Archives

On this Day June 20

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1909 – Australian actor Errol Flynn, best known for his romantic swashbuckler movie roles (d. 1959)

1924 – Grammy-winning country music (“Nashville sound”) guitarist Chet Atkins (d. 2001)

1931 – Actor Martin Landau (“Mission: Impossible,” “Space: 1999,” “Tucker: The Man and His Dream,” “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” “Ed Wood,” “The X Files,” “The Majestic”) (d. 2017)

1933 – Emmy-winning actor Danny Aiello (“The Godfather: Part II,” “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” “Do The Right Thing,” “Moonstruck”)

1942 – Grammy-winning Beach Boys founder and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Brian Wilson

1945 – Grammy-winning pop-country vocalist Anne Murray (“Snowbird,” “I Just Fall in Love Again”)

1949 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and former Commodores front man Lionel Richie (“Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” “Still,” “Truly”)

1952 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor-comedian John Goodman (“Roseanne,” “Raising Arizona,” “The Babe,” “The Flintstones,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Monster’s Inc.,” “Argo,” “Flight,” “Treme,” “10 Cloverfield Lane”)

1967 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress-producer Nicole Kidman (“Dead Calm,” “Days of Thunder,” “Far and Away,” “Batman Forever,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Moulin Rouge!”, “The Interpreter,” “Australia,” “The Hours,” “Rabbit Hole”)

History Highlights

1948 – Ed Sullivan’s long-running variety show, “Toast of the Town,” premieres and is later renamed “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

1963 – After reaching the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. and Soviet Union agree to set up a telecommunications link to prevent a nuclear catastrophe.

1967 – Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali is convicted of draft evasion and sentenced to five years in prison. The U.S. Supreme Court later overturns the conviction on religious grounds.

1975 – Director Steven Spielberg’s movie “Jaws” opens in U.S. theaters, terrifying millions of beachgoers with its tale of a menacing, man-eating great white shark. “Jaws” sets the standard for the summer blockbuster, becoming the first motion picture to gross over $100 million at the box office. It was the highest grossing movie of all time until “Star Wars” was released two years later.

1977 – The U.S. achieves an energy industry milestone, as oil begins to flow through the Trans Alaska Pipeline.

1980 – After premiering in Chicago days earlier, “The Blues Brothers,” starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, opens in movie theaters nationwide.

Musical Milestones

1969 – David Bowie records “Space Oddity” at Trident Studios in London. It becomes one of his signature songs and eventually climbs to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1969 – Newport ’69, also known as the Newport Pop Festival, opens in California and kicks off the era of the rock-pop festival. It’s the first of seven events that year. Acts include Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, The Rascals, CCR, Ike & Tina Turner and Joe Cocker.

1981 – The medley “Stars on 45,” by the Dutch novelty band Stars on 45, is No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart.

1987 – “Head to Toe,” by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, is the most popular single in the U.S.

1992 – Mariah Carey’s cover of The Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track is on her “MTV Unplugged” live EP.

2000 – The Ronettes are awarded $2.6 million in back earnings from Phil Spector. New York judge Paula Omansky ruled that the legendary producer had cheated them out of royalties.

2009 – The Black Eyed Peas own the top spot on the singles chart with “Boom Boom Pow.”

READ MORE