On This Day April 4 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1928 – Poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson (d. 2014) 1944 – Actor Craig T. Nelson (“Poltergeist,” “Coach,” “The Incredibles,” “Parenthood”) 1960 – Actor Hugo Weaving (“The Matrix,” “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “V For Vendetta,” “The Hobbit” film series, “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Hacksaw Ridge”) 1965 – Golden Globe-winning actor Robert Downey, Jr. (“Less Than Zero,” “Chaplin,” “Ally McBeal,” the “Iron Man” and “Avengers/MCU” and “Sherlock Holmes” movies, “The Judge”) 1966 – Actress Nancy McKeon (“The Facts of Life,” “The Division”) 1979 – Actor Heath Ledger (“10 Things I Hate About You,” “The Patriot,” “A Knight’s Tale,” “Monster’s Ball,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “The Dark Knight”) (d. 2008) History Highlights 1949 – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is established by the U.S. and 11 other Western nations. 1960 – William Wyler’s Technicolor epic ,”Ben-Hur,” sets an Academy Awards record when it sweeps 11 of the 12 categories for which it was nominated, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Charlton Heston). 1968 – A sniper shoots and kills civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 39, on the balcony of a Memphis, Tennessee motel. As word of the assassination spreads, riots erupt in cities across the U.S., and National Guard troops are deployed in Memphis and Washington, D.C. In 1991, the murder scene—the Lorraine Motel—is dedicated as part of the National Civil Rights Museum. 1969 – CBS cancels the most popular show on TV at the time, “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” because the brothers failed to submit their script to network executives to review before broadcast. 1973 – A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held in New York’s Lower Manhattan to dedicate the original World Trade Center. At 110 stories each, 1 WTC, or the North Tower, and 2 WTC, the South Tower, would provide nearly 10 million square feet of office space. Reaching more than a quarter of a mile into the sky, the Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in New York City, and for a brief period, the tallest buildings in the world. 1975 – At a time when most Americans are using typewriters, childhood friends and self-proclaimed computer geeks Bill Gates and Paul Allen establish Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Four years later, they relocate the business to Washington State and grow it into a major multinational technology corporation. 1986 – The last episode of NBC’s “Knight Rider,” starring David Hasselhoff as private eye Michael Knight, airs on this day. 2007 – Radio shock jock Don Imus makes offensive remarks about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team on the air, creating a firestorm of criticism across the country. Imus apologizes and loses his job, but ultimately is able to salvage his career. 2013 – Acclaimed movie critic Roger Ebert, who reviewed movies for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years and on TV’s Sneak Previews program for 31 years, dies at the age of 70 after battling cancer. Musical Milestones 1964 – The Beatles simultaneously claim the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Can’t Buy Me Love” at No. 1 where it remains for five weeks. Never before, and not since, has a single act achieved that kind of musical monopoly. 1970 – “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” by Simon & Garfunkel, begins its sixth and final week as a Billboard No. 1. The track goes on to capture five Grammys, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. 1981 – “Rapture,” by Blondie featuring Debbie Harry, is in its second and final week as a No. 1 single. 1987 – “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship is No. 1 on the singles chart and stays there for two weeks. The song appears in the movie “Mannequin,” starring Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall. 1995 – Madonna is mid-way through a seven-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Take a Bow,” from her “Bedtime Stories” album. 1998 – K-Ci & JoJo rule the Billboard Hot 100 with “All My Life.” 2009 – Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha wraps up a six-week domination of the singles chart with “Right Round,” a track that samples the chorus of the 1984 Dead or Alive song “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record).” READ MORE
On This Day March 15 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1933 – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to be appointed to the position (d. 2020) 1935 – Emmy and Tony-winning actor Judd Hirsch (“Taxi,” “Ordinary People,” “Independence Day,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Numb3rs, “Forever,” “Superior Donuts”) 1941 – Singer-songwriter Mike Love of The Beach Boys 1959 – Male supermodel Fabio, born Fabio Lanzoni 1963 – Poison lead singer and reality TV star Bret Michaels 1975 – Actress and director/producer Eva Longoria (“The Young and the Restless,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Harsh Times,” “The Sentinel,” “Over Her Dead Body,” “Overboard”) 1975 – Grammy-winning rapper and The Black Eyed Peas founder/frontman Will.i.am, born William Adams History Highlights 44 B.C. – Caught in an ambush, Roman dictator Julius Caesar is stabbed to death by a group of his own senators. March 15 of 44 B.C. is known as the “Ides of March” in the Roman calendar. 1820 – As part of the Missouri Compromise between the U.S. North and South, Maine is admitted as the 23rd state in the Union. 1965 – Just days after a deadly police assault on civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama, President Lyndon B. Johnson addresses a historic joint session of Congress to urge passage of legislation guaranteeing equal voting rights for all Americans. Congress passes the Voting Rights Act that summer, and Johnson signs the measure into law on August 6, 1965. 1970 – Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins becomes the first defenseman in NHL history to score 100 points in a season, after scoring four goals in one game against the Detroit Red Wings. 1975 – “Funny Lady,” starring Barbra Streisand, James Caan and Omar Sharif, opens in movie theaters. It is the sequel to the 1968 musical film, “Funny Girl,” the story of Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice. 1977 – The sitcom “Three’s Company” debuts on ABC, starring John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers. It runs until 1984. 1988 – “The Wonder Years” premieres on ABC and runs for six seasons. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous late 1960s, the series follows a suburban American family, focusing on the growing pains of youngest son Kevin, played by Fred Savage. Musical Milestones 1964 – “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” The Beatles’ first No. 1 single in the U.S., begins its seventh and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 only to be replaced by The Beatles’ second No. 1 hit: “She Loves You.” 1969 – “Dizzy,” by Tommy Roe, starts a four-week run as the No. 1 single. 1975 – The Doobie Brothers rule the Billboard Hot 100 for a week with “Black Water,” from their “What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits” album. 1980 – Queen wraps up a four-week run on top of the pop chart with “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” the band’s first No. 1 U.S. hit. 1986 – “Sara,” by Starship, tops the singles chart for a week. The track is one of two No. 1 hits from the band’s “Knee Deep in the Hoopla” album. The other is “We Built This City.” 1997 – The Spice Girls’ debut single, “Wannabe,” marks its fourth and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100. It becomes the best-selling single ever by a female group. 1999 – Bruce Springsteen is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by U2 frontman Bono. 2003 – 50 Cent scores his first No. 1 single with “In da Club.” The track holds the top spot for nine weeks. READ MORE
On This Day November 23 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1804 – Franklin Pierce, the 14th U.S. president (d. 1869) 1859 – Outlaw Billy the Kid (d. 1881) 1887 – Actor Boris Karloff, born William Henry Pratt, best known for his portrayal of the monster in the “Frankenstein” movies and narrator/voice of The Grinch in the 1966 animated special, “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas!” (d. 1969) 1888 – Comedian-actor Harpo Marx of the legendary comedy troupe the Marx Brothers (d. 1964) 1925 – Grammy and Oscar-winning composer-arranger Johnny Mandel, most famous for “Suicide Is Painless,” the theme from the movie and TV series “M*A*S*H” 1954 – Grammy-winning singer-pianist Bruce Hornsby (“The Way It Is,” “Mandolin Rain,” “Every Little Kiss”) 1960 – “Good Morning America” (GMA) co-host Robin Roberts 1992 – Singer-songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus, born Destiny Hope Cyrus (“Hannah Montana,” “Party in the U.S.A.,” “Can’t Be Tamed”, “We Can’t Stop,” “Wrecking Ball”) History Highlights 1889 – The first jukebox goes into operation at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco. Built by the Pacific Phonograph Company, the device is called a “nickel-in-the-slot player.” A record would play for a nickel and up to four people could listen using using stethoscope-like tubes. 1936 – The illustrated magazine LIFE premieres. The first issue features a black and white photo of the Fort Peck Dam in Montana, taken by Margaret Bourke-White. 1981 – President Ronald Reagan secretly grants the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) the power to recruit and support a 500-man force of Nicaraguan rebels (“Contras”) to conduct covert actions against the leftist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua. The move eventually leads to what became the Iran-Contra scandal. 1984 – It’s the “Miracle in Miami,” as Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie leads BC past Miami 47-45 at the Orange Bowl. Flutie throws a Hail Mary pass to win the game. 2012 – Actor Larry Hagman, who starred in TV’s “I Dream of Jeannie” and years later “Dallas,” dies of complications from cancer at the age of 81. Musical Milestones 1936 – Delta blues legend Robert Johnson lays down his first-ever musical recordings — eight songs in a single session at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The tracks include “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom,” “Sweet Home Chicago” and his biggest hit, “Terraplane Blues.” 1963 – “I’m Leaving It Up to You,” by Dale & Grace, is the hottest song on the radio. 1974 – Billy Swan is on top of the singles chart for two weeks with the only hit of his singing career: “I Can Help.” 1974 – The Rolling Stones score their fifth No. 1 album with “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll” — the last Stones album for guitarist Mick Taylor, who was replaced by Ronnie Wood. 1976 – Rocker Jerry Lee Lewis is arrested for the second time in as many days. First it was drunk driving, but on this day he’s busted for brandishing a pistol outside Graceland while demanding to see Elvis. 1985 – Starship begin their second and final week orbiting around the top spot on the pop chart with “We Built This City.” 1991 – Michael Bolton’s cover of Percy Sledge’s 1966 classic, “When a Man Loves a Woman,” reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later goes on to capture a Grammy Award. 1995 – Soul singer and saxophonist Junior Walker, best known for the hits “How Sweet It Is” and “What Does It Take, To Win Your Love, dies of cancer at the age of 64. Walker also played sax on Foreigner’s 1981 hit “Urgent.” 2002 – Eminem rules the Billboard singles chart with “Lose Yourself,” from the “8 Mile” movie soundtrack. The song holds at No. 1 for 12 weeks. READ MORE
On This Day November 16 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1907 – Emmy-winning actor Burgess Meredith (“Of Mice and Men,” the 1960s “Batman” TV series, “Rocky,” “Grumpy Old Men”) (d. 1997) 1964 – Grammy-winning jazz pianist-singer Diana Krall 1967 – Actress Lisa Bonet (“The Cosby Show,” “Angel Heart”) 1972 – Actress Missi Pyle, born Andrea Kay Pyle (“Galaxy Quest,” “The Artist,” “Big Fish,” “50 First Dates,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Gone Girl”) 1977 – Ukrainian figure skater Oksana Baiul, who captured gold at the 1994 Olympic Games 1977 – Golden Globe-winning actress Maggie Gyllenhaal (“Donnie Darko,” “Secretary,” Adaptation,” “World Trade Center,” “The Dark Knight,” “Crazy Heart”) History Highlights 1907 – Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory collectively enter the United States as Oklahoma, the 46th state. 1915 – The patent for the iconic curved glass Coca-Cola bottle is awarded to the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana. Coca-Cola and Root Glass enter into an agreement to have six glass companies across the U.S. use the bottle shape. The contract called for the bottles to be colored with “German Green” which was later renamed “Georgia Green” in honor of Coke’s home state. 1945 – The United States implements “Operation Paperclip,” a top secret program that brings 88 German scientists to America to help develop rocket technology. The moves stirs controversy because many of the scientists, including Apollo program pioneer Wernher von Braun, had served under the Nazi regime. 1973 – President Richard Nixon authorizes construction of the Alaska Pipeline to meet America’s growing energy demands while reducing the nation’s reliance on foreign oil. 1977 – After terrifying audiences with “Jaws” two years earlier, director Steven Spielberg dazzles moviegoers with visitors from other worlds as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” opens in movie theaters. 1981 – Sixteen million TV viewers tune in to “General Hospital” on ABC for the much-anticipated Luke and Laura wedding. 2001 – “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” opens in U.S. movie theaters kicking off one of the most successful movie franchises of all time based on novels written by J. K. Rowling. Musical Milestones 1959 – “The Sound of Music” premieres on Broadway. 1963 – Siblings Nino Tempo and April Stevens have the No 1 single with “Deep Purple,” which goes on to capture a Best Rock and Roll Record Grammy Award. 1968 – “Hey Jude,” by The Beatles, is in the middle of a nine-week domination of the singles chart. 1974 – John Lennon rules the Billboard Hot 100 with “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night.” The song features backup vocals and piano by Elton John. 1985 – Starship starts a two-week run at No.1 on the Billboard singles chart with “We Built This City.” The track, which music critics have panned over the years, is from the band’s “Knee Deep in the Hoopla” album, which spawns another chart-topping single, “Sara.” 1996 – “No Diggity” by Blackstreet, featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, is in the midst of a four-week ride on top of the Billboard Hot 100. 2002 – Eminem begins his second week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Lose Yourself,” from the movie “8 Mile,” in which the rapper stars. The track holds at No. 1 for 12 weeks. READ MORE
On This Day October 6 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1846 – Electrical and engineering pioneer George Westinghouse (d. 1914) 1908 – Actress Carole Lombard, born Jane Alice Peters (“Twentieth Century,” “My Man Godfrey”, “Nothing Sacred”) (d.1942) 1942 – Actress and former “Bond Girl” Britt Ekland 1963 – Actress Elisabeth Shue (“The Karate Kid,” “Adventures in Babysitting,” “Cocktail,” “Back to the Future Part II,” “Back to the Future Part III,” “Leaving Las Vegas,” “The Saint,” “Hollow Man”) 1971 – Actress Emily Mortimer (“Lovely and Amazing,” “Match Point,” “Lars and the Real Girl,” “Chaos Theory,” “Harry Brown,” “Shutter Island,” “Hugo,” “The Newsroom,” “Mary Poppins Returns”) 1973 – Actor Ioan Gruffudd (“Titanic,” “Hornblower,” “Fantastic Four,” “Black Hawk Down,” “San Andreas,” “Forever”) 1974 – Actor Jeremy Sisto (“Clueless,” “Six Feet Under,” “Waitress,” “Law & Order,” “Suburgatory”) History Highlights 1866 – John and Simeon Reno (a.k.a. The Reno Brothers) stage the first train robbery in U.S. history, making off with $12,000 from an Ohio & Mississippi Railroad train in Seymour, Indiana. The pair perfected the art of stopping trains at gunpoint along sparsely populated stretches of track. 1926 – Yankee slugger Babe Ruth hits a record three home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth game of the World Series. Although the Yankees win the game 10-5, they lose the championship in the Game Seven. 1961 – With the Cold War raging, President John F. Kennedy urges Americans to build bomb shelters to protect against atomic fallout in the event of a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. 1973 – Hoping to win back territory lost to Israel during the third Arab-Israeli war, Egyptian and Syrian forces attack Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. And so begins the Yom Kippur War, which rages for 18 days until the United Nations intervenes. 1974 – Five years after launching on the BBC in Great Britain, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” premieres on American television. 1981 – The world is horrified as Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat is assassinated during the nation’s annual victory parade in Cairo. 1989 – Oscar-winning screen legend Bette Davis, known for such movie classics as “All About Eve,” “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” and “Hush…Hush Sweet Charlotte,” dies of cancer at the age of 81. Musical Milestones 1962 – “Sherry,” by The Four Seasons, is in the midst of a five-week ride atop the Billboard Hot 100. The song was originally titled “Jackie Baby” in honor of then-First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, but was later changed. 1973 – Cher begins a two-week hold on the top spot on the singles chart with “Half-Breed.” The single becomes her second No. 1 as a solo act. 1979 – Robert John’s “Sad Eyes” is the No. 1 single and holds the top spot for a week. 1984 – “Let’s Go Crazy,” by Prince and the Revolution, is in its second and final week as a chart-topping single. 1990 – “Close to You,” by Maxi Priest, tops the Billboard Hot 100 for a week. 2001 – Alicia Keys is in the midst of a three-week reign over the pop chart with her Grammy-winning single “Fallin’.” The track is off her debut album “Songs in A Minor.” 2011 – Starship’s “We Built This City” (from 1985) is named the worst song of the 1980s in a Rolling Stone magazine readers’ survey. “The Final Countdown,” by the Swedish band Europe comes in second and “Lady in Red,” by Chris de Burgh, is third. Also among the Top Five are Wham!’s “Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go)” and “The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats. 2012 – Maroon 5, featuring Adam Levine, is in the midst of a nine-week domination of the pop chart with “One More Night.” READ MORE