d. 1948)

1890 – Comedian Groucho Marx, born Julius Henry Marx (d. 1977)

1945 – Singer Don McLean, best known for his smash single “American Pie”

1948 – Fashion designer Donna Karan

1949 – Acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz, known for her celebrity portraits

1951 – Singer-songwriter and guitarist Sting, born Gordon Sumner, former front man for the band The Police and 17-time Grammy Award winner

1954 – Actress Lorraine Bracco (“Goodfellas,” “The Sopranos,” “Rizzoli & Isles”)

1970 – Actress-TV talk show host Kelly Ripa (“All My Children,” “Hope & Faith,” “Live! with Regis and Kelly,” “Live! with Kelly,” “Live with Kelly and Ryan”)

History Highlights

1835 – Mounting tensions between Mexico and Texas lead to violence when Mexican soldiers attempt to disarm the people of Gonzales, sparking the Texan war for independence. The battle flag used by the Texans at the Battle of Gonzales gained recognition as the “Come and Take It” flag, referring to a small cannon that Mexican forces tried to repossess.

1919 – President Woodrow Wilson, who had just cut short a cross-country speaking tour to promote formation of the League of Nations (a precursor to the United Nations), suffers a massive stroke, which leaves him partially paralyzed on the left side of his body. The stroke is kept a secret from the public, but forces Wilson to abandon his campaign for the League and weakens his presidency.

1950 – The first Peanuts comic strip, created by Charles Schulz, is published in seven newspapers across the U.S. Schulz originally called his strip “L’il Folks,” but United Features Syndicate changed the name.

1959 – “The Twilight Zone,” created and hosted by Rod Serling, premieres with an episode called “Where Is Everybody?” starring Earl Holliman. The black & white sci-fi series runs for five seasons.

1967 – Thurgood Marshall, the first African American U.S. Supreme Court justice, is sworn in to office.

1985 – Actor Rock Hudson becomes the first high-profile celebrity to die of complications from AIDS. Hudson’s death, at the age of 59, raises public awareness of the epidemic, which until that time had been ignored by many in the mainstream as a “gay plague.”

2006 – A 32-year-old milk truck driver enters the West Nickel Mines Amish School in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, and fatally shoots five female students and wounds five more before taking his own life. The gunman, Charles Carl Roberts IV, had no criminal history or record of mental illness.

Musical Milestones

1961 – “Take Good Care of My Baby,” by Bobby Vee, enters its third and final week as a No. 1 single.

1965 – The McCoys claim the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Hang On Sloopy.”

1971 – Rod Stewart’s “Every Picture Tells a Story,” featuring his breakthrough hit “Maggie May,” tops both the U.S. and U.K. album charts.

1976 – Wild Cherry’s single, “Play That Funky Music,” begins its third and final week at No. 1.

1982 – John Mellencamp (known then as John Cougar) kicks off four weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Jack and Diane.” He also rules the Billboard album chart with the breakthrough LP it came from: “American Fool.”

1993 – “Dreamlover,” by Mariah Carey, is midway through an eight-week domination of the singles chart.

1998 – Aerosmith soars to No. 1 with “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” the hit single from the movie “Armageddon,” starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Ben Affleck.

2004 – “Goodies,” by Ciara featuring Petey Pablo, is in the middle of a seven-week run atop the pop chart.

On This Day September 10

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Celebrity Birthdays

1929 – Golf legend Arnold Palmer (d. 2016)

1945 – Grammy-winning guitarist-singer Jose Feliciano, best known for his cover of the Doors hit “Light My Fire” and the Christmas favorite “Feliz Navidad”

1949 – Conservative TV talk show host and best-selling author Bill O’Reilly

1953 – Actress Amy Irving (“Crossing Delancey,” “The Fury,” “Carrie,” “Yentl”)

1958 – Screenwriter-director-producer Chris Columbus (“Home Alone,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”)

1960 – Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth (“The English Patient,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “Love Actually,” “A Single Man,” “The King’s Speech,” “Kingsman: The Secret Service”)

1968 – Director Guy Ritchie (“Snatch,” “swept Away,” ” RocknRolla,” “Sherlock Holmes,” “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” “Man From U.N.C.L.E.”)

1974 – Actor Ryan Phillippe (“I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Cruel Intentions,” “54,” “Gosford Park,” “Crash,” “Flags of Our Fathers”)

History Highlights

1897 – London taxi driver George Smith becomes the first person ever arrested for drunk driving after slamming his cab into a building. Smith later pleads guilty and is fined 25 shillings.

1919 – Almost a year after an armistice officially ends World War I, New York City holds a parade to welcome home General John J. Pershing, commander in chief of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), and 25,000 soldiers who had served in the AEF’s 1st Division on the Western Front.

1953 – Swanson revolutionizes meal preparation when it introduces the first TV dinner. It sells for 89 cents and includes turkey, gravy, corn bread dressing, whipped sweet potatoes and peas. By the end of that year, Americans had gobbled up more than 10 million of them.

1966 – Meep! Meep! The animated “Road Runner Show,” from the creative minds at Looney Tunes, premieres on CBS Television.

1973 – Boxing great Muhammad Ali defeats Ken Norton in a heavyweight match, avenging a stunning loss to Norton six months earlier.

1977 – The guillitine falls silent on this day. A man convicted of torture and murder becomes the last person executed by the French government using a guillitine.

1993 – FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dr. Dana Scully pursue aliens and supernatural phenomena as “The X-Files” premieres on Fox Television, starring David Duchovny as Mulder and Gillian Anderson as Scully.

Musical Milestones

1966 – A new folk-rock sound hits the radio from “Mack The Knife” crooner Bobby Darin, as “If I Were a Carpenter” debuts on the singles chart.

1966 – The Supremes rule the Billboard Hot 100 with “You Can’t Hurry Love.” The single holds the top spot for two weeks.

1966 – The first of 21 hits for The Monkees enters the pop chart. It’s “Last Train to Clarksville,” which chugs its way to No. 1 two months later.

1988 – “Sweet Child O’ Mine” lands on top of the Billboard Hot 100 and remains there for two weeks, becoming the first and only No. 1 hit for Guns N’Roses.

1991 – Nirvana releases “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the first track off the “Nevermind” album. The song becomes the pioneering grunge band’s biggest hit.

2005 – Mariah Carey wraps up 14 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the pop chart with “We Belong Together.”

On This Day September 8

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Celebrity Birthdays

1922 – Comedian Sid Caesar, creator of the classic Emmy-winning TV variety program “Your Show of Shows” (d. 2014)

1925 – Comedic actor Peter Sellers (“Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” “Lolita,” “The Pink Panther,” “Being There”) (d. 1980)

1932 – Legendary country singer Patsy Cline, born Virginia Patterson Hensley (d. 1963)

1939 – Blues guitarist-singer-songwriter Guitar Shorty, born David William Kearney

1957 – Actress Heather Thomas, who co-starred as Jody Banks on the 1980s TV series “The Fall Guy”

1960 – Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, formerly of the 80s band ‘Til Tuesday (“Voices Carry”)

1971 – Actor-director-producer David Arquette (“Scream,” “Eight-Legged Freaks,” “Never Been Kissed”)

1979 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter P!nk, born Alecia Beth Moore (“There You Go,” “Most Girls,” “”There You Go,” “Most Girls,” “Raise Your Glass”)

1981 – Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas, best known for playing Tim Allen’s son, Randy Taylor, in TV’s “Home Improvement“

History Highlights

1900 – A hurricane packing winds in excess of 130 miles per hour and a 15-foot storm surge slams into Galveston, Texas, devastating the island. Between 6,000 and 8,000 people are killed, making the hurricane the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history up to that time. Ten thousand survivors are left homeless.

1921 – Sixteen-year-old Margaret Gorman of Washington, D.C., is crowned the first Miss America at the end of a two-day pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

1966 – A television sci-fi phenom is born with the premiere of “Star Trek” on NBC. The series, consisting of 79 episodes over three seasons, stars William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, first officer and science officer aboard the starship USS Enterprise. In the decades since the original series ended, “Star Trek” has spawned spin-offs, movies and conventions.

1974 – President Gerald Ford attempts to give closure to the Watergate scandal by granting his predecessor, Richard Nixon, a pardon for any crimes he may have committed or participated in while in office.

1974 – Daredevil Evel Knievel survives a failed bid to leap the mile-wide chasm of the Snake River Canyon (Idaho) on his rocket-powered motorcycle.

1986 – “The Oprah Winfrey Show” debuts as the first talk show hosted by an African American woman.

1994 – US Air Flight 427 crashes on approach to Pittsburgh International Airport. All 132 people on board the Boeing 737 are killed. A lengthy investigation concludes that the cause was a faulty rudder.

2022 – Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, dies at age 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The crown passes to her eldest son, who becomes King Charles III.

Musical Milestones

1958 – Volare (“Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu”) by Domenico Modugno is the No. 1 single for five non-consecutive weeks. It goes on to become the No. 1 song for all of 1958.

1962 – “Sheila,” by Tommy Roe, begins its second and final week as the most popular song in the U.S.

1973 – Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” starts a week on top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the Motown sensation’s second No. 1 single.

1979 – “My Sharona,” from The Knack’s debut album, “Get The Knack,” is midway through a six-week run as the hottest single in the U.S. The track becomes the No. 1 song of 1979, with the album selling more than six million copies worldwide.

1984 – Tina Turner is in the midst of a three-week reign over the Billboard Hot 100 with “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” her first No. 1 single. At 44 years of age. Turner becomes the oldest solo female artist to ever top the pop chart.

1990 – Jon Bon Jovi has a No. 1 single with “Blaze of Glory.”

2001 – “I’m Real,” by Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule, kicks off three weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

On this Day May 26

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Celebrity Birthdays

1886 – Singer-actor Al Jolson, born Asa Yoelson in Russia and dubbed “The World’s Greatest Entertainer” (d. 1950)

1907 – Oscar-winning actor John Wayne, born Marion Robert Morrison and nicknamed “The Duke,” who starred in many Westerns, including “The Searchers” and “True Grit” (d. 1979)

1920 – Vocalist Peggy Lee (“”Mañana,” “Lover,” “Fever”) (d. 2002)

1926 – Legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis (d. 1991)

1948 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac member Stevie Nicks, best recognized for her vocals in the hits “Dreams,” “Rhiannon” and “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”

1951 – First American woman astronaut in space, Sally Ride (d. 2012)

1962 – Comedian-actor Bobcat Goldthwait

1962 – Emmy-winning actress Genie Francis, most remembered for her role as Laura on the ABC soap “General Hospital”

1964 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz (“Let Love Rule,” “Mama Said,” “American Woman”)

1966 – Actress Helena Bonham Carter (“A Room With a View,” “Howard’s End,” “Fight Club,” “Big Fish,” The King’s Speech,” “Les Misérables”)

1975 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter-rapper-producer Lauryn Hill, formerly of The Fugees (“Doo Wop (That Thing),” “Ex-Factor,” “Everything Is Everything”)

History Highlights

1897 – The first copies of the classic vampire novel “Dracula,” by Irish writer Bram Stoker, appear in London bookshops.

1927 – It’s the end of the road for Ford’s iconic Model T automobile. The 15 millionth and last Model T Ford rolls off a Detroit assembly line with Ford founder Henry Ford in the front passenger seat and his son, Edsel, behind the wheel. The touring car, with hand-stamped VIN 15000000, marked the symbolic end of the groundbreaking automobile’s 19-year production run.

1953 – The first 3-D sci-fi movie premieres in Los Angeles: “It Came from Outer Space,” based on a Ray Bradbury story.

1959 – Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches 12 perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves before losing, 1-0, in the 13th. It’s the first time a pitcher throws more than nine perfect innings in major league history.

1969 – Apollo 10 returns to Earth after a successful eight-day test of all the components needed for the forthcoming first manned moon landing. During descent from its lunar orbit, the spacecraft sets a record for the fastest speed attained by a manned vehicle.

1972 – Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev and U.S. President Richard Nixon, meeting in Moscow, sign the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) agreements.

1977 – The so-called “human fly,” George Willig, scales the South Tower of New York City’s World Trade Center by attaching himself to a window washing track and walking straight to the top and into the custody of waiting police officers. It takes Willig three and a half hours to make the climb and costs him $1.10 in fines — one penny per floor.

Musical Milestones

1962 – Clarinetist Acker Bilk becomes the first British artist to top the Billboard pop chart when his instrumental, “Stranger on the Shore,” reaches No. 1.

1969 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin an eight-day “bed-in” for peace at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, during which they record “Give Peace a Chance” in a room filled with reporters, photographers and supporters. The couple held a similar bed-in two months earlier in Amsterdam.

1973 – The hard rock instrumental “Frankenstein,” by The Edgar Winter Group, reaches the top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band’s only No. 1 hit. One week later, it is bumped by Paul McCartney’s “My Love.”

1979 – Peaches & Herb begin their fourth and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Reunited.”

1984 – “Let’s Hear It For the Boy,” by Deniece Williams, from the soundtrack to the Kevin Bacon movie “Footloose,” is on top of the singles chart.

1990 – Madonna’s “Vogue,” off the “I’m Breathless” album, is in the middle of a three-week domination of the Billboard pop chart.

2001 – “All For You,” by Janet Jackson, begins its seventh and final week as a chart-topper.

2007 – “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’),” by T-Pain featuring Yung Joc, is the No. 1 single.

On this Day May 25

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Celebrity Birthdays

1927 – Robert Ludlum, author of more than 20 thrillers, including the Jason Bourne spy novels (d. 2001)

1939 – Tony and Golden Globe-winning actor Sir Ian McKellen, best known as Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and Magneto in the “X-Men” movies

1943 – Tony and Emmy-winning actress-singer Leslie Uggams (“Hallelujah, Baby!,” “Roots”)

1944 – Emmy-winning actor-director and “Sesame Street” and “The Muppet Show” puppeteer Frank Oz, who also provided the voice of Yoda in the “Star Wars” movies

1963 – Emmy-winning comedic actor Mike Myers (“Saturday Night Live,” “Wayne’s World,” “So I Married an Axe Murderer,” and the “Austin Powers” and “Shrek” movie series)

1969 – Actress Anne Heche (“Donnie Brasco,” “Volcano,” “Wag the Dog,” “Six Days Seven Nights,” “John Q,” “Men in Trees”)

1972 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Octavia Spencer (“A Time to Kill,” “The Help,” “Hidden Figures,” “The Shape of Water”)

History Highlights

1961 – Addressing a special joint session of Congress, President John F. Kennedy announces his goal to send an American to the moon before the end of the decade. He also requests financial support for an accelerated space program.

1977 – “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” With those words on the screen, cinematic history is made as George Lucas’ epic sci-fi adventure “Star Wars” opens on Memorial Day weekend at just 32 theaters across the U.S. with no official premiere. By August, more than 1,000 theaters are screening the film, propelling it box office glory. Later renamed “Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope,” the movie captures seven Academy Awards and becomes a marketing bonanza.

1979 – This day marks the worst domestic air crash in U.S. history. American Airlines Flight 191, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashes during takeoff at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport killing 271 on board and two people on the ground. Investigators blame a faulty pylon assembly for the tragedy in which the left engine fell off the LA-bound aircraft.

1979 – Six-year old Etan Patz disappears while walking two blocks from home to his bus stop in Manhattan. Investigators have the boy’s face and description printed on milk cartons all across the U.S. in hopes that someone would find him — the first time that method is used to aid in a missing child case. It takes 38 years for authorities to find and convict the suspect in Patz’s kidnapping and murder.

Musical Milestones

1963 – Jimmy Soul enjoys his second and final week on top of the pop chart with “If You Wanna Be Happy.”

1965 – Blues singer-songwriter and harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson dies in his sleep at age 65. Over the years, Van Morrison, Aerosmith, The Who, The Animals, Yardbirds and The Moody Blues have all covered his songs.

1968 – Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bookends” becomes the duo’s second No. 1 album, delivering such classic tracks as “Mrs. Robinson,” “America,” “A Hazy Shade Of Winter” and “At The Zoo.” The album holds the top spot for three weeks.

1973 – More than 100,000 people flock to New York’s Central Park for a free concert by singer-songwriting sensation Carole King.

1974 – Ray Stevens’ novelty song, “The Streak,” is in the midst of a three-week run on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

1985 – “Everything She Wants,” by Wham! (featuring George Michael), begins two weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. It becomes the pop duo’s third consecutive million-selling No. 1 hit in the U.S.

1991 – Mariah Carey’s “I Don’t Wanna Cry” rules the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks.

1996 – Bone Thugs-n-Harmony claim the top spot on the pop chart with “Tha Crossroads.”

2002 – “Foolish,” by Ashanti, is in its sixth week as a Billboard singles chart-topper. It spends another four weeks at No. 1.