On This Day In History

[Bikkie]

1930
First New Zealand-made 'talkie' screened
Coubray-tone news, the work of the inventive Ted Coubray, had its first public screening at Auckland's Plaza Theatre.



In Music History

2021-Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers dies at 78.

2019-Lifetime airs the first installment of the six-part series Surviving R. Kelly, which documents the singer's alleged sex crimes. John Legend is among those speaking out against Kelly in the series.

2017-Janet Jackson gives birth to her first child, a baby boy named Eissa Al Mana, at age 50. The father is the singer's husband, Qatari billionaire Wissam Al Mana.

2014-Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers dies of complications from lung disease at age 74.

2008-Britney Spears suffers from a mental breakdown in Beverly Hills, where she refuses to hand over her sons Jayden James and Sean Preston to their father, Kevin Federline. Britney is eventually taken to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center via ambulance and is admitted as a "special needs" patient.


Britney Spears Gets A Quickie Wedding
2004-Britney Spears marries her childhood friend Jason Alexander (not the actor) at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.

DMB Debuts "I Did It" On Napster
2001-The Dave Matthews Band become the first major artist to release a song on Napster when "I Did It" debuts on the controversial file-sharing platform.

1997-Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm publish an article called "Nitric Oxide And Inflammation: The Answer Is Blowing In The Wind" in the journal Nature Medicine. The article deals with the detection of mucosal inflammation, and while we can't speak to its medical efficacy, it does reveal a trend of biomedical researchers using Bob Dylan song titles and lyrics in their articles. The Swedish scientists had a friendly bet going to see how many Dylan references they could inject into their published work; a later study reveals hundreds of medical articles that had borrowed from Dylan, with the most popular song being "The Times They Are A-Changin'.

1995-Canadian news anchor Byron MacGregor, who reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 with his version of "Americans," dies of complications from pneumonia in Detroit, Michigan, at age 46.

1989-The Arsenio Hall Show debuts in syndication, bringing a spate of contemporary musical acts - including many hip-hop artists - to late night during its five-season run. Highlights include Mariah Carey's national TV debut in 1990, and a 1992 appearance by Bill Clinton, who uses his airtime to win over young voters on this way to the White House.

1987-The second class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is announced, and it includes the first woman: Aretha Franklin. The Coasters, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, Clyde McPhatter, Rick Nelson, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Smokey Robinson, and Jackie Wilson also enter.

1981-David Bowie finishes his Broadway run as the title character in the play The Elephant Man.

1980-Mellow rocker Kurt Vile is born in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.

1980-R&B singer and pianist Amos Milburn dies after a series of strokes in Houston, Texas, at age 52. He is known for the 1953 hit "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer."

1976-American interest in The Bay City Rollers peaks as their song "Saturday Night" hits #1 for one week, which is good enough to get their faces on cereal boxes.

1974-Bob Dylan begins a 6-week tour in Chicago with The Band, who do double duty: backing Dylan and then playing their own set. In July, the double album Before The Flood is released, featuring highlights from the shows.

1970-Davy Jones announces he's leaving The Monkees, essentially dissolving the group, which had dwindled to a duo.

1970-Melody Maker names Al Stewart's Love Chronicles its folk album of the year.

1970-B.J. Thomas' "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" hits #1 in the US for the first of four weeks.

1970-Four days after learning that their movie Let It Be will be released in theaters, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr meet at Abbey Road Studios and record "I Me Mine" for the film and soundtrack.

1967-The Bee Gees set sail from Australia, where they've been living the past nine years, and head to England, the land of their birth, where they arrive five weeks later.

1967-Declaring himself a conscientious objector, The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson refuses to be sworn in after receiving an induction notice from the US Army.

1964-A month before The Beatles make their iconic live debut in the US on the Ed Sullivan Show, Americans get their first look at the Fab Four when Jack Paar shows a film clip of the band performing "She Loves You" on his TV show'

1957-Fats Domino records "I'm Walking."

1956-Elvis Presley plays a show at the Von Theater in Booneville, Mississippi, where he is advertised as "The Folk Music Fireball."

1946-Led Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones is born in Sidcup, Kent, England.

1945-Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield, and later, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, is born in Dallas, Texas. As a solo artist, he has a hit with his 1970 single "Love The One You're With."

1943-Songwriter and musician Van Dyke Parks, known for his work with The Beach Boys, is born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

1926-Beatles producer George Martin is born in London. He signs the group to EMI in 1962 and his expertise as an arranger helps shape the band's unique sound. Upon Martin's death in 2016, Paul McCartney states: "If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George."

1916-Maxene Andrews of The Andrew Sisters is born in Mound, Minnesota, to a family that already includes older sister LaVerne and will welcome younger sister Patty in two years.

1909-Victor Borge - pianist, conductor and comedian - is born Borge Rosenbaum in Copenhagen, Denmark.

1900-Lawyer turned composer Maurice Jaubert is born in Nice, France.

1843-The opera Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti and Giacomo Ruffini premieres in Paris.

[Bikkie]

1869 - Te Kooti is defeated at Ngatapa, Poverty Bay. He and his followers escape, though about 120 are later captured and executed. Te Kooti and his key lieutenants seek sanctuary with Tuhoe in the Urewera Ranges.

1896 - Utah enters the Union as the 45th state of the United States.

1936 - US Billboard magazine prints first popular music chart.

1948 - Burma (now Myanmar) becomes an independent republic.

1951 - North Korean and Communist Chinese forces take Seoul, South Korea.

1958 - Sir Edmund Hillary's team become the first to reach the South Pole overland since Robert Falcon Scott in 1912, and the first to do so in motor vehicles.

1960 - French author Albert Camus dies in a car accident, aged 46.

1964 - Pope Paul VI begins the first visit by a pope to Jerusalem.

1965 - Poet TS Eliot dies, aged 76.

2007 - Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

2010 - The world's tallest building, Dubai's Burj Khalifa, opens.

2016 - Robert Stigwood, Australian impresario who produced the Saturday Night Fever and Grease films and soundtracks, dies aged 81.



In Music History

2020-Mariah Carey becomes the first artist to top the Hot 100 in four different decades when "All I Want For Christmas Is You" stays at #1 for a third week.

2013-Rob Caggiano, longtime lead guitarist for the band Anthrax, announces he's quitting the band. The split is affirmed by all members as amicable, with Caggiano hinting that he'd like to work on other projects.

2013-Sammy Johns, who wrote and recorded "Chevy Van," dies at age 66.

2012-Bryan Ferry, 66, marries Amanda Sheppard, 29. Sheppard dated Ferry's son Isaac for a short time.

2011-Gerry Rafferty, who had a huge solo hit with "Baker Street" and was also a member of Stealers Wheel, dies at age 63.

2011-Grady Chapman of The Robins dies at age 81.

2010-After a concert in Paris, Marilyn Manson (40) proposes to his girlfriend, the actress Evan Rachel Wood (22). She accepts but they never get married and Wood later alleges abuse.

2007-Nikki Bacharach, daughter of popular composer Burt Bacharach and actress Angie Dickinson, commits suicide at age 40 after a lifelong battle with Asperger's syndrome. She was the inspiration for her dad's 1969 song "Nikki."

1991-Nirvana sign with Geffen Records. In September, their album Nevermind is released.

1986-After a long battle with addiction, Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott dies at age 36.

1979-Due to renewed interest in The Beatles, the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, reopens to the public. The club had been an important stepping stone for the band, as they played a residency there early on.

1975-Elton John's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" hits #1 in the US. The Beatles' original, released in 1967 on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, wasn't released as a single.

1973-Neil Young kicks off his Time Fades Away tour in Madison, Wisconsin with Linda Ronstadt his opening act. Ronstadt is used to playing clubs, but wins over crowds at arenas throughout the tour with her mighty pipes. The following year, she releases her breakthrough album Heart Like A Wheel.

1973-The Allman Brothers Band publicly announce Lamar Williams as their replacement for recently deceased bassist Berry Oakley.

1972-Yes releases "Roundabout."

1970-The Who's Keith Moon accidentally runs over his chauffeur, Neil Boland, killing him. Apparently, Moon's car was under attack from some unruly teenagers, and when Boland jumped out to get them to move, Moon, in a panic, got behind the wheel to drive the car away himself. Unfortunately, the crowd had since pushed Boland under the car.

1968-Jimi Hendrix spends the night in a Swedish jail after trashing a hotel room, reportedly during a fight with his bandmate Noel Redding.

1967-The Doors break on through with their eponymous debut album. The Doors is a hit with listeners and critics alike and produces the single "Light My Fire," which quickly hits #1 in the US.

1966-Deana Carter is born in Nashville. Her dad is country guitarist Fred Carter, Jr.

1965-Leo Fender sells Fender Guitars to CBS for $13 million.

1965-Portishead lead singer Beth Gibbons is born in Devon, England.

1965-David Glasper of Breathe is born in Wales.

1964-Bobby Vinton's "There! I've Said It Again" hits #1 in the US for the first of four weeks.

1962-Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins is born in Grangemouth, Scotland.

1962-Peter Steele, the 6' 8" leader of the doom-rock band Type O Negative, is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1960-Marty Robbins' "El Paso" hits #1 in the US despite running a shocking 4:40.

1960-R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe is born in Decatur, Georgia. In 1980, he befriends Peter Buck, a store clerk at Wuxtry Records in nearby Athens who shares his weird taste in music. They quickly bring Mike Mills and Bill Berry into the fold and just one year later release their debut single, "Radio Free Europe."

1957-Louis Jordan records "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out."

1957-Elvis Presley reports for his pre-induction Army physical in Memphis.

1957-On NBC's Steve Allen Show, former heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis introduces the world to singer Solomon Burke, who performs Louis' song "You Can Run, But You Can't Hide."

1957-Patty Loveless is born Patty Lee Ramey in Pikeville, Kentucky. Her professional surname takes inspiration from her former married name, Lovelace.

1956-Bernard Sumner of New Order is born in Manchester, England.

1955-Talk Talk leader Mark Hollis is born in London.

1954-A young truck driver named Elvis Presley pays to record two songs at the Memphis Recording Service. It's his second visit, and this time MRS head Sam Phillips gets his number and later calls him to record for his Sun label.

1946-Arthur Conley, famous for his hit "Sweet Soul Music," is born in Georgia.

1942-Jazz guitarist John McLaughlin is born in Doncaster, England.

1936-Billboard magazine publishes their first "Hit Parade," which ranks songs based on sales and airplay. The first #1: "Stop! Look! Listen!" by Joe Venuti & his Orchestra.

1932-NBC begins airing The Carnation Contented Hour (named for the sponsor, Carnation Milk), which features performances by top musical acts. The show runs for 19 years.

1926-Songwriter Irving Berlin marries Ellin Mackay, heiress to the Postal Telegraph Cable Company. They remain married until her death in 1988.

[Bikkie]

1554- Great fire in Eindhoven, Netherlands
1593 -William Louis of Nassau becomes governor/viceroy of Drenthe
1638- Petition in Recife Brazil leads to closing of their 2 synagogues
1649 -Francesco Cavalli's opera "Giasone" premieres in Venice (the most popular opera of the 17th century)

1836- Davy Crockett arrives in Nacogdoches, Texas, to aid the revolution

Ford's $5 Day
1914- Industrialist Henry Ford announces his $5 minimum per-day wage, doubling most workers pay from $2.40 for a 9hr day to $5 for an 8hr day




In Music History

2019-The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne marries Katy Weaver in his hometown of Oklahoma City. The wedding itself takes place inside a plastic bubble like the one Coyne uses to surf crowds.

2017-Babymetal guitarist Mikio Fujioka dies from injuries resulting from a December 30 fall from an observation deck.

2016-Guns N' Roses confirm that Slash and Duff McKagan, who have not performed with the band since 1993, will join them for their headline set at Coachella. They later announce a full tour with Slash and McKagan.

2015-Good Charlotte's Benji Madden marries actress Cameron Diaz. Nicole Richie and Drew Barrymore are among the bridesmaids.

2010-Record producer Willie Mitchell, who ran Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, dies of a cardiac arrest at age 81.

2009-Sam "The Bluzman" Taylor dies of complications from heart disease in Islandia, New York, at age 74.

2005-Amerie releases "1 Thing."

2005-Danny Sugerman, second manager for The Doors who wrote a number of books about the band, dies of lung cancer at age 50.

2004-Ray Davies of The Kinks is shot in the leg when he pursues two men who snatched his girlfriend's purse. He sings about it on his 2018 track "The Big Guy."

2003-Little Richard guest stars on the "Special Edna" episode of The Simpsons.

Billie Joe Armstrong Arrested For DUI
2003-Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong is arrested for drunk driving in Berkeley, California, after he is caught speeding in his BMW convertible and blows a .18.More

2002-With the Pittsburgh Steelers down 24-7 in a playoff game against the Cleveland Browns, they play "Renegade" by Styx, which fires up the crowd and impels them to a comeback win. The song becomes a regular feature at Steelers home games, played in the second half when the team needs a boost.

1998-Ken Forssi (original bassist for Love) dies of a brain tumor in Tallahassee, Florida, at age 54.

1998-In the Ally McBeal episode "Cro-Magnon," a thirty-something Ally is reminded of her ticking biological clock when she hallucinates a baby dancing to the tune of Blue Swede's "Hooked On A Feeling." By the end of the episode, Ally relents and grooves along with the tot

1998-Sonny Bono (of Sonny & Cher) dies in a skiing accident in Nevada, near South Lake Tahoe, California, at age 62. An advanced skier, he goes off course to do some "tree skiing" when he crashes and dies. His wife and two children are with him on the slopes, but don't witness the accident.

1997-Johnny Cash plays Coyote, Homer Simpson's imaginary guru, on The Simpsons. Coyote tells Homer to buy more material possessions.

1991-Madonna's "Justify My Love," a new song included on her compilation album The Immaculate Collection, goes to #1 in America, her ninth topper on the tally. The song, co-written by Lenny Kravitz, gets a lot of attention thanks to its video, which was banned by MTV and subsequently released on home video.

1981-DJ/producer Deadmau5 is born in Niagara Falls, Canada. His birth name is Joel Zimmerman; he takes the name Deadmau5 (pronounced "Deadmouse") as his chatroom handle after claiming to find a dead mouse in his computer.

1980-"Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang becomes first rap song to hit the Top 40 when it reaches #37 on the chart.

Disco Rules With The Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
1979-The double-album soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever reaches sales of 25 million worldwide, making it the best-selling LP in history.


1979-Jazz double bassist Charlie Mingus dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in Cuernavaca, Mexico, at age 56.

1976-Former Beatles road manager Mal Evans is shot and killed by police in Los Angeles after he brandishes an unloaded rifle (some claim it was an air gun) after becoming despondent.

1975-The Wiz premieres at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway. An adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with an all-black cast, it stars future disco diva Stephanie Mills ("Never Knew Love") as Dorothy. In 1978, the production is turned into a movie starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.

1974-Bruce Springsteen performs "Rosalita" for the first time at a concert at Joe's Place in Boston. The song becomes a live favorite that Bruce often plays as an encore.

1974-The Carpenters' compilation album The Singles 1969-1973 hits #1.

1969-Marilyn Manson is born Brian Hugh Warner in Canton, Ohio. Contrary to the urban myth, Warner does not start his entertainment career playing Paul on The Wonder Years (that would be Josh Saviano). After a stint as a music journalist, he teams up with guitarist Scott "Daisy Berkowitz" Putesky and reinvents himself as Marilyn Manson i

1968-Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits album is certified gold.

1967-In order to avoid the draft, folk singer Jesse Winchester moves to Canada.

1966-Kate Schellenbach (drummer for Luscious Jackson) is born in New York City, New York.

1965-The Supremes record "Stop! In The Name Of Love" at Motown studios in Detroit. Soon after, they embark on the first Motown revue tour in Europe.

1963-Leonard Chess, co-founder of Chess records, tells Billboard magazine, "As it stands today, there's virtually no difference between rock and roll, pop and rhythm and blues. The music has completely overlapped."

1963-Grant Young (drummer for Soul Asylum) is born in Iowa City, Iowa.

1960-Phil Thornalley, "Torn" songwriter and producer of The Cure's Pornography album, is born in Worlington, near Mildenhall, Suffolk, England.

1950-Chris Stein (guitarist for Blondie) is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1949-George "Funky" Brown (drummer for Kool & the Gang) is born in Jersey City, New Jersey.

1941-Carmen Miranda records "Chica Chica Boom Chic."

1940-The FCC hears the first demonstration of FM radio.

1932-Blues singer Johnny Adams, known for the '60s hits "Release Me" and "Reconsider Me," is born Laten John Adams in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1929-R&B singer Wilbert Harrison - who wrote the 1962 hit "Let's Stick Together," later known as "Let's Work Together" by Canned Heat - is born in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1923-Record producer Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records (which launched careers for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash), is born in Florence, Alabama.

1875-Paris' Palais Garnier, one of the most famous opera houses in the world, is inaugurated. Fourteen years previously, Parisian workers attempting to lay the concrete foundations of the opera house uncovered a vast swampy lake. That lake swirling beneath the building and its surrounding cellars inspire Gaston Leroux to write The Phantom of the Opera in 1910.

1649-The opera Giasone by Francesco Cavalli premieres in Venice.