On This Day: November 16

On This Day November 16

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Celebrity Birthdays
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
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
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.

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On this Day: June 19

On this Day June 19

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1930 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Gena Rowlands (“Gloria,” “A Woman Under the Influence”)

1947 – Novelist and essayist Salman Rushdie (“Grimus,” “Midnight’s Children,” “Shame,” “The Satanic Verses,” “East, West”)

1948 – Tony-winning actress Phylicia Rashad, best known for playing Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show”

1950 – Ann Wilson of the rock duo Heart

1954 – Actress Kathleen Turner (“Peggy Sue Got Married,” “Romancing The Stone,” “The War of the Roses”)

1962 – Grammy and Emmy-winning singer, dancer, choreographer and former “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul

1972 – Actress Robin Tunney (“The Craft,” “Vertical Limit,” “The Mentalist”)

History Highlights
History Highlights

1865 – Union soldiers land in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War has ended and that enslaved African Americans were now free. The announcement comes two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863. Some historians blame the delay on poor communication of that era while others believe Texan slave owners intentionally withheld the information. June 19 is observed around the U.S. as Juneteenth. On June 17, 2021, it became a federal holiday.

1905 – The world’s first nickelodeon opens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and draws some 450 guests. The storefront theater boasted 96 seats and charged each patron a nickel.

1934 – Congress establishes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate broadcasting in the United States.

1953 –  Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviets, die in the electric chair at Sing Sing Prison in New York. Both deny wrongdoing and proclaim their innocence right up to the time of their execution. The Rosenbergs were the first American civilians executed for espionage during the Cold War.

1973 – In separate games, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds and Willie Davis of the L.A. Dodgers achieve their 2,000th career hits.

1978 – Cartoonist Jim Davis introduces readers of 41 newspapers around the U.S. to a pleasantly plump, lazy, lasagna-loving cat named Garfield.

1981 – A caped superhero returns to U.S. movie theaters with the release of “Superman II,” starring Christopher Reeve as “The Man of Steel.”

2013 –  Actor James Gandolfini, best known for his role as crime boss Tony Soprano in the HBO series “The Sopranos,” dies of a heart attack at age 51 while vacationing in Italy. 

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1961 – Pat Boone tops the pop chart for a week with “Moody River.”

1965 – “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” by the Four Tops, is No. 1 on both the singles and R&B charts. Rolling Stone magazine has ranked the song #415 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

1971 – Carole King’s “It’s Too Late” begins a five-week run on top of the Billboard Hot 100. The song, from her now-classic “Tapestry” album, captures a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1972.

1976 – Paul McCartney & Wings have a No. 1 single with “Silly Love Songs.”

1982 – Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson are in the middle of a seven-week reign over the singles chart with “Ebony and Ivory.”

1999 – “If You Had My Love,” by Jennifer Lopez, holds the top spot on the pop chart.

2004 – Usher maintains a firm grip on the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Burn.” The single remains a chart-topper for seven weeks.

2010 – “California Gurls,” by Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg, kicks off six weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

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