1846
Eight killed in attack on Boulcott Farm
Disagreements over the validity of land purchases by the New Zealand Company led to a series of skirmishes between Māori and government troops in the Wellington region in 1846.
1981
All Whites beat Australia on road to Spain
The New Zealand football team's famous 2-0 victory in Sydney was a defining moment in their epic qualifying campaign for the 1982 World Cup finals.
In Music History
2012-Chuck Brown, the "Godfather of Go-Go," dies at age 75.
2010-Black Sabbath singer Ronnie James Dio succumbs to stomach cancer at age 68.
2009-Bob Dylan's 33rd album, Together Through Life, debuts at #1 in the US and the UK. Eight days shy of his 68th birthday, Dylan again becomes the oldest artist to ever top the US tally. He takes over the record from Neil Diamond, who was 67 years, 4 months old when his album Home Before Dark hit #1 in May 2008.
2007-Parma, Italy, names streets after Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
2003-Hoboken, New Jersey, names its post office after its favorite son, Frank Sinatra.
2002-Cher appears on the TV show Will & Grace for the second time. This episode is titled "A.I.: Artificial Insemination."
2001-Brian Pendleton (rhythm guitarist for Pretty Things) dies of lung cancer at age 57.
2000-With his Warner Bros. contract terminated, Prince starts using that name again. He changed it to an unpronounceable symbol in 1993 after a dispute with the label.
1999-Diana Ross and Brandy star as mother and daughter in the made-for-TV movie Double Platinum.
1998-Keith Richards injures his ribs and chest when he falls from a chair at his Connecticut home; The Rolling Stones are forced to reschedule the first four dates of their upcoming tour while he recovers.
1998-The Dave Matthews Band go to #1 on the albums chart for the first time when Before These Crowded Streets debuts at the top spot, ending the Titanic soundtrack's 16-week berth at the top. Remarkably, their next six albums also debut at #1, a testament to their very loyal fans.
1993-R&B singer Marv Johnson, Motown's earliest performer, dies of a stroke at age 54.
1990-Muppets creator Jim Henson dies of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome at 53. Henson made music a key component of The Muppet Show, which featured a gnarly house band (The Electric Mayhem) and welcomed many superstars eager to interact with his creatures. Elton John, Julie Andrews, John Denver and Loretta Lynn all appeared on the show.
1990-Sammy Davis Jr. dies of complications from throat cancer at age 64. He was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1960s and 1970s, appearing in many movies and TV shows, and landing a #1 hit with "The Candy Man."
1987-David Crosby marries his longtime girlfriend Jan Dance in Los Angeles, with bandmate Stephen Stills giving away the bride and Graham Nash renewing his vows with wife Susan.
1986-Top Gun hits theaters with a soundtrack that includes the Kenny Loggins action theme "Danger Zone" and the Berlin love ballad "Take My Breath Away." Both songs are huge hits, continuing a trend of blockbuster movies debuting popular tunes.
1986-Caitlin O'Riordan of The Pogues marries Elvis Costello in Dublin, Ireland. They divorce in 2002.
1983-Michael Jackson does the Moonwalk for the first time on TV when he breaks out the move on the Motown 25th anniversary TV special.
1981-Kim Carnes' version of "Bette Davis Eyes," written and originally recorded by Jackie DeShannon in 1975, hits #1 in America.
1981-Ernie Freeman, a pianist known for R&B and pop arrangements from the '50s through the '70s, dies at a heart attack at age 58. Won Grammy awards for his arrangements of Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" and Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
1980-Alabama release their first RCA Nashville single, "Tennessee River," which becomes their first #1 hit on the Country chart.
1980-Elvis Presley's doctor, George Nichopoulous, is arrested for abusing his licence to prescribe controlled drugs. Nichopoulous wrote Elvis prescriptions for over 10,000 doses of narcotics in 1977, the year Elvis died). He is acquitted, but in 1992 the Tennessee Medical Board revokes his license.
1980-Paul McCartney releases McCartney II, which, like most of his first solo album issued 10 years earlier, was recorded at his home studio with Paul playing every instrument. Forty years later, he does it again with McCartney III.
1980-The Carpenters' last TV special, Music, Music, Music, airs on ABC. Guest stars include Ella Fitzgerald, John Davidson, and Nelson Riddle.
1978-Guitarist Zoltan Bathory is born in Szentendre, Hungary, where he grows up under communist rule. As an adult he moves to America, teaches himself English, and forms the metal band Five Finger Death Punch. "Growing up in a country that had no resources will make you resourceful," he says.
Joe Walsh Is Underwater On His Solo Album
1978-Joe Walsh releases his fourth album, But Seriously, Folks..., where he indulges in an underwater meal in the artwork.More
1976-Mayor James H. McGee declares today "Ohio Players Day" in the band's hometown of Dayton, Ohio.
1974-Queen cut their first US tour short when guitarist Brian May comes down with hepatitis. They return to action November 30, touring behind their third album, Sheer Heart Attack.
1970-The Who release their acclaimed album Live At Leeds in America. It was recorded three months earlier at the University of Leeds in England.
1970-Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young land their first US #1 album when Deja Vu hits the top spot. Tracks include "Teach Your Children," "Our House" and "Woodstock," a song written about the festival by Joni Mitchell.
1970-Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane is arrested on charges of drug possession in his Bloomington, Minnesota, hotel room after police find him smoking pot. His eventual punishment is a $100 fine.
1970-Randy Bachman leaves The Guess Who to produce an album for Winnipeg band Brave Belt, which he eventually joins. At the suggestion of Neil Young, Bachman recruits fellow Winnipeg bassist and vocalist C.F. Turner, and the band Bachman-Turner Overdrive is born.
1969-Jack Casady, bassist for Jefferson Airplane, is arrested in New Orleans for possession of marijuana and given a suspended sentence of two-and-a-half years.
1969-During The Who's set at the Fillmore East in New York, a plainclothes policeman rushes the stage to tell the audience that a fire has broken out, but guitarist Pete Townshend, figuring him for a rabid fan, kicks him off. Literally. The guitarist is arrested onstage and later charged $30.
1968-Ralph Tresvant (lead singer of New Edition) is born in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
1968-Tony Joe White records "Polk Salad Annie."
1966-Frank Sinatra records "Summer Wind."
1965-Krist Novoselic (bass guitarist for Nirvana) is born in Compton, California.
1964-Mary Wells' "My Guy" hits #1 for the first of two weeks.
1960-Billboard magazine reports that Detroit music mogul Berry Gordy is thinking of starting three new record labels, including one called Motown.
1959-Wayne Newton, 16 years old, makes his Las Vegas debut, performing with his brother, Jerry, at the Freemont Hotel downtown. A few years later, he becomes a Vegas Star and a regular on the Strip.
1955-New wave singer-songwriter Hazel O'Connor is born in Coventry, England.
1953-Richard Page (lead singer of Mr. Mister) is born in Keokuk, Iowa.
1953-Jazz guitarist and composer Django Reinhardt dies of a brain hemorrhage at age 43.
1953-Percy Faith's "Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)" hits #1.
1951-Jonathan Richman (frontman for The Modern Lovers) is born in Natick, Massachusetts.
1949-Guitarist William "Sputnik" Spooner (of Grateful Dead, The Tubes) is born in Phoenix, Arizona.
1947-'60s singer Barbara Lee (of The Chiffons) is born in The Bronx, New York.
1947-Darrell Sweet (drummer for Nazareth) is born in Bournemouth, England.
1946-Robert Fripp (guitarist for King Crimson) is born in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England.
1946-Roger Earl (drummer for Foghat, Savoy Brown) is born in Hampton Court Palace, London, England.
1945-Nicky Chinn, who penned hits with songwriting partner Mike Chapman throughout the '60s and '70s, is born in London, England.
1944-Jazz drummer Billy Cobham is born in Panama.
1936-Doo wop singer Corinthian "Kripp" Johnson (of The Dell-Vikings) is born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1932-Drummer Isaac "Redd" Holt (Young-Holt Unlimited, The Ramsey Lewis Trio) is born in Rosedale, Mississippi.
1929-Jazz singer Betty Carter is born Lillie Mae Jones in Flint, Michigan.
1919-Liberace is born Władziu Valentino Liberace in West Allis, Wisconsin, along with a twin who dies at birth.
1913-Woody Herman, jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, is born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1767-A piano is played for the first time in public in the UK. In a playbill for a performance of The Beggar's Opera at Covent Garden Theatre, London, it is announced a Miss Brickler sings "accompanied by Mr. Dibdin on a new instrument called piano-forte."
Featured Events
Britney Spears Releases Second Album
2000-Britney Spears' second album, Oops!… I Did It Again, is released. It sells 1.3 million copies in its first week, setting a new record for best-selling debut by a female artist.More
"Torn" Dominates American Radio And MTV
1998-Five years after it was first released (in Danish), "Torn" goes to #1 on the US Airplay chart with a version by the Australian actress Natalie Imbruglia.More
1987-U2 break big in America with their first #1 hit in that country, "With Or Without You," from the album The Joshua Tree. Their next single, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," follows to #1, cementing their superstar status.
1986-Host Johnny Carson and his bandleader Doc Severinsen wear fake beards in honor of ZZ Top, who perform "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Tush" on The Tonight Show.More
1975-Kiss play the Cobo Arena, Detroit, recording it for some of their live album Alive!, their first Gold album. In September, Bob Seger records two concerts at Cobo for Live Bullet, his first Gold album.
1966-Janet Jackson is born Janet Damita Jo Jackson in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of nine kids in the Jackson family. She releases her first album in 1982 when she's 16 and breaks through with Control in 1986. Her next album, Rhythm Nation 1814, makes her one of the biggest pop stars on the planet.
1966-The Beach Boys release their landmark album Pet Sounds, produced with great ingenuity by their bass player, Brian Wilson. Standout tracks include "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "God Only Knows."
1956-Doris Day introduces her signature song, "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)," in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much.
1966 – The Beach Boys released Pet Sounds, their 11th studio album, produced and arranged primarily by Brian Wilson. The album was revolutionary for its innovative instrumentation, including synthesizers, theremins, and unconventional objects like bike bells and soda cans. Hits like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows” made it one of the most influential albums in music history, later added to the National Recording Registry in 2004.
1970 – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young topped the Billboard 200 with their second studio album Déjà Vu, marking their first album with Neil Young and featuring classics like “Woodstock” and “Our House”.
2014 – Coldplay released Ghost Stories, showcasing a more electronic and restrained sound compared to their previous albums.
Notable Singles and Chart Achievements
1964 – Mary Wells’ “My Guy” reached No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, also charting highly in New Zealand, the UK, Australia, and Canada.
1987 – U2’s “With or Without You” became their first US No.1 single, leading their album The Joshua Tree.
2000 – *NSYNC released “It’s Gonna Be Me”, their only Billboard Hot 100 No.1.
2016 – Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a summer hit.
2016 – Adele released “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” from her album 25, generating significant media attention.
Memorable Performances and Events
1965 – The Rolling Stones appeared with Chuck Berry on Hollywood A-GO-GO, and The Beach Boys performed “Help Me Rhonda” on The Ed Sullivan Show.
1983 – Michael Jackson performed the moonwalk live for the first time during the television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, and Forever.
1985 – Madonna performed in Cleveland on her The Virgin Tour, solidifying her status as a pop icon.
1988 – Bruce Springsteen began a five-night stand at Madison Square Garden as part of his Tunnel of Love Express Tour, performing a 33-song set including a rare cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying”.
Other Historical Notes
1929 – Paul Whiteman and his orchestra backed Bing Crosby on the recording of “Sposin’”.
1946 – Annie Get Your Gun opened at New York’s Imperial Theatre for 1,147 performances.
1953 – Django Reinhardt, the legendary Romani guitarist, passed away at age 43.
1968 – Tony Joe White recorded “Polk Salad Annie”.
1970 – Randy Bachman left The Guess Who to pursue solo projects and later formed BTO.


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