On This Day April 19 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1903 – Federal Agent Eliot Ness, head of “The Untouchables,” which helped bring down gangster Al Capone (d. 1957) 1933 – Actress-singer Jayne Mansfield (“The Girl Can’t Help It,” “Too Hot to Handle,” “Kiss Them for Me”) (d. 1967) 1935 – Actor-comedian-musician-composer Dudley Moore (“Bedazzled,” “10,” “Arthur”) (d. 2002) 1946 – Actor Tim Curry (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “It,” “The Three Musketeers,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”) 1968 – Actress Ashley Judd (“Kiss the Girls,” “High Crimes,” “Divergent,” “Dolphin Tale,” “Dolphin Tale 2,” “Missing”) 1978 – Golden Globe-winning actor James Franco (“Freaks and Geeks,” “James Dean,” “Pineapple Express,” the “Spider-Man” trilogy, “127 Hours,” “11.22.63,” “Sausage Party”,”The Disaster Artist”) 1979 – Golden Globe-winning actress Kate Hudson (“Almost Famous,” You, Me and Dupree,” “Fool’s Gold,” “Bride Wars,” “Deepwater Horizon”) History Highlights 1775 – The “shot heard round the world” is fired in Lexington, Massachusetts, triggering the American Revolution. 1897 – The first Boston Marathon is run, and John McDermott of New York emerges from a 15-person starter field as the winner of the all-male event with a completion time of 2:55:10. In 1924, the course is extended from 24.5 miles to 26 miles, 385 yards to conform to the Olympic standard. 1943 – Nazi forces attempting to clear out the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw, Poland are met by gunfire from Jewish resistance fighters, marking the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. 1971 – The Soviet Union launches Salyut, the first manned orbiting space lab that goes on to be replaced by Mir in 1986. 1993 – A 51-day standoff between federal agents and Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas comes to a fiery end. The cult compound burns to the ground and 80 Davidians, including their leader, David Koresh and 22 children, are dead. 1995 – A massive explosion at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma kills 168 people and injures hundreds more. The bomb, contained in a rented truck parked outside the building, goes off at 9:02 a.m. as people prepare for the workday. Musical Milestones 1969 – The 5th Dimension have the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures).” 1975 – Elton John rules the pop chart with “Philadelphia Freedom.” The track is sometimes mistaken as a patriotic song about America, with the bicentennial approaching. It is actually a tribute to John’s close friend, tennis legend Billie Jean King, who, at the time, coached a tennis team called the Philadelphia Freedoms. 1980 – For the first time ever, the top five artists on the country music chart are all female: Crystal Gayle is No. 1, with Dottie West, Debby Boone, Emmylou Harris and Tammy Wynette making up the rest of the top five. 1980 – “Call Me” by Blondie claims the top spot on the singles chart and holds there for six weeks. The track is from the band’s “Autoamerican” album and is featured in the movie “American Gigolo,” starring Richard Gere. 1986 – “Kiss,” by Prince and The Revolution from the “Parade” album (the “Under the Cherry Moon” soundtrack) is the No. 1 single. Following Prince’s April 2016 death, the song re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 28, and jumped to No. 23 a week later. 1997 – Michael Jackson attends the unveiling of a wax statue of himself at the Grevin Museum of Wax in Paris. The King of Pop had provided one of his own outfits to dress the figure. 2008 – Mariah Carey begins her second and final week at No. 1 on the pop chart with “Touch My Body.” READ MORE
On This Day February 28 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1923 – Actor Charles Durning (“The Front Page,” “North Dallas Forty,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”) (d. 2012) 1931 – Actor Gavin MacLeod, best known for his TV roles as Murray, the news writer in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and as Captain Stubing in “The Love Boat” 1939 – Tony Award-winning actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer and choreographer Tommy Tune 1940 – Auto racing legend Mario Andretti 1948 – Tony Award-winning actress Bernadette Peters (“Dames at Sea,” “The Jerk,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “Silent Movie”) 1957 – Actor-producer John Turturro (“Do The Right Thing,” “Barton Fink,” “The Quiz Show,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Brother, Where Art Thou?,” the “Transformers” movie series) History Highlights 1953 – Cambridge University scientists James Watson and Francis Crick announce that they have confirmed the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule containing human genes. They are later honored with the Nobel Prize for their achievement. 1958 – A school bus in Prestonsburg, Kentucky hits a tow truck and plunges down an embankment into the rain-swollen Big Sandy River. The driver and 26 children die in what remains the worst school bus accident in U.S. history. 1983 – After 11 seasons, CBS broadcasts the finale of the popular sitcom “M*A*S*H” as a special two and a half-hour episode (“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”) watched by 77 percent of the viewing audience. It’s the largest viewership ever for a single TV show up to that time. 1993 – Four federal agents are killed in Waco, Texas after attempting to serve an arrest warrant for weapons charges on Branch Davidian sect leader David Koresh, triggering a 51-day standoff. 1994 – U.S. fighter planes shoot down four Serbian warplanes engaged in a bombing mission that violates Bosnia’s no-fly zone. It marks the first military action in the 45-year history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Musical Milestones 1970 – “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” by Simon & Garfunkel, tops the singles chart and remains there for six weeks. It captures Record of the Year and Song of the Year Grammys in 1971 and goes on to sell over six million copies worldwide. 1976 – The No. 1 single comes from a prime time police drama on ABC-TV. It’s “Theme From S.W.A.T.” by Rhythm Heritage. 1976 – Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years” captures an Album Of The Year Grammy. In his acceptance speech, Simon tells the audience, “I’d like to thank Stevie Wonder, who didn’t make an album this year.” 1981 – Eddie Rabbitt hops to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Love a Rainy Night.” 1983 – U2 release “War,” the Irish rock band’s third studio album, which gives us their earliest signature songs, “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day.” 1987 – Bon Jovi holds the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with what becomes their signature song: “Livin’ on a Prayer” 1996 – At the 38th Annual Grammy Awards, Kiss shock the audience by appearing in full makeup. Introduced by rapper Tupac Shakur (2Pac), it marks the first time in more than 15 years that all four band members appeared together. Just a few weeks later, they announce a reunion tour. 1998 – Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”, the theme from the blockbuster movie “Titanic,” is captain of the pop chart. READ MORE
On this Day May 13 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1914 – Former World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis (d. 1981) 1922 – Emmy and Tony-winning actress Bea Arthur (“Maude,” “The Golden Girls”) (d. 2009) 1939 – Actor Harvey Keitel (“Mean Streets,” “Taxi Driver,” “Bad Lieutenant,” “Thelma & Louise,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction”) 1950 – Grammy-winning Motown prodigy Stevie Wonder (“Fingertips – Pt. 2,” “Superstition,” “You Are The Sunshine of My Life,” “Sir Duke,” “Isn’t She Lovely?”) 1961 – Retired NBA star Dennis Rodman 1964 – Comedian, political satirist and CBS “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert 1986 – Actor Robert Pattinson, best known for his role as vampire Edward Cullen in the film adaptations of the “Twilight” novels and as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 2022 movie, “The Batman” History Highlights 1607 – More than 100 English colonists arrive along the west bank of the James River in Virginia to found Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. 1846 – The U.S. Congress overwhelmingly votes in favor of President James Polk’s request to declare war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas. 1958 – A new concept for fastening material sticks as a trademark is registered for Velcro, technically referred to as a “hook and loop fastener.” It’s the brainchild of Swiss engineer George de Mestral. 1981 – Shots ring out in Rome as Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca opens fire on Pope John Paul II when he passes through St. Peter’s Square in an open car. The pontiff is seriously injured, but recovers from his wounds and is released from the hospital three weeks later. 1985 – After a lengthy standoff, Philadelphia police drop a bomb on the row house occupied by the radical group MOVE. The bombing sparks a fire that kills 11 people, including five children, and destroys 61 homes. Musical Milestones 1967 – “The Happening, by The Supremes, tops the singles chart, becoming the Motown trio’s 10th No. 1 hit. 1970 – New York City hosts the premiere of The Beatles’ film “Let It Be.” The movie documents the Fab Four rehearsing and recording songs for their 12th and final studio album of the same name. It includes footage from the famous Apple Records rooftop concert in London — the band’s final public performance. 1972 – Roberta Flack maintains her six-week hold on the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” 1978 – Yvonne Elliman has the hottest single with “If I Can’t Have You,” a song featured in the film “Saturday Night Fever.” 1989 – “I’ll Be There for You,” off Bon Jovi’s “New Jersey” album, is ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 1995 – Montell Jordan lays claim to the top spot on the singles chart with “This Is How We Do It.” 2000 – “Maria Maria,” by Santana featuring The Product G&B, is in the midst of a 10-week ride on top of the Billboard singles chart. 2006 – Rihanna kicks off three weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “SOS.” 2008 – The U.S. Postal Service issues a 42-cent stamp in honor of legendary entertainer Frank Sinatra. READ MORE
On this Day May 8 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1844 – 33rd U.S. President Harry S. Truman (d. 1072) 1926 – Stand-up comedian-actor Don Rickles, known for his insult style of humor and as a frequent guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “Late Show (d. 2017) 1932 – Former World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston (d. 1970) 1940 – Vocalist Toni Tennille of the Grammy-winning 70s duo Captain & Tennille (“Love Will Keep Us Together,” “Do That To Me One More Time,” “Muskrat Love”) 1940 – Actor-singer Ricky Nelson (“The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” “Hello Mary Lou,” “Travelin’ Man”) (d. 1985) 1964 – Actress-writer-producer Melissa Gilbert, best known as Laura Ingalls from NBC’s “Little House on the Prairie” 1975 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Enrique Iglesias, known as the “King of Latin Pop” (“Hero,” “Be With You,” “Escape”) History Highlights 1945 – Millions of people in cities across Great Britain and the U.S. celebrate Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) one day after Germany ‘s unconditional surrender to Allied forces. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill takes to the radio airwaves at 3 p.m. local time to announce that World War II in Europe had ended. 1963 – The first James Bond 007 movie, “Dr. No,” starring Sean Connery as the British secret agent, opens in U.S. theaters. 1973 – A 10-week standoff between federal authorities and American Indian Movement members occupying the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee, South 1984 – The Soviet Union announces that it will boycott the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In 1980, the U.S. and more than 60 other countries boycotted the Moscow Olympics to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. 2010 – Actress Betty White, known for her former roles on “The Golden Girls” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” becomes the oldest person to host “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) at age 88. White’s hosting gig came about, in part, after fans rallied for her in a Facebook campaign. Musical Milestones 1961 – “Runaway,” by Del Shannon, is midway through a four-week run at No. 1 on the pop chart. Co-written by Shannon and keyboardist Max Crook, the track becomes a major international hit. It ranks 472 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. 1970 – Almost a month after the band’s breakup, The Beatles release their 12th and final studio album, “Let It Be,” in Britain. It reaches the top of the Billboard album chart five weeks later. 1976 – The theme from the ABC sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter” (starring Gabe Kaplan and a virtually unknown John Travolta) sits on top of the singles chart. It’s “Welcome Back” by former Lovin’ Spoonful front man John Sebastian. 1982 – Vangelis’ instrumental theme from the motion picture “Chariots of Fire” is the No. 1 single in the U.S. Vangelis later wins an Oscar for Best Original Score. 1993 – Aerosmith lands on top of the Billboard album chart with “Get A Grip,” which spawns two Grammy-winning singles: “Livin’ On the Edge” and “Crazy.” 1999 – Ricky Martin kicks off five weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Livin’ la Vida Loca.” 2004 – “Yeah!,” by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, continues its 12-week reign over the singles chart. READ MORE