On this Day: June 18

On this Day June 18

Musical Milestones

1966 – The Rolling Stones enter their second and final week atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “Paint It Black.”

1967 – A prelude to the “Summer of Love” — the Monterey International Pop Festival — concludes with performances by Jimi Hendrix, The Association, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane and Lou Rawls.

1977 – “Dreams” becomes Fleetwood Mac’s first and only No. 1 single. The song, written by Stevie Nicks and featuring her lead vocals, goes on to sell more than a million copies. The track is from the band’s Grammy-winning “Rumours” album.

1983 – “Flashdance (What a Feeling),” Irene Cara’s Oscar-winning theme from the movie “Flashdance,” is in the midst of a six-week ride on top of the singles chart.

1994 – All-4-One is in the midst of an 11-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Swear.”

2010 – John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to The Beatles’ song “A Day In The Life” sells for $1.2 million at an auction at Sotheby’s in New York. The double-sided sheet of paper with notes written in felt marker and blue ink also contained some corrections and other notes penned in red ink.

History Highlights

1812 – Frustrated by Britain’s maritime practices and support of Native American resistance to western expansion, U.S. President James Madison signs a declaration of war against Britain, authorized by Congress, that sets the War of 1812 into motion. However, U.S. troops suffer great losses on land and at sea against the stronger British army. In August 1814, British troops enter Washington, D.C. and burn the U.S. Capitol and the White House. By December, both the Americans and British end the conflict with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent.

1923 – The first Checker cab is produced at the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan and becomes part of a fleet rolling across the streets of Chicago. The iconic cab eventually serves big cities across the U.S. with a reputation for comfort and reliability. Checker production continues for 59 years until the last model rolls off the assembly line in July 1982. 

1961 – The Western series “Gunsmoke” is broadcast for the last time on CBS Radio.

1979 – President Jimmy Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT-II agreement establishing limitations and guidelines for nuclear weapons. The treaty, which never formally takes effect, proves to be one of the most controversial U.S.-Soviet agreements of the Cold War.

1983 – Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space as she sets out on a six-day mission aboard the space shuttle Challenger. During her NASA career, Ride flew on two shuttle missions and later became a champion for science education and a role model for generations. 

1984 – Members of a white nationalist group called The Order shoot and kill controversial radio talk show host Alan Berg in the driveway of his Denver home.

Celebrity Birthdays

1942 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sir Paul McCartney, former member of The Beatles

1942 – Pulitzer Prize-winning “Chicago Sun-Times” film critic Roger Ebert (d. 2013)

1952 – Actress Carol Kane (“Hester Street,” “Taxi,” “The Princess Bride”)

1952 – Model and actress Isabella Rossellini (“Blue Velvet,” “Cousins,” “Wild at Heart,” “Death Becomes Her,” “Fearless,” “Immortal Beloved,” “Crime of the Century”)

1976 – Country Music Association (CMA) Award-winning vocalist and NBC’s “The Voice” coach Blake Shelton

Own a Piece of This Day

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Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

Flashdance (Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture)

Irene Cara, Donna Summer, Michael Sembello and other artists

1812: The War That Forged a Nation

Walter R. Borneman

Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space

Lynn Sherr

Life Itself: A Memoir

Roger Ebert

Cousins

Starring Ted Danson and Isabella Rossellini, and directed by Joel Schumacher

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