On This Day In History

[Bikkie]

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1770
Cook sights Banks 'Island'
Lieutenant James Cook sighted Banks Peninsula from the Endeavour. The following day he decided it was an island, which he named for the expedition's botanist, Joseph Banks.


The Mikhail Lermontov sinking in the Marlborough Sounds
1986
Sinking of the Mikhail Lermontov
At 5.37 p.m. on 16 February 1986, the Soviet cruise liner Mikhail Lermontov hit rocks off Cape Jackson in the Marlborough Sounds.



In Music History

2024-Crunk pioneer Lil Jon releases an album of guided meditations where he answers his famous question, Turn down for what?: "To hear the voice within."

2021-Lauryn Hill's 1998 album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is certified Diamond for 10 million sales in America, making her the first female hip-hop artist to earn that certification.

2015-Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea breaks his arm in five places in a gnarly snowboarding accident.More

2015-Lesley Gore, known for the '60s pop hit "It's My Party," dies of lung cancer at age 68.

2013-Guitarist Stanley "Goober Grin" Knight (of Black Oak Arkansas) dies of cancer at age 64.

2011-Rod Stewart, 66, becomes a father for the eighth time when his son Aiden is born.

2011-Lady GaGa's "Born This Way" makes history, becoming the Billboard Hot 100 chart's 1000th number one. "It is a tremendous honor," GaGa tells Billboard. "To be the 1000th number one on Billboard. I would be silly not to say this is the greatest honor of my career."

2007-Britney Spears shaves her head at a hair salon, then gets some fresh ink at a tattoo parlor. It's the beginning of a public meltdown for Spears, who filed for divorce from Kevin Federline months earlier and is negotiating custody arrangements for their two children.

2004-Doris Troy, who wrote and recorded "Just One Look," dies at age 67.

2002-Billy Ward of the vocal group Billy Ward and his Dominoes dies at age 80.

2001-Country singer Andy Griggs is arrested just before 3 a.m. after taking a joy ride in an ambulance. Griggs and band member Kevin Weaver come upon the vehicle, with keys inside, in the parking lot of a Tallahassee area Days Inn, where they are on a tour stopover. The men take the ambulance for a short ride and return to the lot, where police charge them with grand theft auto. Griggs and Weaver are released after posting $1,000 bail each.

1999-Robbie Williams wins three Brit Awards, taking the trophies for Best Male British Solo Artist, Best British Single ("Angels") and Best British Video ("Millenium"). The Corrs take the trophy for Best International Group and perform "Runaway" and "Haste to the Wedding" at the ceremony.

1999-Aretha Franklin responds to a story in the Detroit Free Press claiming that 30 lawsuits have been filed against her seeking payment, calling it "malicious and vicious." Franklin, who handles business affairs herself, refuses to use a manager.

1998-At the Brit Awards, Chumbawamba drummer Danbert Nobacon dumps a bucket of ice water on UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. Of his stunt, the musician says, "It's a metaphor for the underdog pissing on the steps of Downing Street."

1997-Michael Jackson sings "Elizabeth I Love You," which he wrote for the actress Elizabeth Taylor, at her 65th birthday celebration. The event airs on ABC on February 25th.

1996-Folk singer Walter "Brownie" McGhee dies of stomach cancer at age 80.

1996-With his band Bush on tour in New Orleans, Gavin Rossdale throws a party, hoping to connect with the frontwoman for their opening act, Gwen Stefani of No Doubt. His plan works perfectly: the couple share their first kiss amid the Mardi Gras revelry, and find they still like each other the next day. They get married in 2002, but split up in 2015.

1994-Ava Max is born Amanda Koçi in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The singer revives dance-pop on the sleepy Billboard Hot 100 when she drops "Sweet But Psycho" in 2018.

1993-The Faces reunite at the BRIT Awards, where Rod Stewart receives a lifetime achievement award. Bill Wyman replaces original Faces bass player Ronnie Lane, who has multiple sclerosis.

1993-Lynyrd Skynyrd release The Last Rebel, the band's seventh album, on which Kurt Custer appears for his first time and guitarist Randall Hall for his last.

1991- Do The Bartman by The Simpsons topped the UK singles chart, co-written by Michael Jackson.

1990-The Weeknd is born Abel Tesfaye in Toronto.

1990-Ike Turner is sentenced to four years in prison on eleven separate charges, including possession and transport of cocaine. In prison when he and ex-wife Tina are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he is released after serving eighteen months.

1990-The day before he turns 18, Billie Joe Armstrong drops out of high school. A week later, he releases the first album with his band Green Day: 39/Smooth.

1985- Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. reached the top of the UK album chart, becoming one of his most successful albums.

1979- George Harrison released the single Blow Away, continuing his solo success post-Beatles.

1978-The film ABBA: The Movie has its UK premiere at Leicester Square's Warner Theatre.

1975-Cher, who starred with her husband Sonny Bono in The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour from 1971-1974, gets her own show when Cher premieres on CBS. The first guests are Elton John, Bette Midler and Flip Wilson.

Bob Dylan Finally Lands A #1 Album
1974-Planet Waves becomes the first Bob Dylan album to reach #1 in the US.

1972-Rick Nelson begins his first British tour.

1972- Chuck Berry performed with John Lennon and Yoko Ono on The Mike Douglas Show, a rare collaboration between rock legends.

1972-Doing a week-long stint as guest host of the Mike Douglas Show, John Lennon performs "Memphis" and "Johnny B. Goode" with Chuck Berry, whom Lennon refers to as "my hero."

1971-Aretha Franklin records "Spanish Harlem."

1968-Elvis Presley received a gold record for How Great Thou Art, highlighting his gospel music achievements.

1964-The Beatles' performance at the Deauville Hotel's Mau Mau Club in Miami Beach, Florida, is broadcast live on the Ed Sullivan Show. A week earlier, the group made their historic first appearance on Sullivan's show at his New York studio.

1963-Paul Anka marries the fashion model Anne de Zogheb. They have five daughters together before divorcing in 2001.

1962- Darius Milhaud's 12th Symphony premiered, reflecting modernist trends in orchestral composition.

1961-Andy Taylor (guitarist for Duran Duran) is born in Cullercoats, Northumberland, England. He later joins supergroup The Power Station while Duran Duran are on hiatus. The success of his new venture persuades him to leave the band he helped form as a teenager.

1958-Ice-T (Tracy Marrow) is born in Newark, New Jersey. He takes his stage name in honor of a notorious poet/pimp named Iceberg Slim.

1957-Tab Hunter's "Young Love" begins a six-week run at #1 in America.

1957-The Six-Five Special, Britain's first pop music program, debuts on the BBC.

1955-Elvis Presley plays at the Odessa Senior High School in Odessa, Texas. A young Roy Orbison is in the audience.

1952-James Ingram is born in Akron, Ohio.

1949-Lyn Paul of The New Seekers is born Lynda Susan Belcher in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England.

1947- Morton Gould's 3rd Symphony premiered, contributing to mid-20th-century American classical music.

1942-Shep Fields and His Orchestra record "Jersey Bounce."

1935-Sonny Bono is born in Detroit. He finds success as a producer and record executive before marrying Cher, with whom he forms the duo Sonny & Cher. He is elected to Congress in California, where he serves until the time of his death.

1934-Herbie and Harold Kalin (of the pop duo Kalin Twins) are born in Port Jervis, New York.

1931-Otis Blackwell, composer of the seminal rock 'n roll tunes "Great Balls of Fire" and "All Shook Up," and the R&B sizzler "Fever," is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1927- Franz Lehár's operetta Der Zarewitsch, starring Richard Tauber, premiered in Berlin.

1918-Patty Andrews (lead singer of The Andrews Sisters) is born in Mound, Minnesota.

1916-Bill Doggett, composer of the hit R&B instrumental "Honky Tonk," is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1901-Orchestra leader Wayne King, who has a #1 hit with "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" in 1931, is born in Savanna, Illinois.

1854- Franz Liszt's symphony Orpheus premiered, showcasing his innovative orchestral style.

1892:- Jules Massenet's opera Werther debuted in Vienna, adding a significant work to the Romantic opera repertoire.

[Bikkie]

1873
'The Russians are coming!'
On 17 February 1873, Aucklanders awoke to the alarming news that a Russian warship had entered Waitematā Harbour undetected and landed troops.

Thomas Jefferson Elected US President
1801 US House of Representatives breaks electoral college tie by electing Thomas Jefferson as President over Aaron Burr

1864 -Confederate submarine CSS H.L. Hunley sinks Union ship USS Housatonic at Charleston, South Carolina in the world's first successful submarine attack; crews of both vessels were killed [1]

1865 -18] Battle of Charleston, South Carolina
Burning of Columbia, South Carolina
1865- Union forces led by William T. Sherman capture the state capital of Columbia, South Carolina. The city is ablaze by nightfall, fanned by high winds devastating much of the city. It is not known which side started the fires.

1876- Sardines first canned by Julius Wolff in Eastport, Maine

1878- 1st telephone exchange in San Francisco, California opens with 18 phones



In Music History

2014-Bob Casale (rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for Devo) dies of heart failure at age 61.

2013-Country singer Mindy McCready dies of a self-inflicted gunshot at age 37.

2010-Mumford & Sons make their US TV debut on The Late Show with David Letterman.

2006-Ray Barretto, whose 1968 album Acid became a Latin jazz classic, dies at age 76.

2015-"Because I Got High" singer Afroman is arrested for assault after punching a female fan who attempts to dance with him on stage at a show in Biloxi, Mississippi. Afroman, who doesn't see the woman until he turns around to clock her, blames his anxiety and says that he hadn't had time to take his meds when he went on stage.

2005-With Tommy Lee back in the band for the first time in five years, Mötley Crüe begin their Red, White & Crüe tour in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It's a circus theme, with clowns, fire-eaters and acrobats. For his drum solo, Tommy Lee and his rig go up on a trapeze and he performs from 30 feet in the air.

2004-The Darkness win Brit Awards for Best British group, Best British Rock Act and Best British Album (Permission to Land). Busted wins for the British Breakthrough Award and takes Best Pop Act.

2001-Shaggy's album Hot Shot hits #1 in America, where it goes on to sell over 6 million copies. The most popular track is "It Wasn't Me," where Shaggy (in character) explains how deny it when caught cheating.

2001-Brad Paisley joins the cast of the Grand Ole Opry.

1998-Songwriter Bob Merrill commits suicide aged 76. His compositions include the #1 UK hits "(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window?" and "She Wears Red Feathers (And A Huly-Huly Skirt)."

1998-After a failed run on Elektra Records, Destiny's Child release their self-titled debut album on Columbia. The first single, "No, No, No," is a hit and introduces their crisp, punctuated vocal style.

1998-Ani DiFranco fascination peaks as the singer ships 250,000 copies of her latest album on her own label, Righteous Babe Records. DiFranco's DIY business model has earned her a great deal of media coverage, as it proves that an artist doesn't need a major label to succeed.

1997-ABC airs Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees, a one-hour comedy special written and directed by original Monkee Mike Nesmith. From their '60s pad, the group recalls their old shenanigans and sings a medley of their classic hits: "Last Train To Clarksville," "Daydream Believer," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "I'm A Believer" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday."

1995-25 years after agreeing to sing at Marcia Brady's prom, Davy Jones reunites with the Bradys... sort of. Jones and fellow Monkees Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz appear in the spoof The Brady Bunch Movie. Jones performs at the prom again, singing a grungy rendition of "Girl," the same song he sang on the TV show.

1992-Shakespears Sister release their second album, Hormonally Yours. Initially based on a B-movie called Cat-Women Of The Moon, it produces a huge hit with "Stay," a sci-fi single that spends eight weeks at #1 in the UK.

1991-Ed Sheeran is born in West Yorkshire, England. He breaks through in 2011 with "The A-Team," written about a drug-addicted prostitute he met while performing at a charity event for a homeless shelter.

1990-Aerosmith appear on Saturday Night Live, performing "Monkey on My Back" and "Janie's Got A Gun," and also appearing in a Wayne's World skit where Tom Hanks plays their roadie.

1990-Emma Anderson admits in an interview that her band Lush is the "Most hated band in London."

1984-The musical drama Footloose opens in theaters with a soundtrack featuring Kenny Loggins, Deniece Williams, and Sammy Hagar. Two songs from the movie - "Footloose" and "Let's Hear it For the Boy" - go to #1 in America.

1982-Jazz great Thelonious Monk dies at age 64.

1981-Eric Clapton releases his seventh solo album, Another Ticket. The first version was rejected by his record company so Clapton started over with a new producer (Tom Dowd) and wrote new songs, including the hit single "I Can't Stand It."

1981-Paris Hilton is born in New York City. An heir to the Hilton Hotels empire, she becomes famous as a socialite and reality TV star, then moves into music with the 2006 single "Stars Are Blind," which charts worldwide.

1979 – The Clash began their first U.S. tour at The Palladium in New York City.

Kate Bush Releases Debut Album
1978-Kate Bush, a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Britain, releases her debut album, The Kick Inside. The collection of art pop features the #1 UK hit single "Wuthering Heights."

Eagles Release The Greatest Of Greatest Hits Albums
1976-The Eagles release Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), a collection of 10 songs from their first four albums. It becomes the top-selling album in US history.

1975 – John Lennon released Rock n’ Roll, his last record before a five-year hiatus from music.

1974-Country singer Bryan White is born in Oklahoma.

1973-Free play their final live gig in Hollywood, Florida, as Simon Kirke and Paul Rodgers leave to form Bad Company.1972 – Pink Floyd premiered The Dark Side of the Moon during a four-night stand in London, a year before its official release.

1972-Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is born in Oakland, California. He is raised in nearby Rodeo, where he records his first song at age 5.

1972-Pink Floyd perform "Eclipse" at the Rainbow Theatre in London. A year later, this music becomes the Dark Side Of The Moon album.

1971-James Taylor makes his TV debut, performing "Sweet Baby James," "Fire and Rain" and "Country Road" on The Johnny Cash Show.

1970-Bee Gee Maurice Gibb opens in the London stage musical Sing A Rude Song.

1969-Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash record some duets in Nashville, with "Girl From The North Country" eventually ending up on Dylan's Nashville Skyline album, for which Cash writes liner notes.

1969-Country singer Jon Randall is born in Dallas, Texas. He debuts in 1995 with the album What You Don't Know and co-writes the Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss duet "Whiskey Lullaby" in 2003.

1966-Brian Wilson begins recording The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations."

1965-"Tennessee Waltz" is declared the eponymous state's official song.

1965-Samuel Bayer, who directs the videos for Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Blind Melon's "No Rain," is born in Syracuse, New York.

1964-The first Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass concert is held in Los Angeles.

1960-After a string of hits on Cadence Records, The Everly Brothers sign a 10-year contract with Warner Bros. Records which is reported at $1 million, a number likely inflated for publicity purposes.

1955 – Little Richard sent his first audition tape to Specialty Records, marking the start of his influential rock and roll career.

1950-Rickey Medlocke, Lynyrd Skynyrd member and frontman of the band Blackfoot, is born in Jacksonville, Florida. He is inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

1946-Dodie Stevens is born Geraldine Ann Pasquale in Chicago, Illinois. By the time she's 13, she has her first hit with "Pink Shoe Laces."

1940-Gene Pitney is born in Hartford, Connecticut. He has a string of hits in the '60s, including "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" and "Only Love Can Break A Heart."

1935-Country singer Johnny Bush is born in Houston, Texas. He writes "Whiskey River," which becomes a signature tune for Willie Nelson.

1933-Rock 'n Roll singer Bobby Lewis, known for his hit "Tossin' And Turnin'," is born in Indianapolis, Indiana.

1922-Tommy Edwards ("It's All In The Game") is born in Richmond, Virginia.

1904 – Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly premiered at La Scala in Milan.

[Bikkie]

"1957
New Zealand's last execution
Walter Bolton, a 68-year-old Whanganui farmer, became the last person executed in New Zealand.


Ngaio Marsh
1982
'Queen of Crime' Ngaio Marsh dies
Ngaio Marsh, one of the 'Queens of Crime' in the 1920s and 1930s, died just weeks after submitting her 32nd detective novel, Light thickens, to her publishers. She was also an artist, playwright, actor and director.


In Music History

2017-Clyde Stubblefield, the funky drummer who played on many tracks for James Brown, dies at age 73.

2016-The #FreeKesha campaign heats up after pop singer Kesha loses a preliminary injunction during an 18-month legal battle with producer Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald).

2012-"Call Me Maybe," a catchy pop song from Canadian Idol alumna Carly Rae Jepsen, goes viral via a YouTube lip dub video by Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. The attention helps send the single to #1.

Brit Awards Reach Peak Duffy
2009-Duffy is the big winner at the Brit Awards, taking Album of the Year for Rockferry along with gongs for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act, beating out Adele in those two categories.

2006-Bill Cowsill of The Cowsills dies at age 58.

2006- The Rolling Stones performed a free concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, attracting over 1 million attendees.

2003-The Rolling Stones bring some local flavor to the Australian leg of their Licks world tour, bringing Jet as the opening act. The first show in the country takes place at the Enmore Theater in Sydney. Jet had to fly back from Los Angeles, where they were recording their debut album, Get Born, to take advantage of the opportunity.

2001-James Taylor marries his longtime girlfriend Kim Smedvig at a small ceremony in Boston. It's Taylor's third wedding, and later in 2001 the couple have twin boys through a surrogate mother.

1999-Pop-star-turned-disc-jockey Bob Geldof, organizer of Live Aid, wins substantial but undisclosed damages from The Sun newspaper in London in a libel case over a story that falsely alleged he had "groped, fondled and kissed" a nightclub stripper.

1998-Robert Smith of The Cure battles Barbra Streisand on the show South Park.

1995-Denny Cordell, who produced Tom Petty & The Hearbreakers, The Moody Blues, and Procol Harum, dies in Dublin of lymphoma, aged 51.

1995-Bob Stinson (lead guitarist for The Replacements) dies at age 35 after years of drug and alcohol abuse takes its toll on his health.

1994-Ricky Martin makes his first appearance on the soap opera General Hospital, playing a singer named Miguel Morez. His story arc lasts six episodes.

1990-At the BRIT Awards in London, Queen collect the BPI award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. It is Freddie Mercury's last public appearance with the band, as he dies the following year.

1989- Bobby Brown’s Don’t Be Cruel returned to No.1 on the US Billboard 200, and Fine Young Cannibals’ The Raw & the Cooked reached No.1 in the UK.

1987- Prince released the song Sign O’ The Times, a critically acclaimed track that showcased his innovative style.

1984--Simple Minds’ album Sparkle in the Rain topped the UK charts.

1978- ABBA’s Take a Chance on Me reached No.1 on the UK Singles Chart.

1977-Fela Kuti's residence is sacked by nearly a thousand soldiers, inspiring his song "Zombie."

1977-Kiss play Madison Square Garden (in their hometown, New York City) for the first time.

1974- KISS released their self-titled debut album, marking the start of their theatrical rock career.

1973-At Elvis Presley's concert in Las Vegas, four men climb on stage and try to shake his hand. They are quickly thwarted by security and Elvis' bass player Jerry Scheff. Elvis tells the crowd, "Immobilize the men using karate moves." No charges are filed. Elvis tells the audience: "I'm sorry I didn't break his goddamned neck, is what I'm sorry about."

1973-The nationally syndicated radio concert series The King Biscuit Flower Hour premieres, featuring Blood, Sweat & Tears, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

1972-Neil Young's album Harvest is certified Gold.

1969-The Bee Gees' Maurice Gibb, 19, marries the 20-year-old singing sensation Lulu in Buckinghamshire, England. They separate in 1973.

1968-Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, along with their female companions, head to Rishikesh, India, to join the other two members of The Beatles in studying under the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

1967-The Buckinghams' "Kind of a Drag" hits #1 in America for the first of two weeks.

1966: Brian Wilson began recording Good Vibrations with The Beach Boys, a groundbreaking production that took over 90 hours of studio work and later became a classic, influencing countless art.

1965-The Beatles' publishing company, Northern Songs, is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

1965-Dr. Dre is born Andre Romelle Young in Compton, California. He becomes a member of the controversial rap group N.W.A. and co-founds the hot LA rap label Death Row Records, which boasts Tupac Shakur as its star artist.

1964-The Beatles meet Muhammad Ali (known at the time as Cassius Clay) when they are visiting Miami.

1962- The Everly Brothers performed Jezebel and Crying in the Rain on The Ed Sullivan Show while on weekend leave from the US Marine Corps Reserve.

1959-Ray Charles records "What'd I Say," a song he came up with by improvising at concerts, at Atlantic Records studios in New York City.

1959-While on leave from the US Army in Paris, Elvis Presley visits the famous Lido Club, performing an impromptu show there.

1956-Kay Starr's "Rock and Roll Waltz" hits #1 for the first of six weeks.

1956-Composer Gustave Charpentier, known for the opera Louise, dies in Paris at 95.

1955- Ruby Murray’s English rendition of Softly, Softly reached No.1 in the UK.

1953-Little River Band drummer Derek Pellicci is born in London.

1953-Robbie Bachman (original drummer for Bachman-Turner Overdrive) is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

1952-Pop/country singer Juice Newton is born Judy Kay Newton in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

1948-Keith Knudsen (drummer for The Doobie Brothers) is born in Le Mars, Iowa.

1947-Styx founder Dennis DeYoung is born in Chicago, where his neighbors are future bandmates Chuck and John Panozzo.

1941-Soul singer Irma Thomas is born in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. Her first single, "(You Can Have My Husband but) Don't Mess with My Man," lands at #22 on the R&B chart in 1959.

1941-Herman Santiago (of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers) is born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in Manhattan, New York.

1938-Bob Hope's film The Big Broadcast of 1938 debuts in New York. The film introduces Hope's signature song, "Thanks For The Memory."

1934-Rock guitarist Clyde "Skip" Battin (of Skip and Flip) is born in Gallipolis, Ohio.

1933-Yoko Ono is born in Tokyo, Japan. She becomes an artist in New York City's downtown scene and meets future husband John Lennon at one of her exhibits in the mid-'60s.

1927-The "first great voice of the air," Jessica Dragonette, makes her radio debut on Cities Service Concerts.

1914-Country singer Pee Wee King, co-writer of "Tennessee Waltz," is born Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski in Abrams, Wisconsin.

1735- First opera performed in America, "Flora," in Charleston, South Carolina'

[Bikkie]

1938
Kōpuawhara flood kills 21
Twenty men and one woman drowned when a cloudburst sent a wall of water surging through a public works camp in the Kōpuawhara Valley, near Māhia.


In Music History

2022-Gary Brooker, the lead singer, piano player, and songwriter for Procol Harum, dies of cancer at 76.

2020-The rapper Pop Smoke is shot and killed at age 20. Five months later, his debut album, Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, is released and goes to #1 in the US.

2020-In a promotion for Buffalo Wild Wings, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony announce they have changed their name to Boneless Thugs-N-Harmony because they love the restaurant's boneless wings.

2017-Jazz guitarist Larry Coryell dies at age 73.

2009-Kelly Groucutt of Electric Light Orchestra dies of a heart attack at age 63.

2008-Jazz musician Teo Macero dies at age 82.

2008-Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, self-released a year earlier, is issued on Jagjaguwar Records. An embodiment of indie rock, it gets lots of attention and leads to a collaboration with Kanye West on this 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

2005-Good Charlotte's "I Just Wanna Live" peaks at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100.

2004-Pink introduces an aerial routine into her repertoire when she sings "Get The Party Started" while swinging from silk ropes at her Dublin show to kick off her Try This tour. The aerials become a hallmark of her shows and get more elaborate as she improves her skills. She does some aerial acrobatics while singing at the Grammy Awards in 2010 and again in 2014.

2003-Johnny Paycheck dies of respiratory failure at age 64. His most famous song: "Take This Job and Shove It."

2002-Ten months after his death, Joey Ramone's only solo album, Don't Worry About Me, is released. He worked on it at the end of his life while battling lymphoma.

2001-French singer Charles Trenet dies at age 87.

1998-With Brian Setzer leading the swing revival at the helm of The Brian Setzer Orchestra, he reunites Stray Cats for a show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, with proceeds going to the Carl Perkins Center For The Prevention Of Child Abuse.

1998-Grandpa Jones, famous for his banjo performances and appearances on Hee Haw, dies at age 84.

1998-Country singer Lorrie Morgan denies a Star magazine report that she had "a wild ride in the back seat of a limousine with President Bill Clinton." Her statement reads: "The only accurate information in the article with regard to my relationship with President Clinton was that I joined him onstage for the Christmas tree lighting in Washington - I have never met with him in a private situation."

1996-For Presidents' Day, the rock band Presidents Of The United States Of America play a show at Mount Rushmore that's broadcast by MTV. It's hosted by the presidential MTV VJ, Kennedy.

1996-Annie Lennox extends her record for most Brit Awards in the category Best Female Artist when she wins for the sixth time, this one for her work on her second solo album, Medussa.

1996-Brian Eno wins for Best Producer at the BRIT Awards. He won the same award in 1994.

1996-During Michael Jackson's performance of "Earth Song" at the 1996 BRIT Awards, Jarvis Cocker of the band Pulp jumps on stage and makes demeaning gestures toward Jackson. Cocker says he did it because Jackson was "pretending to be Jesus."

1995-Baywatch's Pamela Anderson marries Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee on a Cancun beach. The bride wears a white bikini.

1995-Roxette become just the second Western pop act to play a public concert in China when they perform in a Beijing celebration of the Chinese New Year. To appease censors, the duo changes the lyrics of their song "Making Love to You" to "Making Up to You." Wham! was the first act to break this barrier, with a show in 1984.

1994-Their acoustic cover of "Because The Night" from MTV Unplugged becomes by far the biggest hit for 10,000 Maniacs when it peaks at #11 in the US. Natalie Merchant left six months earlier - the MTV performance was one of her last with the group.

1987-At the Palomino Club in Hollywood, John Fogerty, Bob Dylan and George Harrison are in the audience for a Taj Mahal concert. When Taj calls them onstage, Dylan goads Fogerty into playing "Proud Mary" by saying that if he doesn't, everyone will think it's a Tina Turner song.

1985-Mick Jagger releases his first solo album, She's The Boss.

1983-The Patti Austin and James Ingram duet "Baby, Come To Me" hits #1 in America. The song is written by Michael Jackson hitmaker Rod Temperton, composer of "Thriller" and "Off The Wall."

That's Not a Toilet, Ozzy!
1982-Ozzy Osbourne urinates on a statue near the Alamo, desecrating a Texas landmark.

1981-The Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto is born Mary Beth Patterson in Judsonia, Arkansas.

1981-Phil Collins releases his debut solo album, Face Value.

1981-ABKCO Music, owner of the publishing rights to the Chiffons hit "He's So Fine," is awarded $587,000 from George Harrison, who was found guilty of subconsciously plagiarizing the song in his composition "My Sweet Lord."

Bon Scott Dies After A Night Of Excessive Drinking
1980-AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott dies after a night of heavy drinking. The coroner's report lists "acute alcohol poisoning" as the cause of death, classified under "death by misadventure."

1980- Following Bon Scott’s death, AC/DC began recording Back in Black with Brian Johnson.

1977-Natalie Cole wins the Best R&B Female Vocal Performance Grammy for "Sophisticated Lady." Barry Manilow wins Song of the Year for "I Write The Songs."

1977-Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded By The Light" hits #1 in the US. It is the only Springsteen song ever to top the chart.

1976-Tower of Power lead singer Rick Stevens is arrested after killing three men in a botched drug deal. He is found guilty and initially sentenced to death, but given a life sentence when the death penalty is ruled unconstitutional in California. He is released 36 years later, and in 2016 joins Tower of Power to play a prison concert.

1976-Donna Summer's lascivious "Love To Love You Baby" is certified Gold.

1974-The First Annual American Music Awards, Dick Clark's answer to the Grammys, is broadcast on ABC. Hosts include Smokey Robinson, Helen Reddy and Roger Miller.

1972-Sammy Davis Jr. appears on the TV show All In The Family in an episode where he famously plants a kiss on the bigoted character Archie Bunker.

1972-Nilsson's "Without You" hits #1 in America, where it will stay four weeks.

1972-The BBC bans Paul McCartney's "Give Ireland Back To The Irish."

1971-In London's Royal Courts of Justice, Paul McCartney's lawsuit against his fellow ex-Beatles begins. McCartney's suit seeks to remove Allen Klein as manager of the group's financial affairs.

1970-Monkees songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart appear on the Bewitched episode "Serena Stops The Show."

1968-Gerry Marsden (of Gerry and the Pacemakers fame) begins a 3 1/2 year run in the stage production of Charlie Girl in London's West End

1966-Lou Christie electrifies the charts when "Lightnin' Strikes" hits #1.

1965-Rod Stewart plays his first major gig in a Harrow, England club, singing with his band, The Soul Agents.

1964-Simon and Garfunkel record "The Sound Of Silence," which is later overdubbed with electric instruments by producer Tom Wilson. This version is released as a single and shoots to #1 in America, launching the career of the duo.

1963-Seal (real name: Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel) is born in Paddington, England.

1963- The Beatles began their first UK tour, marking a turning point in their rise to fame.

1958- The Miracles signed with Chess Records before becoming Motown superstars.

1958-The Miracles release "Got a Job."

1958-Carl Perkins leaves Sun Records to sign with the Columbia label as their first rockabilly artist. The second is Johnny Cash.

1956-Dave Wakeling of General Public and The English Beat is born in Birmingham, England.

1956-The Platters record "Magic Touch."

1956-The Five Satins record "In The Still Of The Nite" in the basement of Saint Bernadette Church in New Haven, Connecticut.

1955-Jeff Daniels is born in Athens, Georgia. Best known as an actor, he also releases several albums as a musician.

1954-Francis Buchholz (bass guitarist for Scorpions) is born in Hannover, Germany.

1952-Seventeen-year-old Gene Vincent, still known by his real name Vincent Craddock, enters the US Navy.

1951-Alan Merrill is born in New York City. Moving to England, he forms The Arrows, who do the original version of "I Love Rock And Roll."

1950-Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash is born in London.

1949-John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen" hits #1 on the R&B chart.

1949-Eddie Hardin of The Spencer Davis Group is born in London.

1948-Mark Andes, a bass player who does stints in Spirit, Firefall, Canned Heat and Heart, is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1948-Guitarist Tony Iommi is born in Birmingham, England. He works in a factory before forming the heavy metal heavyweights Black Sabbath in 1968.

1943-Lou Christie ("Lightnin' Strikes") is born in Pennsylvania.

1940-Bobby Rogers of The Miracles is born in Detroit.

1940-Smokey Robinson is born William Robinson Jr. in Detroit. Nicknamed "Smokey Joe" by his uncle, he fronts the Motown group The Miracles and is a top songwriter and producer for the label.

1935-Bob Engemann of The Lettermen is born in Highland Park, Michigan.

[Bikkie]

1914
Scotland crosses Southland in pioneering flight
J.W.H. Scotland flew a Caudron biplane from Invercargill to Gore, the first cross-country flight in New Zealand.


Yvette Williams at Helsinki
1954
Yvette Williams sets world long jump record
Eighteen months after winning the long jump at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Williams set a new world record of 20 feet 7½ inches (6.29 m) at an athletics meeting in Gisborne.




In Music History

2020-Five Finger Death Punch play their first show in Hungary, where their guitarist and founding member Zoltan Bathory was raised under communist rule. "We had this idea that a Hungarian musician can't break out of here," he says before the sold-out show in Budapest. "I feel like I broke the curse."

2017-David Cassidy has not fallen off the wagon, the former Partridge Family star explains two days after giving what appeared to be a drunken performance at a concert outside of Los Angeles, complete with slurring and stumbling over lyrics. He tells People magazine the real reason for his behavior: dementia. Cassidy, whose grandfather and mother (actress Evelyn Ward) both had the disease, decides to stop touring, saying, "I want to focus on what I am, who I am and how I've been without any distractions. I want to love. I want to enjoy life."

2016-Ne-Yo marries Crystal Renay Williams, who is pregnant with their son Shaffer.

2011-Katy Perry launches her worldwide California Dreams Tour in support of her Teenage Dream album, starting in Lisbon, Portugal, where she transforms the venue into a candy-coated wonderland. "It's very kitsch," she says. "I'm borrowing from The Wizard of Oz, Alice In Wonderland, Black Swan, Pee Wee's Big Adventure and a little John Waters. People are raising the bar so you either have to get to that level or you're out of the game."

2009-The White Stripes, favorites of the host, play "We're Going To Be Friends" on the final episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. It ends up being the last performance by the group, which splits up two years later.

2003-Olivia Rodrigo is born in Murrieta, California. She stars on the Disney shows Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series before releasing her debut single, "Drivers License," in 2021.

2003-A fire breaks out at a Great White concert in Rhode Island, killing 100 people, including the band's guitarist, Ty Longley.

2000-The biographical TV movie Little Richard airs on NBC, with mononymous actor Leon in the title role.

1996-Snoop Doggy Dogg is acquitted of murder, ending an ordeal that started in 1993 when his bodyguard shot and killed a rival gang member from the Jeep Snoop was driving.

1996 – Tupac Shakur’s All Eyez on Me, one of the best-selling rap albums ever, reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

1993-Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" from the soundtrack to The Bodyguard tops Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart for the 13th week.

1991-While two Garth Brooks hits ("The Dance," "Friends In Low Places") are among the nominees for Best Country Song at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards, Kathy Mattea's "Where've You Been" takes the prize. The tender ballad was written by Mattea's husband, Jon Vezner, and Nashville songwriter Don Henry. The tune also earns Mattea the trophy for Best Female Vocal Country Performance.

1991-Alison Krauss wins her first Grammy Award when I've Got That Old Feeling takes Best Bluegrass Recording. By 2016, Krauss wins 26 more statuettes, surpassing Aretha Franklin as the most-awarded female artist in Grammy history and tying for second place with Quincy Jones as the most-awarded living recipient.

Public Enemy and Sinead O'Connor Skip The Grammys
1991-Public Enemy and Sinead O'Connor are nominated for Grammy Awards, but skip the ceremony: PE has beef because the rap award isn't televised; Sinead says they "respect mostly material gain." She wins anyway, taking the trophy for Best Alternative Music Performance for her album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.

1988 – Kylie Minogue topped the UK Singles Chart with I Should Be So Lucky.

1988-"What Have I Done To Deserve This?" by Pet Shop Boys climbs to #2 in America, behind Tiffany's "Could've Been." The song features Dusty Springfield, marking her first big hit since 1969.

1988-Rihanna is born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Saint Michael, Barbados. At 16, she's discovered by Evan Rogers of the group Rythm Syndicate, who brings her to America and helps her land a deal with Jay-Z's label, Def Jam.

1985 – Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut album was released, launching her international stardom with hits like Greatest Love of All.

1985-Julia Volkova (of t.A.T.u.) is born in Moscow, Russia (then part of the Soviet Union).

1982-Death Wish II is released in the USA with a soundtrack by Jimmy Page.

1982-Pat Benatar marries her guitarist, Neil Giraldo. Many rock-and-roll and marriages flame out quickly, but this one takes. They have two children together and keep their musical partnership alive as well, with Giraldo stepping in as a producer.

1981-Rick James releases "Give It To Me Baby," a #1 R&B hit filled with that funk, that sweet, that funky stuff.

1979-George Harrison issues his eighth, self-titled album.

1976 – Kiss released their iconic album Destroyer, which included rock classics such as Detroit Rock City and Beth.

1976-Kiss immortalize their hand prints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

1975-Brian Littrell of Backstreet Boys is born in Lexington, Kentucky. His cousin is bandmate Kevin Richardson.

1974-Cher files for divorce from Sonny. The famous pair had been putting on a happy front for the public for the past two years until Sonny finally filed for a separation, citing "irreconcilable differences." A week later, Cher files for divorce, claiming "involuntary servitude" due to Sonny allegedly withholding her earnings.

1970 – John Lennon’s Instant Karma! was released in the US, famously written, recorded, and mixed in a single day.

1969-Ringo Starr's X-rated film, Candy, premieres in London.

1967-Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain is born in Aberdeen, Washington. He gets his first guitar on his 14th birthday and works on mastering Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."

1965 – Gary Lewis & the Playboys hit No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with This Diamond Ring.

1963-Ian Brown (lead singer of The Stone Roses) is born in Warrington, England.

1961-Australian-born composer Percy Grainger dies at age 78.

1959 – Shirley Bassey reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart with As I Love You.

1958 – Buddy Holly released his self-titled debut album, featuring hits like Peggy Sue, Words of Love, and Rave On! through Coral Records.

1951-Kathie Baillie, lead singer and guitarist of the country band Baillie & the Boys, is born in Morristown, New Jersey.

1951-Randy California of the band Spirit is born in Los Angeles. Born Randy Craig Wolfe, he writes and performs the guitar instrumental "Taurus," which becomes the subject of a lawsuit claiming Led Zeppelin incorporated it into the intro of "Stairway To Heaven."

1950-Walter Becker, co-founder of Steely Dan, is born in Queens, New York City. He meets bandmate and songwriting partner Donald Fagen while attending Bard College.

1949-Rick Nelson joins the cast of his parents' radio show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which will make the leap to television in 1952.

1946-John Geils (founder of The J. Geils Band) is born in New York City, but grows up in Far Hills, New Jersey.

1944-Jazz trumpeter Lew Soloff (of Blood, Sweat & Tears) is born in Brooklyn, New York.

Buffy Sainte-Marie Born
1941-Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie is born. According to her birth certificate, she's born Beverly Jean Santamaria in Stoneham, Massachusetts, but she claims to be Native-Canadian, born Beverly Sainte-Marie in Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan and adopted by a couple in Stoneham.

1895-Scott Joplin's "Please Say You Will" is copyrighted.

1816-Gioachino Rossini's opera "The Barber of Seville" premiers in Rome with disastrous results. A guitar string snaps, a cat walks on stage and there are protestations by rival composer Giovanni Paisiello. The audience hiss and jeer throughout the performance.

[Piper]

1835-First Book Printed:
William Colenso printed
the first book produced
entirely in New Zealand,
a translation of the Epistles
to the Philippians and Ephesians,
at Pahia.


1864-Battle if Rangiawhia:
During the Waikato war, British
forces attacked this unfortified
village,a key food-producing
centre for Maori.It was a significant,
controversial conflict in the New
Zealand wars.

[Bikkie]

Launch of Kelburn cable car, 1902
1902
Kelburn cable car opens
Wellington's iconic cable car was built to provide residents of the developing hill suburb of Kelburn with quick access to and from downtown Lambton Quay.




In Music History

2021-Daft Punk, the electronic music duo that formed in 1993, announce their split via a video called Epilogue, where we learn they have self-destruct buttons.

2017-Longtime blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge receives the UFO Researcher Of The Year Award at the International UFO Congress.

2012-Five months after debuting the song in her native Canada, Carly Rae Jepsen releases the single "Call Me Maybe" in America. With help from a video of Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and other tween celebs lip-syncing to the song, it rises up the charts and becomes a worldwide hit. In the US, it is the song of the summer, topping the Hot 100 on June 23 and staying until August 25.

2011-Adele releases her second album, 21, in the US. The record becomes the best-selling album of 2011, shifting a total of 5.82 million copies. Many of the songs, including "Rolling In The Deep" and "Set Fire To The Rain," are about the devastating breakup with her ex-boyfriend.

2009-A.R. Rahman wins Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Song for "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire, earning the Bollywood music veteran his first two Oscars. The Pussycat Dolls release an English-language version, "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)," the same year.

2008-The U2 concert film U2 3D is released worldwide.

2008-After much controversy and debate over whether or not to honor recently deceased musician and Mississippi native Ike Turner, the state legislature compromises and passes a resolution that honors his musical achievements only.

2007-Brad Paisley and his wife, the actress Kimberly Williams, have their first child: a son named Huckleberry ("Huck").

2004-A few songs into a Puddle Of Mudd show in Toledo, Ohio, lead singer Wes Scantlin's bandmates exit the stage because he's too drunk to perform. He sings and rambles for another 30 minutes before heading to his dressing room, where he's arrested for disorderly conduct.

2002-Little Richard gets the NAACP Image Award. The flamboyant singer put his efforts into preaching in his later years.

2001-British newspaper Sunday Mirror reports that The Beatles, who have been broken up for 31 years, are nevertheless the top grossing recording group of the year 2000.

2001-American folk guitarist John Fahey dies at age 61 following a coronary bypass operation.

2000-The recently departed soul legend Curtis Mayfield is honored at a First African Methodist Episcopal Church service in Los Angeles, featuring performances from Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, and, spontaneously, Lauryn Hill.

1998-Tori Amos marries her longtime sound engineer, Mark Hawley, at a small stone church in West Wycombe in North London. The couple's move to Hawley's native England inspires Amos' tune "Welcome To England."

Spice Girls Go From Wannabes To Superstars
1997-The Spice Girls conquer America as their debut single, "Wannabe," hits #1.

1994-Blues violinist Papa John Creach (of Jefferson Airplane/Starship) dies of congestive heart failure at age 76.

1994-Prince is granted the trademark on the symbol he has been using as his name.

1993-Lenny Kravitz releases "Are You Gonna Go My Way," a song about God.

1993-Radiohead release their debut album, Pablo Honey. Thanks to the lead single "Creep," it gradually earns them a substantial following, especially in the US where they tour in the summer and fall.

Styx Run Off Tommy Shaw With Kilroy Was Here
1983-Styx release Kilroy Was Here, a concept album about a dystopian future where rock and roll is banned and technology has run amok.

1993- Chris LeDoux's "Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy" was certified gold by the RIAA.

1992-When the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform "Under The Bridge" on Saturday Night Live, their guitarist John Frusciante sabotages the song, playing unevenly and screaming into the microphone during his background part. His frustrations lead him to quit the band in May.

1990-A jury rules that Stevie Wonder didn't not infringe on a song written in 1976 called "I Just Called To Say" on his hit "I Just Called To Say I Love You." The lawsuit was filed in 1985 by "I Just Called To Say" writers Lee Garrett and Lloyd Chiate, but in 1986, Garrett, a childhood friend of Wonder's, pulls out of the case.

1989-DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (Will Smith) win the first-ever rap Grammy (Best Rap Performance) for "Parents Just Don't Understand," their comic tune built from the I Dream of Jeannie theme song.

1987-Pop artist Andy Warhol, former manager of The Velvet Underground and designer for The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers album cover, dies of a cardiac arrhythmia following gallbladder surgery.

1986- MTV aired 22 hours of the Monkees' TV episodes in celebration of their 20th anniversary.

1986-MTV, which has bought the rights to 45 episodes of The Monkees TV series, airs them all in the "Pleasant Valley Sunday" marathon in honor of the group's 20th anniversary. The shows launch a Monkees revival, and the group reforms to tour later in the year.

1985-Carl Perkins plays a nightclub bouncer in the John Landis-directed film Into The Night. It is Perkins' only film role as an actor.

1980-In Fort Worth, Texas, Rick James launches his first headlining tour, with Prince as opening act. Both released their debut albums in 1978, but James is the more popular artist at this point.

1979-Plain White T's frontman Tom Higgenson is born in Villa Park, Illinois.

1977- The Eagles released "Hotel California," which became their fourth number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

1976-Shortly after emerging from poverty and alcoholism to make a musical comeback, Florence Ballard (of The Supremes) dies at age 32 of a cardiac arrest caused by a blood clot.

1975- The Average White Band's "AWB" album hit No.1 on the Billboard 200, with the single "Pick Up the Pieces" topping the Billboard Hot 100.

1974-Ten Years After play their final live gig, in London.

1974-James Blunt is born in Tidworth, England.

1969-Elvis Presley records "In The Ghetto" and "Who Am I?"

1969-David Bowie begins a UK tour with T. Rex where he doesn't sing, but does a mime act.

1968-Sublime lead singer Brad Nowell is born in Long Beach, California. He dies of a drug overdose in 1996 at 28, just months before the band break through with a string of hits that includes "Doin' Time" and "Santeria." Sublime return to action with Brad's son Jakob at the helm in 2023.

1968-Genesis release their first single, "The Silent Sun." At this point, the band is a 5-piece fronted by Peter Gabriel with Chris Stewart on drums. Phil Collins joins two years later.

1964-"Dawn (Go Away)" by The Four Seasons hits #3 on the Hot 100, where it stays for 3 weeks trailing two Beatles songs. The song is gradually bumped by more Beatles songs until April 4, when the Fab 4 hold all of the Top 5.

1963-Along with manager Brian Epstein and British music publisher Dick James, The Beatles form their Northern Music publishing company (later owned by Michael Jackson).

1962- Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" topped the UK Singles chart.

1960-Percy Faith's "Theme From A Summer Place" hits #1 in America for the first of nine weeks, knocking Elvis Presley's "Are You Lonesome Tonight" from the top spot.

1957-Gladys and Vernon Presley, Elvis' parents, are filmed in the audience as their son performs "Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do" for Loving You. After his mother's death, Elvis will never watch the scene again.

1957- Tab Hunter's "Young Love" topped the UK charts for seven weeks.

1953-John B. Sparks (bass guitarist for Dr. Feelgood) is born in England.

1945-Sixties pop singer Oliver is born William Oliver Swofford in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

1944-Rock and roll guitarist Mick Green (of Johnny Kidd & the Pirates) is born in Matlock, Derbyshire, England.

1938-R&B singer Bobby Hendricks (of The Drifters) is born in Columbus, Ohio.

1933-Ernie K-Doe, known for his 1961 hit "Mother-In-Law," is born Ernest Kador Jr. in New Orleans.

1927-Guy Mitchell is born Al Cernick in Detroit. He has a string of hit songs in the lead-up to the Rock Era: "My Heart Cries for You," "My Truly, Truly Fair" and "She Wears Red Feathers" among them.

1923-Hurricane Smith, an engineer and producer for The Beatles and Pink Floyd, is born in Edmonton, London, England.

1819-Composer Joseph Philbrick Webster, who wrote the song "Lorena," is born in Manchester, New Hampshire.

[Bikkie]

1904
First step in creation of Fiordland National Park
Nearly 1 million ha of far western Southland and Otago was set aside as a national reserve.

Crowds in Wellington welcoming the crew of HMS Achilles
1940
100,000 Aucklanders welcome home HMS Achilles
The Battle of the River Plate in December 1939 was the Allies’ first naval victory of the Second World War. The involvement of the cruiser HMS Achilles, more than half of whose crew were New Zealanders, was greeted with jubilation in New Zealand.



In Music History

2019-Ariana Grande becomes the first solo artist to hold the top three spots on the Hot 100 in the same week, a feat previously accomplished only by The Beatles. The songs: #1: "7 Rings" #2: "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" #3: "Thank U, Next"

2015-Warren G and Kenny G (no relation) team up to perform a saxy version of Warren's hit "Regulate" on Jimmy Kimmel Live. It's part of Kimmel's "Mash Up Mondays" series that also pairs Aloe Blacc with Blackstreet ("Aloe Blaccstreet"), Weezer with ZZ Top ("Wee-Z Top") and Morris Day And The Time with Haim ("Morris Day And The Haim").

2014-Chip Damiani, drummer for The Remains, dies of a brain hemorrhage at age 68.

2013-At the 33rd Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony, Rihanna is named Worst Supporting Actress for her role as weapons specialist Cora Raikes in the sci-fi action flick Battleship. Fellow nominees include Razzie vet Jennifer Lopez (What to Expect When You're Expecting), who won her first award back in 2003 as Worst Actress for Gigli.

2007-Rockabilly singer Donnie Brooks dies at age 71.

2004-Don Cornell, a popular singer in the '40s and '50s, dies at age 84.

2003-Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers bass player Howie Epstein dies at age 47 after a long battle with drug addiction.

2003-Nickel Creek wins the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for the Alison Krauss-produced This Side.

2003-Norah Jones wins all five Grammy Awards she is nominated for, including Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for "Don't Know Why." Also at the ceremony, Simon & Garfunkel get a Lifetime Achievement Award and sing together for the first time in 10 years.

2000-Tom Waits's heavily roots-influenced Mule Variations wins a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

2000-Santana win eight Grammy Awards for their star-studded, chart-topping album Supernatural, tying Michael Jackson's record for the most awards won in a single night.

1999-The Roots release their critical and commercial breakthrough album, Things Fall Apart. Featuring "You Got Me," it loses the Best Rap Album Grammy to Eminem's The Slim Shady LP.

Eminem Takes Off With The Slim Shady LP
1999-Eminem drops his first major-label album, The Slim Shady LP. He quickly becomes the most controversial rapper in the game.

TLC Release FanMail
1999-TLC's third album, FanMail, is released. It's a huge seller thanks to the tracks "No Scrubs" and "Unpretty," but causes friction among the trio, as Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes feels she's being cast aside.

1997-Jazz drummer Tony Williams dies at age 51.

1997-After declaring a truce in an effort to end violence between East Coast and West Coast rappers, Puff Daddy and Snoop Doggy Dogg appear on The Steve Harvey Show in the episode "I Do, I Don't."

1997-During a show at the The London Astoria, Tool's lead singer Maynard James Keenan - an army veteran and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner - floors a fan who comes onstage and keeps him in a choke hold. He continues to sing "Pushit" while detaining the fan.

1995 – Tupac Shakur released Me Against the World, a landmark hip-hop album reflecting personal struggles.

1995-Melvin "Blue" Franklin (bass singer for The Temptations) dies at age 52. Franklin had long suffered with rheumatoid arthritis and developed diabetes in the '80s.

1993-Little Richard receives a Lifetime Achievement Grammy award.

1993-Ska music gains a foothold in America as The New Ritz in Manhattan sells out for the Skalapalooza concert, with performances by The Toasters, Bad Manners, and The Skatalites. It leads to the first ska festival in America later that year: Skavoovee.

1993 – Eric Clapton won multiple Grammys for Tears in Heaven, a tribute to his late son.

1992-Anthrax appear on Married With Children in the episode "My Dinner with Anthrax." After eating the mystery food in the Bundy's fridge, they rock out on "In My World."1991 – Whitney Houston’s All the Man That I Need became her ninth US #1 single.

1991-With his group MGM, R. Kelly wins the only season of the competition show Big Break, hosted by Natalie Cole.

1987-Jody Watley releases her self-titled debut album, which earns her the Grammy award for Best New Artist thanks to hits like "Don't You Want Me" and "Looking For A New Love."

1983-Alabama wins a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Mountain Music."

1983-After 18 nominations, Lionel Richie finally wins a Grammy when his solo debut single "Truly" takes the award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.

1980 – Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in multiple countries.

1979-Dire Straits begin their first North American tour with a show at the Paradise Theater in Boston.

1978 – Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours won Album of the Year at the Grammys, cementing the band’s global influence.

1978-The Police sign with A&M Records.

1997/1998 – Elton John’s Candle in the Wind 1997, a tribute to Princess Diana, became the best-selling single of all time.

1977-A federal jury rules that The Isley Brothers recorded "It's Your Thing" after leaving Motown Records and the label is not entitled to royalties.

1974-Aretha Franklin becomes the first artist to have songs peak at each of the first 10 spots on the Hot 100 when "Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" fills in the gap at #3.

1974 – Led Zeppelin recorded Physical Graffiti, one of their most famous albums, which would be released in 1975.

1973-Lars-Olof Johansson of The Cardigans is born in Sweden.

1970-Ringo Starr guests on Laugh In, making his first solo TV appearance.

1970-The Doors' Morrison Hotel is certified as the band's fifth consecutive Gold album.

1965 – The Beatles began filming their second movie, Help!, adding to their cinematic and musical legacy.

1964-For the third week in a row, The Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show.

1963 – The Chiffons released “He’s So Fine”, a defining hit of the girl group era.

1962-Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton is born San Francisco.

1961 – Petula Clark scored her first UK #1 single with “Sailor”, originally a German song titled Seemann (Deine Heimat ist das Meer).

1959 – Henry Mancini’s The Music From Peter Gunn became the first album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, topping Billboard’s Best-Selling Pop Albums chart for ten weeks.

1955-Howard Jones is born in Southampton, England.

1952-Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford is born in Winchester, Massachusetts.

1948-Sweet bass player Steve Priest is born in Middlesex, England.

1946-Poco steel guitar player Rusty Young is born in Long Beach, California.

1944-Johnny Winter is born in Beaumont, Texas.

1940 – Woody Guthrie wrote “This Land Is Your Land” in New York City, responding to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” and highlighting social issues during the Great Depression.

1934-English composer Sir Edward Elgar dies of colorectal cancer aged 76.

1933-Daisy Canfield Danziger, oil heiress and estranged wife of silent screen star Antonio Moreno, dies on the way home from a party when her car careens off Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles. The music connection? Daisy allegedly haunts her former home, The Paramour Mansion, which has been the site of many album recording sessions, from My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade to Papa Roach's The Paramour Sessions.

1685-German-English baroque composer George Frideric Handel is born in Halle, Duchy of Magdeburg, in modern day Germany.

[Bikkie]

1902
Battle of Langverwacht Hill
Twenty-four New Zealanders were killed in this battle during the South African (Boer) War. A total of 230 New Zealanders died while serving in New Zealand's first overseas war.

Workers reassembling the Earnslaw
1912
TSS Earnslaw launched on Lake Wakatipu
For more than a century, the TSS Earnslaw has carried freight and people to and from remote settlements on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.



In Music History

2025-Roberta Flack dies at 88 after a battle with ALS. As a solo artist, her hits include "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." She also did popular duets with Donny Hathaway ("The Closer I Get To You"), Peabo Bryson ("Tonight, I Celebrate My Love") and Maxi Priest ("Set The Night To Music").

2024-Beyoncé becomes the first Black woman to top the Country chart when "Texas Hold 'Em," a song she surprised released the night of the Super Bowl, hits #1 on that tally.

2019-Queen, with Adam Lambert on vocals, open the Oscars with a medley of "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions." The biopic Bohemian Rhapsody goes on to win four awards, more than any other film at the ceremony.

2014-Robin Thicke and Paula Patton announce their separation after nine years of marriage. A few months later, Thicke releases his album Paula, where he pours his heart out over the split.

2013-Larry Marks, original singer of the Scooby Doo theme song, dies in Los Angeles at age 73. He was also a producer for Columbia Records and A&M Records, where he helmed projects for Liza Minnelli and Phil Ochs, among others.

2013-Janet Jackson reveals that she and Wissam Al Mana, a billionaire investor from Qatar, got married in a quiet, secret ceremony sometime in 2012. It is Jackson's third marriage; her first two husbands were the singer James DeBarge and the director René Elizondo, Jr.

2008-A statue of departed AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott is unveiled in his hometown of Fremantle, Australia.

2008-Larry Norman dies at age 60 following a severe heart attack. The Christian-rock pioneer started out in psychedelic rock with the band People!, known for their 1968 hit cover of The Zombies' tune "I Love You."

2004-After EMI refuses to let DJ Danger Mouse release his Grey Album, a mash-up of Jay-Z's Black Album with samples from The Beatles' White Album, the DJ makes the album available as a download, for free, on his website for one day.

2004-Singer Lena Horne threatens to withdraw permission for a TV movie of her life after star Janet Jackson suffers her shocking "wardrobe malfunction" at Super Bowl XXXVIII. Jackson quits the project.

2002-Arthur Lyman, jazz vibraphone and marimba player, dies of esophageal cancer at age 70.

2002-Charlie Daniels appears on the "Peggy's Fan Fair" episode of the animated Fox TV series King Of The Hill.

2000-Georgie Fame is arrested for a DUI after driving home from his concert in Wales. He's fined 350 pounds and has his driver's licensed suspended for a year.

1999-Ricky Martin ushers in a wave of Latin pop with a spellbinding performance of "The Cup Of Life" at the Grammy Awards. Ten weeks later, his song "Livin' La Vida Loca" goes to #1 in America; later in the year, Enrique Iglesias ("Bailamos") and Santana ("Smooth") follow to the top with Latin-flavored hits.

1999-Lenny Kravitz wins his first Grammy when "Fly Away" is named Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. It's his first of four-consecutive wins in the category, followed by "American Woman," "Again" and "Dig In."

1998-Pamela Anderson Lee calls 911 after getting in a heated altercation with her husband, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, at their Malibu home. Tommy is arrested and spends three months in jail for spousal abuse.

Elton John Gets The Royal Treatment
1998-Elton John is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

1997-Spice Girls win Brit Awards for Best Single ("Wannabe") and Best Video ("Say You'll Be There"). Geri Halliwell wears a skin-tight Union Jack dress when they perform at the ceremony, introducing her signature look.

1995-Dave Matthews Band make their first appearance on national TV when they perform the hit "What Would You Say" on the Late Show with David Letterman.

1994-James Taylor appears on the "Deep Space Homer" episode of The Simpsons.

1994-Singer/actress Dinah Shore dies at age 77 of cachexia (or wasting syndrome), a complication of her ovarian cancer.

1993-Tom Waits's stripped-down, raw, nearly primeval Bone Machine wins a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Rock Album.

1993-Eric Clapton wins big at the Grammy Awards, taking three awards for "Tears In Heaven," two more for his album Unplugged, and Best Rock Song for his acoustic version of "Layla."

Elvis Stamp Put To Vote
1992-Balloting begins to decide the design on the new Elvis stamp. The choice is between a fit '50s Elvis or a more plump '70s one. Young Elvis wins in a landslide.

1992-Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Courtney Love of Hole are married in Hawaii, with a non-denominational, female minister conducting the ceremony.

1991-Honky tonk entertainer Webb Pierce dies of pancreatic cancer at age 69. Known for the 1955 chart-topper "In The Jailhouse Now."

1990-Johnnie Ray, one of the most popular singers of the early '50s, dies of liver failure at age 63.

1990-At the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, The Byrds' David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, and Chris Hillman reunite for a tribute concert honoring the recently deceased Roy Orbison and raising money to support the homeless, a cause Orbison was passionate about. Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, John Fogerty and Bonnie Raitt are also on the bill; the concert is later broadcast as a Showtime special.

1988-American bluesman Memphis Slim dies in Paris.

1988-At a concert in Phoenix, Alice Cooper claims he is running for governor of Arizona, representing the "Wild Party." (A special election was being held to replace Evan Mecham, who had been impeached.) Cooper's slogan: "A troubled man for troubled times."

1987-Bruce Hornsby & the Range take home the Grammy award for Best New Artist, winning over Glass Tiger, Nu Shooz, Simply Red, and Timbuk3.

1987-Fats Domino, Ray Charles and B.B. King win Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Grammy Awards.

1985-David Crosby escapes from Fair Oaks Hospital in New Jersey, where he has been sentenced to drug rehab. The next day, he is caught in Greenwich Village and arrested for cocaine possession.

1981-Rick Springfield releases his breakthrough album Working Class Dog, with the #1 hit "Jessie's Girl." The pooch on the cover is his bull terrier Ronnie.

1981-Peter Noone (of Herman's Hermits) and Stephen Bishop guest star on the Laverne & Shirley episode "I Do, I Do."

1976 – The Eagles’ Greatest Hits (1971–1975) became the first album in the US to be certified Platinum by the RIAA, marking a milestone in music sales history.

1975 – Led Zeppelin released their sixth studio album, Physical Graffiti, which went on to sell over 9 million copies worldwide and topped charts in the UK, US, and Canada.

1973-The Byrds play their final concert, in Passaic, New Jersey.

1973-Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song" hits #1 for the first of five weeks, a longer run than any other song of 1973. It was written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, the guys who wrote the theme songs to Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley.

1970 – The Jackson Five released the hit single “ABC”, which became one of their signature songs.

1969-Johnny Cash plays one of his many prison concerts, this one at San Quentin State Prison in California. Recorded and released as the album Johnny Cash At San Quentin, it goes to #1 for four weeks and secures Cash's outlaw cred.

1969 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed their final UK concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall, including extended jams of “Room Full of Mirrors” and covers of Cream and Elmore James.

1968 – Fleetwood Mac, then known as Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, released their self-titled debut album, featuring blues-rock covers and original material. The album peaked at No.4 in the UK charts, marking the start of the band's influential career.

1965-The Beatles begin shooting their second movie, Help!, in the Bahamas as director Richard Lester films them riding bicycles near the airport.

1965 – The Beach Boys recorded a new version of “Help Me, Rhonda”, which later became their second US Billboard Hot 100 No.1 single.

1963-The Rolling Stones get their first steady gig at London's Station Hotel, performing on Sundays in the Crawdaddy room for a grand total of $67 a week.

1962-Alternative folk singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked is born Karen Michelle Johnston in Dallas, Texas. She borrows her stage name from the term "shell shocked."

1960-Carl Dobkins, Jr. performs in full military dress live from Ft. Dixon, Ohio, where he is serving in the national guard, on NBC-TV's Perry Como Show.

1958-The Silhouettes' "Get A Job" hits #1.

1957-Elvis Presley records "Loving You."

1956-Police in Cleveland shut down a Rock concert under an obscure law that prohibits people under 18 from dancing in public without a guardian.

1950-Blues rocker George Thorogood is born in Wilmington, Delaware.

1947-Rupert Holmes is born David Goldstein in Northwich, Cheshire, England.

1944-Nicky Hopkins, a renown piano player heard on albums from The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, is born in Perivale, Middlesex, England.

1942-Paul Jones (original lead vocalist for Manfred Mann) is born Paul Pond in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.

1941-Joanie Sommers is born Joan Drost in Buffalo, New York.

1940-Frances Langford records "When You Wish Upon A Star."

1932-Michel LeGrand is born in Bécon les Bruyères, France. A noted film composer, he earns his first Academy Award in 1968 for The Thomas Crown Affair's title song, "The Windmills Of Your Mind."

1711-George Frideric Handel's Rinaldo, the first Italian language opera written specifically for the London stage, premieres at the Queen's Theatre in London's Haymarket.

1607-Claudio Monterverdi's first opera, L'Orfeo, premieres in the The Ducal Palace, a group of buildings in Mantua, Lombardy. Monteverdi is considered the first opera composer to make it into a cohesive art-form.

[Bikkie]

Battle of Los Angeles
army shooting at ufo for an hour in the 1940's
The "Battle of Los Angeles" is a notable event in UFO history, where the US military fired over 1,400 rounds of anti-aircraft artillery at an unidentified flying object (UFO) over Los Angeles during the early hours of February 25, 1942. This event was a response to the sighting of a large, silent object that moved from Santa Monica to Long Beach, which was not identified as a weather balloon. The military's actions were a result of the intense fear and paranoia surrounding the possibility of a Japanese attack on the United States during World War II. Despite the barrage of shells, the UFO continued to move unscathed, leading to the military's conclusion that it was a weather balloon. This incident remains one of the most significant UFO sightings in US history, with thousands of witnesses and numerous reports from the time.



1943
49 killed in Featherston POW incident
Just outside the Wairarapa town of Featherston, a memorial garden marks the site of the death in 1943 of 48 Japanese prisoners of war and one guard.



In Music History

2019-Mark Hollis of Talk Talk dies at 64.

2015-Madonna falls down a set of stage stairs during her performance of "Living For Love" at the Brit Awards when the cape she is wearing doesn't release properly when pulled by a dancer. She gamely gets up and finishes the performance, later reassuring fans that she is fine, and that "love really lifted me up."

2014-Kelis' Saucy and Sweet show premieres on The Cooking Channel. The singer trained part-time as a chef in the late 2000s, eventually graduating from Le Cordon Bleu culinary school.

2012-Bluesman Louisiana Red (real name: Iverson Minter) dies after suffering a stroke in Hanover, Germany, at age 79. Known for his 1975 song "Sweet Blood Call."

2011-Rick Coonce (drummer for The Grass Roots) dies of heart failure in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at age 64.

2009-Memphis bluesman Mark Sallings (Mark Sallings and the Famous Unknowns) dies in a car accident in Arkansas at age 56.

2008-Stephen "Static Major" Garrett, who co-wrote Ginuwine's "Pony," Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" and many tracks for Aaliyah, dies at age 32 after contracting a rare autoimmune disorder.

2006-The Curious George soundtrack becomes the first from an animated movie since Pocahontas in 1995 to hit #1 in America. The songs, including the popular track "Upside Down," are written and performed by Jack Johnson.

2004-Estelle Axton, co-founder of Stax Records, dies at age 85.

2003-Having recently signed with Columbia Records, Switchfoot release The Beautiful Letdown, their major-label debut album.

2002-New York City rock band The Strokes are named Band of the Year and Best New Act at the NME Awards (founded by the titular British music magazine). Their debut, Is This It, is also awarded Best Album.

2002-The Avalon Ballroom in Boston hosts "virtual band" Gorillaz on their first show in the USA. The band members, who appear as animated characters in music videos, play behind a giant projector screen. Their 9-date tour of North America ends on March 8 at the Palladium, Los Angeles.

2001-Lil' Kim's entourage exchanges gunfire with associates of her rival, Foxy Brown, outside the New York City radio station Hot 97. In testimony, she lies to protect her friends, and in 2004 is indicted for perjury. She serves a year in prison starting in September 2005.

1999-Prince, who is now using an unpronounceable symbol for his moniker, sues nine websites to prevent unauthorized downloads. He takes another stand in 2007 when he sues other sites to remove images of him.

1998-Bo Diddley and Roy Orbison receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Grammys.

1998-Future spouses Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood win the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for "In Another's Eyes." Yearwood also wins Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "How Do I Live" (besting LeAnn Rimes' version).

Soy Bomb And ODB Disrupt Grammy Awards
1998-Strange things are afoot at the Grammy Awards. A shirtless dude with "Soy Bomb" written on his chest intrudes on Bob Dylan's performance, and when Shawn Colvin wins Song Of The Year (for "Sunny Came Home"), Ol' Dirty Bastard of Wu-Tang Clan rushes the stage, commandeering the microphone and talking about how his group should have won the Best Rap Album award over Puff Daddy because "Wu-Tang is for the children."

1997-At Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party, DMC of Run-DMC meets Sarah McLachlan, whose music he credits with keeping him alive as he fights off depression. Years later, after DMC learns he was adopted, he collaborates with McLachlan on the song "Just Like Me" and learns that she was also adopted.

1995-Madonna's "Take A Bow" hits #1 on the Hot 100 and stays for seven weeks. The song is produced by Babyface.

1995-Frank Sinatra performs in public for the last time. On the last day of the Frank Sinatra Desert Classic golf tournament in Palm Springs, Ol' Blue Eyes sings a handful of songs to a VIP invitational audience: "I've Got the World On a String," "You Make Me Feel So Young," "Fly Me to the Moon," "Where or When," "My Kind of Town," and "The Best is Yet to Come."

1993-Toy Caldwell (lead guitarist for The Marshall Tucker Band) dies of cocaine-related cardio-respiratory failure at his home in Moore, South Carolina, at age 45.

1992-James Brown receives a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, recompense for the paltry three competitive Grammys (including one for Best Album Notes) he wins during his seminal career.

1992-Patti LaBelle shares her first Grammy win with Lisa Fischer when her Burnin' album (featuring Fischer on backing vocals) ties with Fischer's "How Can I Ease The Pain" for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

1992-Buddy Guy, 55, wins his first Grammy, taking the award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Damn Right, I've Got the Blues. He went most of the '80s without a record deal, but the Grammy win makes him more popular than ever. His next two albums earn the same award.

1992-Garth Brooks wins his first Grammy Award when Ropin' The Wind, his third album, is named Best Country Vocal Performance, Male.

Tori Amos Debuts With Little Earthquakes
1992-Tori Amos releases her debut solo album, Little Earthquakes, in the US. The piano-based collection allows the singer-songwriter to truly express herself for the first time on confessional tracks like "Me And A Gun" and "Silent All These Years."

1992-TLC release their debut album, Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip. Their first single, "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg," hits the Top 10 on both the Hot 100 and R&B charts.

1991-Director Cameron Crowe brings members of the cast and crew of his movie Singles to the Off Ramp in Seattle, where Pearl Jam, who appear in the film, are playing. Matt Dillon and Campbell Scott hang out with the band all night, but the real Seattle scene is a little too grungy for the other actors, who leave early.

1989-Nirvana debut their Bleach track "Negative Creep" live at the Husky Union Building at the University of Washington in Seattle.

1987-Frank Sinatra guest stars as a retired police sergeant on the Magnum, P.I. episode "Laura."

Tears For Fears Release Songs From The Big Chair
1985-British synthpop duo Tears For Fears release their sophomore album, Songs From The Big Chair, featuring the hits "Shout" and "Everybody Wants To Rule The World."

1984-Van Halen's "Jump" hits #1 in the US, where it stays for five weeks. The song embraces the keyboard-driven sound of the era with a synthesizer played by their guitarist, Eddie Van Halen.

1982- Southern rock band Alabama released their sixth studio album, Mountain Music, which topped the Billboard Country chart and reached No.14 on the Billboard 200.

1973-Justin Jeffre (of 98 Degrees) is born in Mount Clemens, Michigan.

1972- Paul McCartney released the single Give Ireland Back to the Irish.

1971-Daniel Powter ("Bad Day") is born in Vernon, British Columbia. The budding violinist switches to piano after a group of bullies destroy his violin.

Ernie Debuts "Rubber Duckie"
1970-Ernie sings "Rubber Duckie" on Sesame Street. It goes over so well that the song is released as a single, which in September reaches #16 on the Hot 100.

1968-The Jimi Hendrix Experience play two shows at the Civic Opera House in Chicago. Between shows, Hendrix gets "casted" by the inventive groupie Cynthia Plaster Caster, who makes a mold of his love gun.

1964-Bob Dylan appears on the Steve Allen Show. He gives a brief, awkward interview before performing "The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll."

1964- The Beatles completed recording Can’t Buy Me Love and its B-side You Can’t Do That at Abbey Road Studios, with the A-side topping charts in eight countries.

1963-The Beatles release "Please Please Me" in America. It gets little attention, but becomes one of their big hits a year later when Beatlemania strikes and the song is re-released.

1961-Elvis Presley plays the first of two charity shows in Memphis. It's his first concert since entering the army in 1958.

1959-Mike Peters (lead singer for The Alarm) is born in Prestatyn, Wales.

1957-Buddy Holly records "That'll Be The Day" with his band The Crickets at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico. In September, it will hit #1 in the US.

1957-Dennis Diken (drummer for The Smithereens) is born in Belleville, New Jersey.

1956- Elvis Presley scored his first No.1 hit on Billboard’s Country & Western charts with I Forgot to Remember to Forget, marking his final single on Sun Records before moving to RCA.

1953-John Doe of the punk band X is born John Duchac in Decatur, Illinois.

1950- Your Show of Shows with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca premiered on NBC, featuring writers Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, and Woody Allen.

1947-Bassist David Stensen (of The Grass Roots) is born in San Bruno, California.

1943-George Harrison is born in Liverpool, England. He becomes lead guitarist of The Beatles, a successful solo artist, and a member of The Traveling Wilburys.

1942-Roy Michaels, bass player of Cat Mother & The All Night News Boys, is born.

1901- George M. Cohan's first Broadway musical, The Governor's Son, opened at the Savoy Theatre in New York City, running for 32 performances.

[Bikkie]

Duel with pistols, 1830
1844
'Pistols at dawn': deadly duel in Wellington
William Brewer died of wounds received during a pistol duel with another Wellington lawyer, H. Ross, on 26 February 1844. The duel followed a quarrel over a case in the Wellington County Court.



In Music History

2022-The Avicii Experience museum opens in Stockholm with interactive and real-life exhibits dedicated to the DJ/producer, who died in 2018 at 28.

2011-Mark Tulin (bassist for The Electric Prunes) dies of a heart attack at age 62 while helping at an underwater cleanup event in Avalon, California.

2010-Though they are separated, The-Dream and Christina Milian welcome a baby daughter, Violet.

2009-The Biography Channel airs the debut episode of The Chris Isaak Hour, a new talk-show featuring top musical guests. In this episode, presenter Chris Isaak interviews country artist Trisha Yearwood.

2008-Drummer Buddy Miles dies of congestive heart disease in Austin, Texas, at age 60.

2003-Fife player Othar "Otha" Turner dies in Gravel Springs, Mississippi, at age 95.

2002-John Fogerty, Elton John, Eagles, Stevie Nicks, and Billy Joel perform at the multi-venue Los Angeles charity benefit Four Concerts for Artists' Rights, proceeds of which benefit a labor-friendly musicians' organization called the Recording Artists Coalition.

2002-The Bee Gees play what is to be their final concert, performing at Miami Beach's Love and Hope Ball, a benefit for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.

Norah Jones Releases 10-Million-Selling Debut Come Away With Me
2002-Norah Jones releases her debut album Come Away With Me, a jazz-inflected set that wins the Album of the Year Grammy and sells over 10 million copies in America.

2001-Daft Punk's second album, Discovery, marks a change in their musical direction from house to electronic disco. Taking a leaf from fellow European electronic artists Kraftwerk, they choose to hide their faces - performing and appearing in music videos wearing stylized robotic helmets.

1997Bluegrass newcomer Gillian Welch's debut album, Revival, is nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album but loses to Bruce Springsteen's The Ghost of Tom Joad.

1997-Perhaps trying to make amends for giving them just four awards when they were still together, The Grammys give The Beatles three awards: two for "Free As A Bird" and another for their Anthology video.

1997-At 14, LeAnn Rimes becomes the youngest person to win a Grammy Award when she takes the trophies for Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her debut single, "Blue."

1995-Former Led Zeppelin duo Jimmy Page and Robert Plant kick off a year-long world tour in Pensacola, Florida, supporting their live No Quarter reunion album.

1994 – Toni Braxton’s debut album topped the US Billboard 200, featuring hits like Another Sad Love Song and Breathe Again.

1990-Cornell Gunter, former lead tenor for The Coasters, is murdered in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 53. Gunter, who was in the midst of making a comeback, was shot in his car by an unknown assassin.

Pet Shop Boys Make Cover Of Magazine Neil Tennant Worked For
1986-Thanks to their hit "West End Girls," Pet Shop Boys land the cover of Smash Hits magazine, which their frontman, Neil Tennant, used to write for.

1985-The Judds win their first Grammy Award when "Mama He's Crazy" (their first #1 single) is named Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

1985-Bruce Springsteen wins his first Grammy, taking home the Best Male Vocal Performance award for "Dancing In The Dark." "What's Love Got To Do With It" by Tina Turner wins Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

1985 – The 27th Annual Grammy Awards were held, honoring Tina Turner for What’s Love Got to Do With It and Cyndi Lauper as Best New Artist.

1983 – Michael Jackson’s Thriller hit #1 on the US Billboard 200, beginning a 17-week run; it remains the best-selling album of all time with over 70 million copies sold.

1982-Nate Ruess, lead singer in the band Fun ("We Are Young"), is born in Iowa City, Iowa. In 2012 he duets with Pink on the hit "Just Give Me A Reason," and later he turns his attention to writing songs for artists like Lauren Daigle and The Kid Laroi.

1977-Doo wop singer Sherman Garnes (of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers) dies of a heart attack at age 36.

1977 – The Eagles reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with New Kid in Town, marking their third chart-topping single.

1977-Blues guitarist Bukka White dies of cancer at age 67 in Memphis, Tennessee.

1975-Harry Chapin's Broadway revue featuring his songs, The Night That Made America Famous, opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. It closes in April.

1972-Joe Tex's "I Gotcha" hits #1 on the R&B chart.

1971-Erykah Badu is born Erica Abi Wright in Dallas, Texas.

1967-After buying a ranch in Mississippi, Elvis Presley spends a lot of time on horses and gets saddlesores. He is referred to Dr. George Nichopoulos, who becomes his personal doctor and supplies his prescription drugs.

1966 – Nancy Sinatra topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with These Boots Are Made For Walking, a song originally intended for its writer Lee Hazlewood.

1965-Elvis Presley records "Golden Coins" and "Animal Instinct."

1965-Jimmy Page releases his first (and only) solo single: "She Just Satisfies."

1964-Elvis Presley begins filming his sixteenth movie, Roustabout, in Hollywood.

1962-Al Hirt records "Java."

1961-John "Jon Jon" Foster (of The Bronski Beat) is born in Basildon, Essex, England.

1955-For the first time, sales of the newer, smaller 45rpm records outpace those of the old 78rpm variety.

1955-LaVern Baker sends a formal letter to the US Congress to appeal a 1954 decision denying black artists a revision of the 1909 Copyright Act, a move which would make it harder for white pop artists to record exact copies of R&B hits and thus steal their thunder. Her appeal is turned down.

1954-Responding to the rising popularity of black music, the United States congress proposes a bill forbidding distribution of "obscene, lewd, lascivious, or filthy publication, picture, disc, transcription, or other article capable of producing sound." The bill fails.

Michael Bolton Born
1953-Michael Bolton is born Michael Bolotin in New Haven, Connecticut. Before reaching soft-rock stardom, he fronts a hard-rock band called Blackjack.

1950-Jonathan Cain (keyboardist, rhythm guitarist Journey) is born Jonathan Leonard Friga in Chicago, Illinois.

1950 – Jerome Robbins’ ballet choreographed to Leonard Bernstein’s Age of Anxiety premiered at the New York City Center Theater.

1947-Pop singer Sandie Shaw is born Sandra Ann Goodrich in Dagenham, Essex, England.

1945-Rocker Mitch Ryder is born William S. Levise Jr in Hamtramck, Michigan.

1943-Bob "Bear" Hite (lead singer of Canned Heat) is born in Torrance, California.

1943-Paul Cotton (guitarist for Poco) is born Norman Paul Cotton in Fort Rucker, Alabama.

1932-Johnny Cash is born J.R. Cash in Kingsland, Arkansas, the fourth of seven kids. He starts using the name John R. Cash when he joins the Air Force in 1950 (they wouldn't accept initials), and becomes Johnny Cash when he signs with Sun Records in 1954. One of the most popular and influential musicians of his time, Cash gets inducted into the Country, Rock And Roll, Gospel and Songwriters hall of fames.

1928-Fats Domino is born Antoine Domino in New Orleans, Louisiana. One of nine children, he quickly masters the piano, taking the name Fats from piano great Fats Waller (and also, he's 5'5" and well over 200 pounds).

1926-Louis Armstrong introduces scat singing when he records "Heebie Jeebies." As Armstrong tells it, he improvised his vocals when his lyric sheet fell off the stand.

1917-The first ever jazz single, "Livery Stable Blues," is recorded by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in New York. It sells a million copies and launches jazz as a national phenomenon.

[Bikkie]

Watersiders’ loyalty card, 1951
1951
Troops deployed in waterfront dispute
The waterfront dispute of 1951 was the biggest industrial confrontation in New Zealand’s history, lasting for five months, from February to July. At its peak, 22,000 waterside workers and other unionists were off the job.



In Music History

2019-T-Pain, costumed as a one-eyed monster, wins the first season of The Masked Singer, defeating Donny Osmond (peacock) and Gladys Knight (bee).

2016-Twenty One Pilots' "Stressed Out" peaks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stays for one week. It's the duo's first foray into the Top 10.

2015-Leonard Nimoy dies at age 83. The actor, best known for playing Spock on Star Trek, also made a musical impact: His albums Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space and Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy both charted in the US (#83 and #97, respectively), and his voice was sampled in the Information Society hit "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy

2015-Glam Rock pioneer Gary Glitter, 70, is sentenced to 16 years in prison for sexually assaulting three schoolgirls in the '70s and '80s.

2015-R&B singer Charmayne Maxwell (of Brownstone) dies in a freak accident at age 46 when she falls on a broken wine glass and cuts her neck.

2013-Richard Street, singer with The Monitors and The Temptations, dies at age 70.

2011-Blues musician Eddie Kirkland dies at age 87.

Jamie Foxx Wins An Oscar For Ray
2005-Jamie Foxx wins a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the movie Ray.

2002- Britney Spears began her Dream Within a Dream Tour in Hawaii, promoting her album Britney.

2001-Dave Matthews Band release Everyday, trading producer Steve Lillywhite for Jagged Little Pill mastermind Glen Ballard. With the hit "The Space Between," the radio-friendly release expands their fanbase, but leaves diehards to seek out the unreleased Lillywhite Sessions.

2001-Carlos Santana (Santana) returns to the Mexican town where he grew up, Autlan De Navarro, for the first time in 46 years. A statue honor of Carlos and his father, mariachi player Jose Santana, is unveiled.

2000-The Beach Boys: An American Family TV mini-series begins on ABC, chronicling the rise of the title band.

1999-Vince Gill plays "How Great Thou Art" on the dobro at the Grand Ole Opry in honor of dobro legend Brother Oswald.

1998-Motley Crue member Vince Neil, not to be outdone by Tommy Lee, announces an agreement with Internet Entertainment Group and Vivid Video to distribute a 60-minute home video of him having sex with two adult film models while on vacation in Hawaii.

1996- Tupac Shakur’s album All Eyez on Me reached #1 on the Billboard 200, becoming one of the best-selling rap albums of all time.

1996-Bad Religion release their ninth full-length studio album, The Gray Race. This is the first Bad Religion album to feature Brian Baker on guitar, replacing Brett Gurewitz, who left the band two years earlier.

1995-PJ Harvey releases her first solo album, To Bring You My Love, after the demise of her eponymous trio. The album includes her mainstream US breakthrough, "Down By The Water."

1993-Whitney Houston's single "I Will Always Love You" reaches its 14th week at #1, a new record. In 1995, this record is broken by "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.

1993-Producer Rick Rubin sees Johnny Cash perform at the Rhythm Café in Santa Ana, California, and convinces him to make an album of stripped-down cover songs. With Rubin producing, he makes the album American Recordings, which revives his career. They team up to record five more minimalist albums before Cash's death in 2003.

1991-James Brown is released on parole from a South Carolina prison after serving two years of a six-year sentence on drug and assault charges.

1984-The Jacksons' Pepsi commercial premieres on MTV.

1981-Josh Groban is born in Los Angeles.

1981-The Who release "You Better You Bet," their first single since the death of their drummer, Keith Moon, in 1978. Their new stickman is Kenney Jones, formerly of the Faces.

1980- At the 22nd Grammy Awards, Billy Joel’s 52nd Street won Album of the Year, and Kenny Loggins’ What a Fool Believes won Song of the Year.

1980-Michael Jackson wins his first Grammy: Best R&B Performance for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." Other winners include Donna Summer (Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Hot Stuff"), Earth, Wind & Fire (Best R&B Group Vocal Performance for

"After the Love Has Gone"), and The Doobie Brothers (Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "What A Fool Believes").

1977- Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was arrested in Toronto for heroin possession, later receiving a suspended sentence.

1977- ABBA arrived in Australia for the first time, sparking the phenomenon known as "ABBA-mania".

1971-Janis Joplin's album Pearl hits #1 in the US, where it stays for nine weeks. Joplin died of a heroin overdose three months before the album was released.

1971-Rozonda Thomas (Chilli of TLC) is born in Atlanta.

1970-Jefferson Airplane is fined $1,000 for onstage profanity in Oklahoma City.

1967- Pink Floyd recorded their first single, Arnold Layne, beginning their journey as one of rock’s most influential bands.

1966-The Supremes appear on the TV show What's My Line.

1961-Chubby Checker's "Pony Time" hits #1 in America for the first of five weeks.

1960-The Miracles make their first TV appearance when they perform on American Bandstand.

1960-Paul Humphreys of OMD is born in London.

1959-Jerry Lee Lewis and his third wife (and first cousin once removed) Myra have a son, Steve Allen Lewis, who is named after the TV host. The boy dies in a swimming pool accident three years later.

1959-Johnny Van Zant is born in Jacksonville, Flordia. He performs and records with the Johnny Van Zant Band and as a solo artist, but is best known for succeeding his deceased brother Ronnie Van Zant as frontman for Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987.

1954-Neal Schon is born on an Air Force base in Oklahoma. The guitarist does time in Santana before founding the groups Journey and Bad English.

1675-The oldest surviving English opera, Matthew Locke's Psyche, is first performed at Dorset Garden Theatre, London by the Duke's Company.

1854- German composer Robert Schumann was saved from a suicide attempt in the Rhine River, marking a dramatic moment in music history.

1814- Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his Symphony No. 8 in F major in Vienna, showcasing his classical mastery early in the 19th century.

[Bikkie]

1945
Kiwi soldier faces firing squad
After more than a year on the run in northern Italy, escaped New Zealand prisoner of war David Russell was recaptured and executed. His courage in the face of death earned him the first George Cross awarded to a member of New Zealand’s military.



In Music History

2019-Weezer join the Fortnite universe with "Weezer World," a "Creative Island" where players can ride around on a hoverboard while listening to Weezer tunes. It's one of the first Fortnite musical collaborations; earlier in the month, Marshmello held a virtual concert. Weezer return in 2024 with "Sweat(er) City," which includes a unique weapon: a sweater yarn stun gun. (You know, because "The Sweater Song.")

2019-The composer André Previn dies at 89.

2016-At the Oscars, Lady Gaga is introduced by Vice President Joe Biden and performs "Til It Happens To You" joined by a group of sexual assault survivors. A few minutes later, it loses the Best Song award to Sam Smith's "Writing's On The Wall."

2014-Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale have their third child: Apollo Bowie Flynn.

2012-The Malaysian Government cancels a concert by Erykah Badu scheduled for the following day due to her tattoos, including one with the word "Allah" in Arabic.

Stump Struggles Lead To Fall Out Boy Return
2012-Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump makes a blog post titled "We Liked You Better Fat: Confessions of a Pariah" where he writes about hitting a low point with a failed solo album and taunts from audience members. The post prompts FOB bass player Pete Wentz to contact Stump, and they get the band back together, staging a triumphant comeback with their 2013 album Save Rock and Roll and the hit "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)."More

2009-Flo Rida's "Right Round" hits #1 on the Hot 100 for the first of six weeks. An unknown singer named Kesha Sebert provides the hook. She soon becomes a star under the moniker Ke$ha, with the $ in her name included for ironic purposes as she claims money isn't very important to her (which explains why she isn't too upset about getting paid very little for her contribution to this song).

2008-Mike Smith (lead vocalist, keyboardist for The Dave Clark Five) dies of pneumonia at age 64.

2006-Bruce Springsteen releases Hammersmith Odeon London 1975.

2006-Ne-Yo's first album, In My Own Words, debuts at #1 in America.

2004-Usher's club anthem "Yeah!," featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon, hits #1 in America. It stays at the top for 12 weeks to become the biggest hit of 2004.

2004-Gigli sweeps the 24th Golden Raspberry Awards with nine nominations and six wins, including Worst Actress for star Jennifer Lopez and Worst Actor for Ben Affleck (whose award also includes his roles in Daredevil and Paycheck). Despite having a highly publicized off-screen romance, the pair also lands Worst Screen Couple.

1999-Hole and Marilyn Manson kick off their joint Beautiful Monsters tour with a show in Spokane, Washington, but cancel it after nine dates when Hole pulls out and Manson injures his ankle on stage.

1998-Columbia Records releases Train's self-titled debut album, which the band issued independently in 1996 after the label passed on it. It includes their first hit, "Meet Virginia."

1998-Garth Brooks hosts Saturday Night Live. As the musical guest, he performs his hit "Two Piña Coladas."

1996-22-year-old Alanis Morissette becomes the youngest artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year when Jagged Little Pill takes the prize. She holds the record until 2010, when 20-year-old Taylor Swift nabs the title with Fearless.

1996-Alison Krauss and Shenandoah's "Somewhere In The Vicinity Of The Heart" wins the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals. The single, a #7 hit, was Krauss's first Top 10 entry on the country chart.

1996-Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill won at the 38th Grammy Awards.

1995-Mike Watt of Minutemen and Firehose releases his first solo album, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?, with an all-star team of guest musicians including Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, Flea, Henry Rollins and Frank Black. Vedder and Grohl join his band for the subsequent tour.

1995-Billie Joe Armstrong (of Green Day) and wife Adrienne welcome their first child, son Joseph "Joey" Marciano Armstrong, named for Ramones singer Joey Ramone.

Jewel's First Album Released
1995-Jewel Kilcher releases her debut album, Pieces of You, under the mononym Jewel.

1989-The sitcom Coach debuts on ABC, starring Craig T. Nelson as a college football coach and Shelley Fabares as his longtime girlfriend. Fabares became famous in the '50s and '60s, starring in The Donna Reed Show - on which she debuted the hit "Johnny Angel" - and appearing in three films with Elvis Presley.

Pretty In Pink Movie Reboots Psychedelic Furs Song
1986-The movie Pretty In Pink, based on the Psychedelic Furs song but with a very distorted interpretation of the lyric, is released in theaters.More

1985-Bruce Springsteen wins for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and pretty much any award he was eligible for in the Rolling Stone reader's poll.

1985-Uriah Heep lead singer David Byron dies at his Berkshire home from liver disease and seizures caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. He is just 38 years old.

Michael Jackson Wins Big At the 26th Grammys
1984-Michael Jackson is the big winner at the Grammy Awards, winning eight trophies, including Album of the Year for Thriller and Record of the Year for "Beat It." He makes the ceremony despite being injured the previous day when his hair caught fire shooting a Pepsi commercial.

1983-U2 release their third album, War, with "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day." It's their first album to sell a million copies in America.

1981-Rosanne Cash's third studio album Seven Year Ache was released , becoming her commercial breakthrough and reaching #1 on the country music chart.

1981-Eddie Rabbitt's country crossover "I Love A Rainy Night" makes #1 on the US Hot 100.

1978-The Village People play their first concert, performing at 2001 Odyssey in New York City, the setting for Saturday Night Fever.

1977-Country singer Jason Aldean is born Jason Aldine Williams in Macon, Georgia.

1977-An audience member attacks Ray Charles onstage, trying to strangle him with a rope.

1976-The 18th Grammy Awards in honored Captain & Tennille's Love Will Keep Us Together as Record of the Year, and Natalie Cole became the first African American to win Best New Artist. 1974-28-year-old Bobby Bloom accidentally shoots and kills himself while cleaning his gun.

1971-Johnny Cash is pleasantly surprised when the taping of his variety show is revealed to be an episode of This Is Your Life, with friends and family paying tribute.

1970-Led Zeppelin perform in Denmark as "The Nobs" after Eva von Zeppelin, a relative of the late airship designer Ferdinand von Zeppelin, threatens to sue.

1970-The title track of Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water album hits #1 on the Hot 100, where it remains for six weeks, longer than any other song in 1970.

1969-Train lead singer Pat Monahan is born in Erie, Pennsylvania.

1968-Frankie Lymon dies of a heroin overdose at age 25.

1967-Pink Floyd get their first record deal, signing with EMI Records.

1966-The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England, where The Beatles performed regularly from 1961-1963, closes. It re-opens a few months later as more of a tourist attraction, complete with souvenir shop.

1957-Ian Stanley (original keyboardist for Tears For Fears) is born in High Wycombe, England.

1957-Phil Gould (drummer for Level 42) is born in Hong Kong, but raised on England's Isle of Wight.

1957-Cindy Wilson is born in Athens, Georgia, where along with her brother Ricky and three other friends, she forms The B-52s. On "Love Shack," she belts out one of the most famous (and misheard) lyrics of all-time: "tin roof, rusted!"

1943-Soul singer-songwriter Barbara Acklin is born in Oakland, California, but is raised in Chicago, Illinois, where she plays the nightclub circuit as a teenager. She co-writes the Jackie Wilson hit "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)" and lands a recording contract with Brunswick Records.

1942-Rolling Stones founding member Brian Jones is born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. He is the group's leader early on, but dies in 1969 at age 27.

1942-Big Band orchestra music is huge, and Glenn Miller is king. His song "Moonlight Cocktail" takes the #1 spot on the Billboard tally, where it stays for 10 weeks.

1940-Joe South is born Joseph Souter in Atlanta, Georgia. His most popular song as an artist is "Games People Play," but South also writes the Deep Purple hit "Hush" and Lynn Anderson's "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden."

1920-Maurice Ravel's orchestral suite Le tombeau de Couperin debuted in Paris.

1862-Charles Gounod's opera La Reine de Saba premiered in Paris.

1819 -marked the first public performance of Franz Schubert's song Schäfers Klageleid.

1728- George Frideric Handel's opera Siroe, re di Persia premiered in London.

[Bikkie]

1862
Charles Thatcher gives first NZ performance
The British-born tenor Charles Thatcher gave his first New Zealand performance at Shadrach Jones's Commercial Hotel in Dunedin.


New Zealand soldiers on the Somme, September 1916
1916
New Zealand Division formed
After the evacuation from Gallipoli in December 1915, New Zealand troops returned to Egypt to recover and regroup. In February 1916, it was decided that Australian and New Zealand infantry divisions would be sent to the Western Front. On 1 March, the New Zealand Division was formed.



In Music History

2020-Public Enemy kick Flavor Flav out of the group, claiming he often missed live gigs and recording sessions. "He always chose to party over work," the statement reads. On April 1, the band releases a new song with Flav and claims kicking him out was a hoax.

2019-After a six-year hiatus, the Jonas Brothers announce their reunion, dropping a new song called "Sucker."

2012-On Justin Bieber's 18th birthday, he appears on The Ellen Degeneres Show, where his manager presents him with a Fisker Karma luxury electric car worth about $100,000.

2004-Warner Music Group leaves parent company Time Warner for the first time, bought out as a separate entity by investors led by former Universal Music head Edgar Bronfman Jr.

2002-Shirley Jones of the Partridge Family files for divorce from her husband, actor Marty Ingalls (she later withdraws the petition).

1997-Skillet frontman John Cooper marries Korey Pingitore, who joins the Christian rock band two years later as a keyboardist and rhythm guitarist.

1995-The Flaming Lips guest star on the Beverly Hills, 90210 episode "Love Hurts." The psychedelic rock band is the surprise act at the Peach Pit After Dark, where they perform their hit "She Don't Use Jelly."

1995-Soundgarden win two Grammy Awards: Best Hard Rock Performance for "Black Hole Sun" and Best Metal Performance for "Spoonman."

1995-Tony Bennett wins the Album Of The Year Grammy for MTV Unplugged, a collection of standards taken from his acoustic performance on the network. It's the lowest-charting album ever to win; it topped out at #69 before the ceremony and the Grammy bump only pushes it to #48. In response, the Grammys establish nominating committees for the major awards to make them more contemporary. The following year, Alanis Morissette gets Album Of The Year for the far more popular and acclaimed Jagged Little Pill.

1994-Ozzy Osbourne wins Best Metal Performance with Vocal for "I Don't Want to Change the World" from his album No More Tears. It's the first of his five career Grammy wins.

1994- Nirvana plays their final concert in Munich, Germany, just a month before Kurt Cobain's passing.

1994-Justin Bieber is born in London, Ontario, Canada. Discovered on YouTube, he moves to Atlanta and is mentored by Usher. By the time he's 18 he has two #1 albums and a phalanx of female fans known as Beliebers.

1994-The Bodyguard soundtrack wins the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, with "I Will Always Love You" taking Record of the Year. Frank Sinatra receives a Living Legends Award and Aretha Franklin gets a Lifetime Achievement Award. Branford Marsalis and Bruce Hornsby take Best Pop Instrumental Performance for their song "Barcelona Mona," which was penned for the Barcelona Olympics.

Sting Brags About Hours-long Sex
1993-Q magazine publishes an interview with Sting and Bob Geldof where Sting explains how his sex lasts for hours through the benefits of yoga.

1991-Director Oliver Stone's biopic The Doors, starring Val Kilmer, opens in Los Angeles.

1990-In Miami, Janet Jackson sets out on her first headlining tour, the Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990. The dazzling stage show sees Jackson and her dancers re-creating some of the music videos, culminating with the crisply choreographed "Rhythm Nation." Two days later, a single from the album, "Escapade," hits #1.

1990-Rush are named '80s Artist Of The Decade at the Juno Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammies.

1987-Kesha Sebert is born in Los Angeles. Using the stage name "Ke$ha" (she drops the $ in 2014), she becomes a pop superstar when her first album Animal tops the US chart in 2010.

1986-Mr. Mister's "Kyrie" hits #1 in America. The refrain "Kyrie eleison" is Greek for "Lord, have mercy."

1985-Ford licenses The Beatles "Help!" for a commercial, marking the first time one of their songs is used in a TV ad.

1984-Two days after losing to Michael Jackson at the Grammy Awards, Prince records "When Doves Cry," programming the drums and playing every instrument himself (including the bass, which he decides to take out).

1981-NBC airs Elvis And The Beauty Queen, starring Don Johnson as Elvis Presley. The TV special tells the story of his last years and his affair with Linda Thompson.

1979-The Coca-Cola Company introduces Mello Yello as a competitor to Pepsi's Mountain Dew in the urine-colored soda category. Donovan hopes they will use his song "Mellow Yellow" in their advertising, but the company declines.

1977-Bob Dylan's wife, Sara Lowndes - the "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands" - files for divorce. The couple have been separated for years.

1975-At the Grammy Awards, Olivia Newton-John takes Record of the Year for "I Honestly Love You," Barbra Streisand wins Song of the Year for "The Way Were," and Stevie Wonder gets Album of the Year for Fulfillingness' First Finale.

1975-Elvis Presley wins a Grammy for Best Inspirational Performance for his live version of "How Great Thou Art."

1975-Bob Dylan's album Blood On The Tracks hits #1 in America, where it stays for two weeks before getting bumped by Olivia Newton-John's Have You Never Been Mellow.

1975-The Eagles' "Best Of My Love" hits #1 in America.

1974-Queen launch their first headlining tour with a show at Winter Gardens in Blackpool. Tickets are £1 if purchased in advance.

1974-Rush release their eponymous debut album. With drummer and creative catalyst Neil Peart yet to join the band, the sound is very different from the one that will become Rush's trademark. Still, the album's "Working Man" becomes a breakout song in blue-collar Cleveland, Ohio, after winning WMMS disc jockey Donna Halper's endorsement. One year later the band release Fly by Night, their first album to include Peart.

1973-Pink Floyd release Dark Side Of The Moon. The album debuts at an inauspicious #95 on the US Albums chart, but becomes far and away the album with the most weeks on the tally, thanks in large part to a run from 1977-1988 when it never leaves.

1973-Joffrey Ballet in New York debuts Deuce Coupe Ballet, which is set to the music of The Beach Boys.

1973-Neil Young performs "L.A." at the Myriad in Okalhoma City. A few months later a recording of the performance is included on Time Fades Away.

1973-Tom Waits releases his debut album, Closing Time, on Asylum Records to lukewarm sales but warm critical reception.

1973- Harvest (UK) and Capitol Records (US) release Pink Floyd's 8th studio album "The Dark Side of the Moon"; it stays on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart for most of the next 14 years, selling over 50 million copies worldwide.

1973-In Ontario, Alice Cooper launches the Billion Dollar Babies tour, where he's beheaded nightly in a guillotine. The decapitation goes over so well that it becomes a regular feature at Cooper's live shows throughout his career.

1970-The Beatles make their last appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show when music videos for their songs "Let It Be" and "Two Of Us" are aired.

Jim Morrison Arrested In Miami
1969-Jim Morrison of The Doors is arrested after a Miami concert after allegedly exposing himself to the audience.

1968- Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" first performed as a 15-minute pop cantata at Colet Court School in London.

1968-Johnny Cash marries June Carter of the gospel stars The Carter Family a week after proposing to her on stage at a show in London, Ontario. Their marriage holds up until her death in May 2003, with Johnny passing away four months later.

1966-Gene Clark announces that he is leaving The Byrds, citing fear of flying as the reason. He is not replaced, since the group has three other vocalists: David Crosby, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman.

1963-Filming begins in Hollywood for Elvis Presley's 13th film, Fun In Acapulco.

1958-Elvis Presley begins filming the movie King Creole in New Orleans.

1958-In what would prove to be a major influence on the burgeoning British rock scene, Buddy Holly and the Crickets begin their first and only UK tour at London's Trocadero Club, playing 25 dates of two sets a night.

1958-Nik Kershaw ("The Riddle") is born in Bristol, England.

1957-The Everly Brothers sign with Cadence Records and record "Bye Bye Love," establishing their signature sound: acoustic guitars and Appalachian harmonies over a rock beat.

1950-Pioneering music journalist Dave Marsh is born in Detroit.

1946-Tony Ashton of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke is born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England.

1944-Mike D'Abo of Manfred Mann is born in Surrey, England.

1944-Roger Daltrey of The Who is born in London.

1941-The world's first commercial FM radio station, Nashville's W47NV, begins broadcasting.

1930-Trombone player Benny Powell is born in New Orleans.

1928- Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra record "Ol' Man River" for Victor Records featuring Bing Crosby.

1927-Harry Belafonte is born in Harlem, New York, but at age 8 moves to Jamaica (his mother's birthplace) with his family. The Belafontes move back to New York in the early stages of World War II; in the '50s, Harry becomes a top entertainer, his career buoyed by the calypso craze.

1904-Glenn Miller is born in Clarinda, Iowa.

[Bikkie]

Völkner’s death in the Illustrated London News
1865
Missionary Carl Völkner killed at Ōpōtiki
Local Māori adherents of a new religion, Pai Mārire, hanged the Church Missionary Society (Anglican) missionary Carl Völkner from a willow tree near his church at Ōpōtiki.



In Music History

2021-Dolly Parton gets the coronavirus vaccine, which she helped fund with a $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. To encourage others to get it, she posts video of her getting the shot on her social media channels and adapts her song "Jolene" to the occasion: Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine I'm begging of you please don't hesitate

2014-Arby's buys the hat Pharrell Williams wore to the Grammys on eBay for $44,100. The fast-food chain donates the hat (which resembles their logo) to the Newseum in Washington, DC. Money from the auction goes to the From One Hand to Another charity.

2014-20 Feet From Stardom, a film about backup singers featuring Darlene Love and Lisa Fischer, wins the Oscar for Best Documentary. Love gets a standing ovation when she sings part of her acceptance speech.

2009-Late Night With Jimmy Fallon debuts on NBC. Fallon's house band is familiar to many hip-hop fans: The Roots. It's the first time an established band has joined a late night show, and it's a big win for all involved. The Roots gain lots of exposure and a steady paycheck; Fallon gets a versatile and highly respected band that shines in segments like "Freestylin' with The Roots" and "Classroom Instruments."

2008-The blind Canadian blues rocker Jeff Healey dies of cancer at 41. Known for his unique playing style with the guitar placed on his lap, he built a legend among blues guitarists, with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and many others among his fans.

2008-Nine Inch Nails release their sixth album, an almost entirely instrumental Ghosts I-IV, as a free digital release - a concept they will revisit with their next album, The Slip, in July. Physical copies are sold at a regular price a few months after the digital releases.

2004-All Saints' Natalie Appleton gives birth to a son, Ace Billy Howlett. The father is her husband Liam Howlett (of The Prodigy).

2003-Hank Ballard, whose song "The Twist" became a national sensation when Chubby Checker recorded it, dies of throat cancer in Los Angeles, California, at age 75.

2000 - DMX Arrested: The rapper DMX was arrested for driving without a license and possession of marijuana, highlighting the intersection of music and legal issues.

1999 - Death of Dusty Springfield: The iconic singer Dusty Springfield passed away at the age of 59 after battling cancer. Known for hits like "Son of a Preacher Man," she was a prominent figure in the music scene from the 1960s onwards.

1997-Mexican-American singer/rapper Becky G is born in Inglewood, California. She becomes famous for her 2014 pop hit "Shower" before pivoting her music toward the Latin market with Spanish-language tunes like "Sola," "Mayores," and "Sin Pijama."

1994 - Miami's Latin Walk of Fame Established: The first star was awarded to singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan, recognizing her contributions to music and culture.

1992-The Oxford, England group On A Friday sign to EMI Records. They soon change their name to Radiohead and in 1993 issue their first album, Pablo Honey.

1991-Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" peaks at #6 on the US chart, thanks to an instrumental version featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart.

1990-Luke Combs is born in Huntersville, North Carolina. He moves to Nashville and quickly lands a series of country hits, including "When It Rains It Pours" and "Beautiful Crazy."

1989-"Like A Prayer" becomes the first hit song to debut in a commercial when it is used in a 2-minute Pepsi ad starring Madonna.

1988-U2 win their first Grammy Awards, taking Album of the Year and Best Performance by Rock Duo or Group with Vocal for The Joshua Tree.

1987-The Trio album, a collaboration between Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, is released. The album had been planned since 1979 - it was worth the wait, selling over 4 million copies and winning the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.

Spinal Tap Explodes Into Theaters
1984-This Is Spinal Tap is released in theaters, chronicling the hapless heavy metal band with exploding drummers and an amp that goes to 11. It leaves some in laughter and some in tears. Ozzy Osbourne is just confused.

1983-The first CD players are released in America, along with 16 albums on CD.

1983 - CD Players Sold for the First Time: This event marked a significant change in how music was consumed, as CD players became available in the US and UK.

1983-The Judds audition at RCA, singing mountain tunes and Naomi's unfinished original, "Change Of Heart." They earn a recording contract and issue their debut EP, Wynonna & Naomi, in January 1984.

1977-Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin is born in Whitestone, Exeter, Devon, England.

1974-Stevie Wonder wins four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for Innervisions. Gladys Knight & The Pips win for "Neither One of Us" (Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group or Chorus) and "Midnight Train To Georgia" (Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Group).

1974-Olivia Newton-John wins the Grammy for Best Female Vocal Country Performance for "Let Me Be There." Country veterans are miffed, but reach full outrage when she takes the CMA award for Female Vocalist of the Year.

1974 - Stevie Wonder Wins Album of the Year: At the Grammy Awards, Stevie Wonder's album "Innervisions" won Album of the Year, solidifying his status as a musical genius.

1971-Rapper Method Man is born Clifford Smith in Long Island, New York.

1968-At King Edward VII Hospital in London, Cat Stevens is diagnosed with tuberculosis. He spends three months in the hospital and another six recovering. The ordeal leads him to look inward and write songs like "On The Road To Find Out" and "Wild World" about the quest for meaning life.

1967-The Supremes record "Reflections" and "The Happening."

1964 - The Beatles Begin Filming "A Hard Day's Night": This marked the start of the Beatles' first film, which would significantly boost their global fame and popularity.

1964-Vee-Jay Records in Chicago creates the Tollie label and releases "Twist And Shout" by The Beatles.

1963 - The Four Seasons Score Their Third Consecutive No. 1: Their hit "Walk Like A Man" topped the Billboard Hot 100, showcasing their dominance in the music charts at the time.

1962-Jon Bon Jovi is born John Francis Bongiovi in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. As a teenager, he gets a gig cleaning up the studio his cousin Tony owns, which he uses to record demos and form the band Bon Jovi.

1960-Elvis Presley's Army plane refuels in Scotland - his only appearance in the UK.

1956-Mark Evans (bassist for AC/DC) is born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, where he meets his future bandmates at the city's Station Hotel in 1975.

1956-Anvil frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow is born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

1956-John Cowsill (of The Cowsills) is born in Newport, Rhode Island.

1955-Bo Diddley records "Bo Diddley" and "I'm A Man."

1955-Dale Bozzio (vocalist for Missing Persons) is born Dale Frances Consalvi in Medford, Massachusetts.

1955-Jay Osmond (of The Osmonds) is born in Ogden, Utah.

1950-Karen Carpenter (of the Carpenters) is born in New Haven, Connecticut.

1948-Irish rocker Rory Gallagher is born William Rory Gallagher in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland.

1942-Lou Reed is born Lewis Allan Reed in Brooklyn, New York.

1900-Composer Kurt Weill is born in Dessau, Germany. Known for his collaborations with playwright Bertolt Brecht, including The Threepenny Opera and its famous ballad "Mack the Knife."