On This Day September 6 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1937 – Actress Jo Anne Worley, best remembered from the comedy-variety show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” 1943 – Roger Waters, lead singer and bass player for the British rock band Pink Floyd 1944 – Emmy- and Tony-winning actress Swoosie Kurtz (“Fifth of July,” “The House of Blue Leaves,” “Carol and Company,” “Sisters,” “Mike & Molly”) 1947 – Emmy-winning actress and comedian Jane Curtin (“Saturday Night Live,” “Kate & Allie,” “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “I Love You, Man”) 1958 – Grammy-winning comedian and TV personality Jeff Foxworthy (“The Jeff Foxworthy Show,” “Blue Collar TV”) 1964 – Actress Rosie Perez (“Do the Right Thing,” “White Men Can’t Jump,” “Fearless,” “In Living Color”) History Highlights 1915 – The first military tank is produced in England during World War I. Nicknamed “Little Willie,” the prototype armored vehicle weighed 14 tons, got stuck in trenches and crawled at just two miles per hour. Over time, improved designs resulted in a machine that literally transformed the battlefield. 1968 – “Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” McDonald’s introduces the Big Mac to its fast food menu (for 49 cents), and decades later, it remains one of the restaurant chain’s most popular items. In 2017 alone, McDonald’s sold 1.3 billion Big Macs. 1968 – Berkeley, California becomes the first U.S. city with a population of more than 100,000 to desegregate its public schools. 1976 – A Soviet Air Force pilot lands his MiG fighter jet in Japan and requests asylum in the U.S. 1997 – Millions of people around the world watch live televised coverage of the Westminster Abbey funeral of Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash days earlier. During the service, Elton John performs a new version of “Candle in the Wind” as a special tribute. Musical Milestones 1969 – The Rolling Stones are in the midst of a four-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Hony Tonk Women.” 1970 – Jimi Hendrix takes the stage at the Open Air Love and Peace Festival in Fehmarn, Germany and plays what becomes his final concert before his death 12 days later in London at the age of 27. 1975 – Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy” rides to the top of the Billboard pop chart and remains there for two weeks. The track also reaches No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart and garners two Grammy nominations. 1980 – Diana Ross goes right-side-up to No. 1 on the singles chart with “Upside Down,” and holds the top spot for four weeks. 1986 – “Venus,” by Bananarama, rises to the top of the Billboard singles survey. It’s the cover of a 1970 chart-topping hit by Dutch rock band Shocking Blue. 1997 – “Mo Money Mo Problems,” by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase, is the No. 1 single. The song is ‘Biggie’s’ second posthumous chart-topper, following “Hypnotize.” 2008 – The Jonas Brothers own the top spot on the pop chart for the second and final week with “A Little Bit Longer.” READ MORE
On this Day June 28 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1926 – Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning comedic director-writer-producer Mel Brooks (“The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Silent Movie,” “High Anxiety,” “History of the World, Part I,” “Spaceballs,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”) 1932 – Actor Pat Morita (“Happy Days,” “The Karate Kid”) (d. 2005) 1948 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Kathy Bates (“Misery,” “Fried Green Tomatoes,” “Delores Claiborne,” “Titanic,” “Primary Colors,” “About Schmidt,” “American Horror Story”) 1966 – Actor John Cusack (“Say Anything,” “The Grifters,” “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “Being John Malkovich,” “High Fidelity,” “2012,” “The Raven”) 1971 – Engineer, inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk, who established PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX History Highlights 1836 – Fourth U.S. President James Madison, drafter of the Constitution, recorder of the Constitutional Convention and author of the “Federalist Papers,” dies on his tobacco plantation in Virginia. 1953 – Workers at a Chevrolet plant in Flint, Michigan, begin building the first Corvette, a two-seater sports car that quickly becomes an American automotive icon. It rolls off the assembly line two days later. Only 300 Corvettes were built for the 1953 model year — all Polo white with red upholstery. 1969 – A police raid of the Stonewall Inn — a gay club located on New York City’s Christopher Street — turns violent as patrons and local sympathizers begin rioting against police officers. The clashes become a watershed moment in the struggle for gay rights in the U.S. In 2016, the Stonewall Inn was designated as the first national monument honoring the LGBTQ movement. The monument covers 7.7 acres, including nearby Christopher Park. 1975 – One of television’s most successful writers, “The Twilight Zone” creator Rod Serling dies of a heart attack at the age of 50. During his career, Serling racked up more Emmy Awards for dramatic writing than anyone in history. He also won a Golden Globe and Peabody Award for productions other than “The Twilight Zone.” 1997 – Boxing fans are horrified as Mike Tyson bites both of Evander Holyfield’s ears in the third round of their heavyweight rematch. The attack leads to his disqualification from the match and suspension from boxing. Musical Milestones 1969 – The No. 1 single comes from the big screen. It’s “Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet,” by Henry Mancini & His Orchestra. 1975 – Elton John is captain of the Billboard album chart with “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy,” which remains at No. 1 for six weeks. The album contains the hit “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.” 1975 – The Captain & Tennille are Billboard chart-toppers with “Love Will Keep Us Together.” The song, from the husband-and-wife team’s debut album of the same name, was written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. 1980 – “Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)” by Paul McCartney & Wings begins a three-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track was recorded on December 17, 1979 during the band’s tour of the UK. 1997 – “I’ll Be Missing You,” a tribute to slain rapper The Notorious B.I.G. by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112, is in the midst of an 11-week domination of the Billboard singles chart. 2003 – Clay Aiken commandeers the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks with “This Is the Night.” Aiken has “American Idol” to thank for his musical career. He was a second-place finalist in Season 2 of the reality singing competition. READ MORE
On this Day May 21 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1904 – Jazz pianist Fats Waller, best remembered for such jazz standards as “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (d. 1943) 1917 – Actor Raymond Burr (“Perry Mason,” “Ironside”) (d. 1993) 1948 – Singer-songwriter Leo Sayer (“You Make Me Feel Like Dancing,” “When I Need You,” “More Than I Can Say”) 1952 – Actor-pro wrestler Mr. T, born Laurence Tureaud, known for his trademark mohawk and gold chains and who starred in the 1980s TV programs “The A-Team” and “Mister T” 1957 – Actor Judge Reinhold (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Ruthless People”) 1959 – Actor-director Nick Cassavetes (“Face/Off,” “The Astronaut’s Wife,” “John Q,” “Alpha Dog,” “She’s So Lovely,” “The Notebook”) 1966 – Actress Lisa Edelstein (“The West Wing,” “Ally McBeal,” “House”) 1972 – Acclaimed rapper The Notoroius B.I.G. (a.k.a. Biggie Smalls), born Christopher Wallace (d. 1997) 1980 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Gotye, born Wouter De Backer, best known for his 2011 smash “Somebody That I Used to Know” History Highlights 1881 – After being around wounded soldiers during the Civil War and, later, the Franco-Prussian War overseas, nurse and educator Clara Barton establishes the American Red Cross to provide humanitarian aid to victims of wars and natural disasters as well as to military personnel and their families. 1901 – Connecticut becomes the first state to impose a speed limit for motor vehicles (known then as “horseless carriages”). Motorists are required to keep it to 12 miles per hour in the city and 15 miles per hour on country roads. Speed limits were first enacted in Connecticut because horseless carriage manufacturers were springing up all across New England, and New Englanders were buying, and driving, their products. 1917 – The Great Atlanta Fire destroys much of that city’s Fourth Ward, including nearly 2,000 homes and businesses. Ten thousand people—nearly one tenth of the city’s population—are left homeless. 1979 – Gay rights activists riot outside San Francisco City Hall following the conviction of Dan White for the murders of Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk, an openly gay San Francisco supervisor. Protesters participating in the so-called White Night Riots contend that White’s sentence is too light. 1980 – A new installment to George Lucas’ “Star Wars” film saga opens in U.S. theaters: “The Empire Strikes Back.” 1999 – Ninetheenth time’s the charm! After 18 straight years of being nominated for a Best Actress Daytime Emmy Award and never winning, Susan Lucci finally captures the coveted honor for her portrayal of Erica Kane in the popular ABC soap opera “All My Children.” Musical Milestones 1955 – Rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry enters a Chicago sound studio and records his first single, “Ida Red.” During the session, his producer decides the track needs a new name: “Maybelline.” It becomes the first of Berry’s many hits. 1968 – “Tighten Up,” by Archie Bell & The Drells from Houston, Texas, is in the middle of a two-week run as the No. 1 single. 1971 – Marvin Gaye releases his eleventh studio album, “What’s Going On,” which becomes Motown Records’ best-selling album to date. It serves as a musical commentary on the Vietnam War. The title track soars to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becomes one of Gaye’s signature songs. 1977 – His musical tribute to jazz legend Duke Ellington, “Sir Duke,” puts Stevie Wonder on top of the singles chart. 1979 – Elton John becomes the first Western rock star to tour the Soviet Union. Over the course of eight days, he plays four concerts at the Great October Hall in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and four more at the exclusive Rossya Hotel in Moscow. 1983 – David Bowie grabs the top spot on the singles chart for a week with “Let’s Dance,” off the album of the same name. Coincidentally, that album was nominated for an Album of the Year Grammy but had the misfortune of competing against Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” 1994 – “I Swear,” by All-4-One, begins an 11-week domination of the pop chart. 2011 – Adele kicks off seven weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Rolling in the Deep,” which goes on to capture Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Short Form Music Video Grammys. READ MORE