On This Day February 20 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1902 – Pioneering photographer and preservationist Ansel Adams (d. 1984) 1927 – Oscar-winning actor-director Sidney Poitier (“Lilies of the Field,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “To Sir, With Love,” “Sneakers,” “The Jackal”) 1946 – Singer-songwriter and guitarist John Warren Geils, Jr., known professionally as J. Geils, frontman for the 80s rockers The J. Geils Band. (d. 2017) 1963 – Retired basketball star Charles Barkley, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History 1966 – Fashion icon, supermodel and entrepreneur Cindy Crawford 1967 – Legendary grunge music pioneer Kurt Cobain, lead singer-songwriter-guitarist of the band Nirvana (d. 1994) 1988 – Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty (“Umbrella,” “We Found Love,” “The Monster”) History Highlights 1792 – President George Washington signs the Postal Act, creating the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). 1895 – American journalist, author, orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass dies at the age of 78. Douglass conferred with President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and recruited northern Black officers for the Union Army. After the War, he fought for the rights of women and African Americans alike. 1962 – John Glenn launches into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard NASA’s Mercury capsule, named Friendship 7, on the first orbital flight by an American astronaut. He completes three Earth orbits in just under five hours, ushering in a new era of spaceflight for the United States. 1965 – Ranger 8 crashes into the moon after a successful mission to photograph possible landing sites for the Apollo program. 1986 – The Soviet Union launches the first components of the Mir space station, which orbits Earth more than 86,000 times before falling harmlessly into the South Pacific near Fiji in March 2001. 1998 – American Tara Lipinski is 15 when she wins the Gold medal in women’s figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, becoming the youngest gold medalist in her sport. 2003 – One hundred people are killed, 230 others are injured when pyrotechnics during a Great White concert at The Station nightclub in Warwick, Rhode Island ignite flammable foam installed as soundproofing. The club burns to the ground in less than three minutes. Musical Milestones 1959 – Legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix is 16 years old when he makes his stage debut during a performance at Temple De Hirsch Sinai synagogue in Seattle. He is fired before the second set begins. 1965 – “This Diamond Ring,” by Gary Lewis & the Playboys, begins a two-week ride atop the Billboard singles chart. 1970 – The single “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On),” by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band, is released in the U.S. Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed the track all in one day, on January 27, 1970, with producer Phil Spector, at the Abbey Road Studios in London. 1982 – The J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” is midway through a six-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100. It is the first single from the band’s “Freeze Frame” album. The music video becomes an early staple of MTV programming. 1988 – “Seasons Change,” by one-hit wonder Exposé, tops the Billboard Hot 100 for a week. 1991 – Actor Jack Nicholson presents Bob Dylan with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 34th Annual Grammys. 1993 – “I Will Always Love You,” by Whitney Houston, enters its 13th week as a No. 1 single. Written by Dolly Parton, the song is from the soundtrack to the movie, “The Bodyguard,” starring Houston and Kevin Costner. 1999 – Monica is in the middle of a four-week run at No. 1 on the pop chart with “Angel of Mine.” 2010 – Kesha dominates the pop chart with “Tik Tok,” which enters its eighth week at No. 1. READ MORE
On this Day July 26 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1928 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning director Stanley Kubrick (“Spartacus,” “Dr. Strangelove,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “A Clockwork Orange,” “The Shining,” “Full Metal jacket,” “Eyes Wide Shut”) (d. 1999) 1943 – Legendary Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger 1945 – Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren (“Prime Suspect,” “Caligula,” “Shadowboxer,” “Elizabeth I,” “The Queen,” “Hitchcock,” “Woman in Gold”) 1956 – Olympic gold medal figure skater Dorothy Hamill 1959 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor-director-producer Kevin Spacey (“Seven,” “The Usual Suspects,” “L.A. Confidential,” “American Beauty,” “House of Cards,” “Elvis & Nixon”), who went on to face multiple accusations of sexual misconduct 1964 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Sandra Bullock (“The Net,” “Speed,” “Miss Congeniality,” “The Blind Side,” “Gravity”) 1965 – Emmy-winning actor Jeremy Piven, best known for his role as Hollywood agent Ari Gold in the TV series and movie “Entourage” 1973 – Actress Kate Beckinsale (“Pearl Harbor,” “Underworld,” “The Aviator,” “Click,” “Total Recall”) History Highlights 1775 – Signed, sealed and delivered. The U.S. Postal Service is established and the Continental Congress appoints Benjamin Franklin as first Postmaster General. 1908 – The Office of the Chief Examiner, later named the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is founded. It begins with a short memo signed by Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte, describing a “regular force of special agents” available to investigate certain cases of the U.S. Department of Justice. 1947 – President Harry Truman signs the National Security Act, creating the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 1964 – Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa is convicted of fraud and conspiracy. The man long suspected of mafia ties serves four years in prison before President Richard Nixon commutes his sentence. 1990 – President George H. W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law, extending civil rights protections to people with disabilities, guaranteeing them equal employment opportunities as well as accessibility to buildings and transportation. Musical Milestones 1952 – Vera Lynn is in the midst of a nine-week ride on top of the Billboard singles survey with “Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart.” 1968 – Motown Records signs the Jackson 5 to a one-year contract. 1969 – Johnny Cash releases the single, “A Boy Named Sue,” which was recorded five months earlier during a performance at California’s San Quentin State Prison. 1975 – Disco anthem “The Hustle,” by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony, boogies its way to the top of the singles chart. 1984 – Movie-goers line up to see the premiere of “Purple Rain,” the semi-autobiographical story of musician Prince. 1986 – Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” off his “So” album, is the No. 1 single. The accompanying music video goes on to capture a record nine awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards. Gabriel also earns three Grammy nominations: Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, Song of the Year and Record of the Year. 1997 – “I’ll Be Missing You,” by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112, tops the Billboard Hot 100. READ MORE
On this Day May 13 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1914 – Former World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis (d. 1981) 1922 – Emmy and Tony-winning actress Bea Arthur (“Maude,” “The Golden Girls”) (d. 2009) 1939 – Actor Harvey Keitel (“Mean Streets,” “Taxi Driver,” “Bad Lieutenant,” “Thelma & Louise,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction”) 1950 – Grammy-winning Motown prodigy Stevie Wonder (“Fingertips – Pt. 2,” “Superstition,” “You Are The Sunshine of My Life,” “Sir Duke,” “Isn’t She Lovely?”) 1961 – Retired NBA star Dennis Rodman 1964 – Comedian, political satirist and CBS “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert 1986 – Actor Robert Pattinson, best known for his role as vampire Edward Cullen in the film adaptations of the “Twilight” novels and as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 2022 movie, “The Batman” History Highlights 1607 – More than 100 English colonists arrive along the west bank of the James River in Virginia to found Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. 1846 – The U.S. Congress overwhelmingly votes in favor of President James Polk’s request to declare war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas. 1958 – A new concept for fastening material sticks as a trademark is registered for Velcro, technically referred to as a “hook and loop fastener.” It’s the brainchild of Swiss engineer George de Mestral. 1981 – Shots ring out in Rome as Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca opens fire on Pope John Paul II when he passes through St. Peter’s Square in an open car. The pontiff is seriously injured, but recovers from his wounds and is released from the hospital three weeks later. 1985 – After a lengthy standoff, Philadelphia police drop a bomb on the row house occupied by the radical group MOVE. The bombing sparks a fire that kills 11 people, including five children, and destroys 61 homes. Musical Milestones 1967 – “The Happening, by The Supremes, tops the singles chart, becoming the Motown trio’s 10th No. 1 hit. 1970 – New York City hosts the premiere of The Beatles’ film “Let It Be.” The movie documents the Fab Four rehearsing and recording songs for their 12th and final studio album of the same name. It includes footage from the famous Apple Records rooftop concert in London — the band’s final public performance. 1972 – Roberta Flack maintains her six-week hold on the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” 1978 – Yvonne Elliman has the hottest single with “If I Can’t Have You,” a song featured in the film “Saturday Night Fever.” 1989 – “I’ll Be There for You,” off Bon Jovi’s “New Jersey” album, is ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 1995 – Montell Jordan lays claim to the top spot on the singles chart with “This Is How We Do It.” 2000 – “Maria Maria,” by Santana featuring The Product G&B, is in the midst of a 10-week ride on top of the Billboard singles chart. 2006 – Rihanna kicks off three weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “SOS.” 2008 – The U.S. Postal Service issues a 42-cent stamp in honor of legendary entertainer Frank Sinatra. READ MORE