On This Day In History

[Bikkie]

1878-Wellington steam-tram service opened
The governor, the Marquess of Normanby, formally opened the new service, which was said to be the first in the southern hemisphere.

✈️1932: Amelia Earhart Took Off from Los Angeles
The female aviator embarked on a groundbreaking non-stop flight from Los Angeles to Newark, aiming to set a women's transcontinental airspeed record. Flying her Lockheed Vega 5B, Earhart completed the journey in just under 20 hours, overcoming challenging weather conditions and mechanical issues. This achievement not only set a new record but also cemented her status as a pioneering aviator.



Music History


2021-Thirty years after appearing as a baby grasping for a dollar bill on Nirvana's Nevermind album cover, Spencer Elden sues the band and others associated with the photo shoot, claiming it caused him "extreme and permanent emotional distress."

2019-Billie Eilish ends a 19-week run at #1 for "Old Town Road" when "Bad Guy" claims the top spot on the Hot 100.

2016-Jeanne Martin, ex-wife of the late Dean Martin, dies of cancer at age 89. She married the singer in 1949, and gave birth to three children, including Dean Paul Martin, in addition to raising four more from Dean's first marriage. They divorced in 1972.

2014-Doo-wop singer Tommy Gough (of The Crests) dies of throat cancer at age 74.

2013-"Royals" by Lorde goes to #1 on the Alternative chart, making her the first female solo artist to top that tally since Tracy Bonham did it in 1996 (five months before Lorde was born) with "Mother Mother."

2013-The Civil Wars, the folk duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White, hit #1 in America with their self-titled sophomore album, but split up without ever performing songs from the set.

2012-Country singer Randy Travis continues his string of calamitous arrests, this time for a brawl at a church in Texas where he was purportedly fighting over a woman. The incident leads to him being cited for assault, giving him another citation to add to his collection. It's still a cheaper hobby than baseball cards.

2010-Teenage Dream, Katy Perry's second major-label album, is released. It goes to #1 in the US, where the first five singles, starting with "California Gurls," all top the Hot 100.

2008-Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson emerges unscathed after he crashes his Cessna 206 float-plane near Bancroft, Ontario. Three other passengers, including wife Natalie, are also miraculously uninjured. The Transportation Safety Board is unable to determine the cause of the crash, but clears Robertson of any wrongdoing.

2008-Leona Lewis and Jimmy Page perform during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the National Stadium (also known as the Bird's Nest). The duo perform the Led Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love."

2007-During a routine medical exam in Gainesville, Florida, Bo Diddley complains of dizziness and nausea and is admitted to a local hospital, where he is diagnosed as having had a heart attack. The rock legend had suffered a stroke only a few months earlier.

2007-Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders opens Mark Lindsay's Rock And Roll Cafe in his native Portland, Oregon. The restaurant closes the next year.

2005-Hal Kalin (of the Kalin Twins) dies after a car accident in Charles County, Maryland, at age 71.

2003-Dick Peterson from The Kingsmen joins 753 other guitarists to perform "Louie Louie" for a charity fundraiser in Tacoma, Washington.

1999-Big Band trombonist Warren Covington dies at age 78 in New York City.

1999-18-year-old Christina Aguilera releases her self-titled debut album, which includes three #1 hits: "Genie in a Bottle," "What a Girl Wants" and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)." It ushers in a new era of teen pop alongside her former Mickey Mouse Club star, Britney Spears.

1998-53-year-old Ingrid Pedersen announces that she is the long-lost illegitimate half-sister of John Lennon, explaining that she kept her secret for so many years as a way of protecting her now-deceased adoptive parents.

1998-Composer/conductor Gene Page dies after a long illness in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, at age 58. Page did arrangements for The Supremes, Whitney Houston and Barbra Streisand and many others. He also scored the 1972 Blaxploitation flick Blacula.

1998-Bob Geldof of The Boomtown Rats and Live Aid fame begins hosting a show on the London radio station XFM. In his first broadcast, he announces (incorrectly) that Ian Dury has died.

Windows 95 Starts Up With Brian Eno
1995-Microsoft launches the Windows 95 operating system. The start-up music is composed by Brian Eno, a pioneer in ambient music who in 1978 released an album designed to soothe travelers at airports (Ambient 1: Music for Airports).

1991-Randy Newman wins his first Emmy, taking Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics for his work on Cop Rock, a spectacular flop that was cancelled long before the ceremony.

1990-Sinéad O'Connor refuses to perform at the Garden State Arts Center in New Jersey until they agree not to play the US national anthem before the show.

1990-Led by Donald Fagen of Steely Dan and his girlfriend Libby Titus, the first "New York Rock & Soul Revue" is held in Southampton, New York. The second Revue results in the popular live album The New York Rock and Soul Revue: Live at the Beacon, featuring Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs and Phoebe Snow.

1989-The Who perform a special 20th anniversary charity concert of their rock opera Tommy at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, featuring guests Elton John (as the Pinball Wizard), Patti LaBelle (as the Acid Queen), Steve Winwood (as the Hawker), Phil Collins (as Uncle Ernie), and Billy Idol (as Cousin Kevin).

1983-Jerry Lee Lewis' fifth wife, Shawn Michelle Stevens, dies of a methadone overdose at The Killer's home in Nesbit, Mississippi, although several journalists suspect foul play. The couple had only been married three months. Lewis' fourth wife had died an accidental death only a year earlier.

1981-Mark David Chapman, who murdered John Lennon, is sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. He is repeatedly denied parole.

1981-The Rolling Stones release Tattoo You. The big hit from the album is "Start Me Up," which they first recorded with a reggae rhythm in 1977. That version was scrapped, but they rocked it up for Tattoo You with better results.

Rock 'N' Roll High School Hits Theaters
1979-The Ramones' movie Rock & Roll High School opens in theaters. The title song becomes one of their classics, and the film gains a cult following.

1978-Jazz trumpeter Louis Prima dies in New Orleans, Louisiana, at age 67, three years after a traumatic cerebral hemorrhage left him in a coma.

1977-Country legend Waylon Jennings is arrested for cocaine possession in New York City by federal agents, an event which will inspire his song "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got out of Hand?" The charges are later dropped.

1976-British composer Michael Head dies at 76.

"(You're) Having My Baby" Hits #1 Despite NOW Protest
1974-Paul Anka's "(You're) Having My Baby" hits #1 for the first of three weeks despite condemnation from feminist groups

1972-Many Brits get their first look at Roxy Music and their bedazzled frontman Bryan Ferry when they perform their song "Virginia Plain" on Top Of The Pops.

1969-John Lennon writes, rehearses, and records a song about his recent heroin withdrawal entitled "Cold Turkey," where he also puts into practice his recent introduction to "primal scream" therapy. Fans and critics are shocked and appalled by the emotionally raw recording, a prelude to his eventual Plastic Ono Band album.

1969-Folksinger Arlo Guthrie's film Alice's Restaurant, based on his hit song of the same name, premieres in both Los Angeles and New York.

1967-Keith Moon, drummer for The Who, drives his Lincoln Continental (not a Rolls Royce, as is often thought), into the swimming pool at the Holiday Inn in Flint, Michigan, to celebrate his 21st birthday, earning the entire band a lifetime ban from the chain.

1967-John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison meet Maharishi Mahesh Yogi when they attend his lecture at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, London. They later travel to India and study Transcendental Meditation with the Maharishi, an experience that informs many of their songs on The White Album.

1964-Taking him up on his telegram invitation to help out in any way he can in America, Beatles manager Brian Epstein meets Elvis Presley manager "Colonel" Tom Parker for the first time when they have lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

1963-Stevie Wonder's album Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius goes to #1, making him, at 13, the youngest solo artist ever to top the albums chart.

1961-Mark Bedford (bass guitarist for Madness) is born in Islington, London, England.

1959-The Browns' "The Three Bells" hits #1 for the first of four weeks.

1956-Elvis Presley records the ballad "Love Me Tender" on a soundstage in Hollywood where he's filming the movie of the same name.

1956-Buddy Holly is in the audience when Little Richard plays the Cotton Club in Lubbock, Texas.

1955-R&B singer Jeffrey Daniel (of Shalamar) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1951-Danny Joe Brown (lead singer of Molly Hatchet) is born in Jacksonville, Florida.

1951-Michael Derosier (former drummer for Heart) is born in Canada.

1948-Composer Jean-Michel Jarre is born in Lyon, France. Forerunner of electronic and ambient music.

1947-Jim Fox (drummer for the James Gang) is born in Cleveland, Ohio.

1945-Malcolm "Molly" Duncan (tenor saxophonist for The Average White Band) is born in Montrose, Scotland.

1945-Ken Hensley (multi-instrumentalist and songwriter for Uriah Heep) is born in Hertfordshire, England.

1944-Folk rocker Jim Brady (of The Sandpipers) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1943-John Cipollina (lead guitarist for Quicksilver Messenger Service) is born in Berkeley, California.

1943-Frank Sinatra's "In The Blue Of Evening" hits #1 in America.

1942-Jimmy Soul, known for the 1963 chart-topper "If You Wanna Be Happy," is born James Louis McCleese in Weldon, North Carolina.

1942-Carl Mann, known for rockabilly versions of Nat King Cole's "Mona Lisa" and The Platters' "Twilight Time," is born in Huntingdon, Tennessee.

1942-Marshall Donald Thompson (of The Chi-Lites) is born in Chicago, Illinois.

1941-Doo-wop singer Ernest Wright (of Little Anthony & the Imperials) in Brooklyn, New York.

1938-David Freiberg (vocalist and multi-instrumentalist for Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane) is born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1938-Mason Williams is born in Abilene, Texas. Aside from becoming a comedy writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and Saturday Night Live, he also works as a guitarist and composer.

1924-Louis Teicher (of the piano-playing duo Ferrante & Teicher) is born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

1915-Blues singer Wynonie Harris is born in Omaha, Nebraska. He'll land his first R&B chart-topper in 1945 with "Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well."

1905-Blues musician Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup is born in Forest, Mississippi.

[Bikkie]

Cook's First Voyage
1768 Captain James Cook departs from Plymouth, England, bound for the Pacific Ocean on his first voyage aboard the Endeavour

Captain Webb Conquers English Channel
1875 Captain Matthew Webb makes the first recorded and unassisted swim across the English Channel in 21 hours and 45 minutes

1908 Allan Winter wins the first $50,000 trotting race in the US

1910 Yellow Cab is founded

1912 First time an aircraft recovers from a spin

1916-New Zealand soldier executed
After being found guilty of desertion, 28-year-old Private Frank Hughes was killed by a firing squad in Hallencourt, northern France. He was the first New Zealand soldier executed during the First World War.

1st US Female Olympic Champion
1920 Ethelda Bleibtrey leads an American medal sweep at the Antwerp Olympics in the women's 100 m freestyle with a world record of 1:13.6, becoming the first US female Olympic champion

1920-First flight across Cook Strait
Captain Euan Dickson completed the first air crossing of Cook Strait, flying a 110-hp Le Rhone Avro from Christchurch to Upper Hutt with the first air mail between the South and North Islands.

Walter Nash visits a tornado-damaged house in Frankton
1948
Killer twister hits Frankton
Three people were killed, 80 injured and about 150 buildings destroyed or badly damaged by New Zealand’s deadliest recorded tornado. The damage was estimated at more than £1 million (equivalent to $77 million in 2020).


Music History


2018-During her Reputation tour, Taylor Swift headlines a concert at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, where Tim McGraw and Faith Hill join her onstage for a performance of her seminal country hit "Tim McGraw."

2018-Neil Young and Daryl Hannah get married in a secret ceremony in Atascadero, California. It's Young's third marriage, her first.

2016-Kanye West begins his Saint Pablo Tour with a concert in Indianapolis. During the show, West performs on a floating stage that hovers about 15 feet over the audience.More

2013-'N Sync reunite to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards, where group member Justin Timberlake accepts the Video Vanguard Award. It's their first performance since 2004; they don't perform again until 2024, when they make a surprise appearance at one of Timberlake's concerts.

Skillet Sizzles With Awake Album
2009-Skillet's Awake album debuts at #2 on the US albums chart, tying with Underoath's Define The Great Line and Casting Crowns' The Altar and the Door for the highest-charting Christian rock album. The album also features their first Hot 100 entry: "Awake and Alive."

2009-Chris Brown is sentenced to five years probation and six months hard labor for assaulting Rihanna in February 2009 the night of the Grammy awards. Brown is also ordered to stay away from her for the next five years and undergo a full year of domestic violence counseling.

2008-The Verve release Forth, their first album since Urban Hymns in 1997. It proves to be their last.

2007-While singing his 1968 hit "Fire" on stage in Lewes, England, Arthur Brown catches on fire after wearing his customary tinfoil hat with a small fire burning in the center.

2007-The Veronicas' fashion line for Target is released in Australia. "It's a bit punk princess, mixed with rock 'n' roll,'' says Lisa Origliasso.

2006-Longtime Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton misses his first gig in 24 years after being diagnosed with throat cancer.

Aaliyah Dies In Plane Crash
2001-After shooting the music video for "Rock The Boat" in The Bahamas, 22-year-old Aaliyah dies in a plane crash along with eight others when the overloaded aircraft goes down shortly after takeoff.

2000-Composer Jack Nitzsche dies after a cardiac arrest in Hollywood, California, at age 63. Aside from playing keyboard for The Rolling Stones in the '60s, he co-wrote the 1983 hit "Up Where We Belong" from the romantic drama An Officer and a Gentlemen.

1998-Fugees member Lauryn Hill releases her solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It becomes the first hip-hop album to win the Grammy for Album of the Year.

1995-Dutch rock 'n roller Arnie Treffers (of Long Tall Ernie & the Shakers) dies of lung cancer in Westeremden, Groningen, Netherlands, at age 48. Had an international hit in 1977 with "Do You Remember."

1994-Jimmy Buffett swims to safety after crashing his seaplane while trying to take off in Nantucket.

1994-Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin reunite in a London studio to record the concert that becomes the MTV special Unledded.

1994-Billy Joel is officially divorced from the model Christie Brinkley. Their marriage lasted nine years.

Snoop Dogg Involved In Fatal Shooting
1993-Snoop Doggy Dogg drives his Jeep Cherokee to Woodbine Park in Los Angeles, where his passenger, McKinley Lee, shoots and kills a rival gang member. Both are tried for murder but found not guilty in 1996.More

1992-Mary J. Blige releases "Real Love," her first Top 10 hit on the Hot 100.

1989-Chicago mayor Richard Michael Daley declares today "Pops Staples Day" in honor of the native musician and leader of The Staple Singers.

1988-Metallica issue their fourth studio album, ...And Justice For All, featuring "One" and "To Live Is To Die."

1987-Mötley Crüe lead singer Vince Neil suffers a mustard-related injury when he angrily breaks a jar of Gulden's before a show in Rochester, New York (he wanted Frenchie's). The show is cancelled, and Neil is airlifted to Baltimore, where surgeons work to repair nerve and tendon damage in his hand.

1984-Menudo, the Puerto Rican boy band with the ever-changing lineup, release their 16th studio album, Evolucion. The album introduces their new 12-year-old singer, Ricky Martin.

1979-Bandleader Stan Kenton dies days after having a stroke in Los Angeles, California, at age 67. Known for hits with June Christy and a popular version of "Laura," named for the 1944 film-noir of the same name.

1979-The Knack's "My Sharona" hits #1 in the US for the first of six weeks.

1977-California governor Jerry Brown appoints singer and longtime environmental activist Helen Reddy to the state's Parks Commission.

Boston Blast Off With Blockbuster Debut Album
1976-Boston release their self-titled debut album, which despite being mostly recorded in Tom Scholz' basement studio, becomes one of the best-selling debuts of all time.

1976-Frankie Avalon's summer replacement variety series, Easy Does It, debuts on CBS.

1975-Bruce Springsteen releases his third album and big breakthrough: Born to Run.

1973-Butch Trucks, drummer for The Allman Brothers Band, crashes his car while driving in Macon, Georgia, breaking his leg in the process. This happens within sight of the spot where Duane Allman had died in a crash two years earlier.

1973-Todd Rundgren puts on a free concert at Wollman Rink in Central Park, where he records the song "Sons Of 1984" for his upcoming album, Todd. The audience is given lyric sheets so they can sing along in the chorus.

1973-The Stories' "Brother Louie" hits #1 in the US for the first of two weeks.

1970-At Plymouth Guildhall in England, Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform for the first time. They play to a far larger audience four days later at the the Isle Of Wight Festival.

1967-Jimmy Page's band The Yardbirds play the Village Theatre (later the Fillmore East) in New York City, where their opening act, Jake Holmes, plays his song "Dazed And Confused." Later with Led Zeppelin, Page releases a very similar song with the same title.

1970-Country singer Jo Dee Messina is born in Holliston, Massachusetts.

1970-The little-known 23-year-old singer Elton John plays his first live show in the United States, co-headlining with the singer/songwriter David Ackles at The Troubadour in West Hollywood. The show gets rave reviews, giving him a huge career boost in America.

1967-Jimmy Page's band The Yardbirds play the Village Theatre (later the Fillmore East) in New York City, where their opening act, Jake Holmes, plays his song "Dazed And Confused." Later with Led Zeppelin, Page releases a very similar song with the same title.

1967-After a two-year bout with stage fright, Beach Boys founder and resident genius Brian Wilson returns to playing live with the band.

1967-Jeff Tweedy (frontman for Wilco) is born in Belleville, Illinois.

1966-Public Enemy DJ Terminator X is born Norman Lee Rogers. In the late '90s, he joins the family business raising African black ostriches on a farm in North Carolina.

1963-Digital Underground leader Greg Jacobs is born in New York City. He assumes various personas in the group, most famously Shock G and Humpty Hump. Digital Underground become one of the most comically joyful and musically inventive acts of their time. At one point, Tupac is a member, learning the ropes from Jacobs.

1962-Little Eva, who takes care of Carole King and Gerry Goffin's daughter, takes their song "The Loco-Motion" to #1 in America.

1962-Vivian Campbell, who would replace the late Steve Clark as guitarist for Def Leppard, is born in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

1961-Billy Ray Cyrus is born in Flatwoods, Kentucky. The "Achy Breaky Heart" singer is also known as dad to Hannah Montana alum Miley Cyrus.

1958-The Elegants' "Little Star," an adaptation of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," hits #1 in America.

1956-Matt Aitken of the songwriting team Stock Aitken Waterman is born in Coventry, England. Among their hits: "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley.

1954-Rock singer/songwriter Elvis Costello is born Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus in Paddington, London, England. He would adopt his stage surname from his dad, who performed as Day Costello.

1952-Geoff Downes (keyboard player/songwriter for Asia and Yes) is born Stockport, Cheshire, England.

1951-Rob Halford, the hell-bent-for-leather frontman of Judas Priest, is born in Sutton Coldfield, England.

1950-Willy DeVille (of rock band Mink Deville) is born William Paul Borsey Jr. in Stamford, Connecticut. Known for "Storybook Love," a collaboration with Mark Knopfler that served as the theme to the 1987 movie The Princess Bride.

1949-Gene Simmons (of Kiss) is born Chaim Weitz in Haifa, Israel, to Nazi concentration camp survivor Flora Klein and her carpenter husband, Feri.

1942-Walter Williams (of The O'Jays) is born in Canton, Ohio. He would go on to be a spokesman for multiple sclerosis, an illness he was diagnosed with in 1983.

1941-Skinnay Ennis records "Don't Let Julia Fool Ya."

1941-Christopher Augustine (drummer for Every Mother's Son) is born in New York. Known for the 1967 hit "Come on Down to My Boat."

1933-Jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter is born in Newark, New Jersey. Known for several compositions for Miles Davis, including "Prince of Darkness," "Footprints" and "Sanctuary."

1918-Composer Leonard Bernstein is born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Known for his work on Broadway smashes West Side Story, Peter Pan and On the Town, among others.

[Bikkie]

1346 – English forces under Edward III win the Battle of Crecy in France, one of the most overwhelming victories in history.

1429 – As part of Charles VII’s campaign to drive the English from French soil, Joan of Arc and her soldiers reach the outskirts of Paris, but the assault ultimately fails.

Cross-section of telegraph cable
1866
Telegraph line laid across Cook Strait
After two bungled attempts and near disaster at sea, the installation of the first communications cable between the North and South Islands of New Zealand was completed. A simple copper telegraph cable was laid on the sea floor from Whites Bay, north of Blenheim, to Lyall Bay on Wellington’s south coast.


1883 – The volcano Krakatoa in Indonesia begins to erupt; 36,000 people are killed by the eruption and resulting tsunami.
Tūkāroto Matutaera Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Tāwhiao

1894
Death of second Māori King
Tāwhiao had led his people through the traumatic period during and after the wars of the 1860s. He was succeeded by his son Mahuta.

First New Zealand Coat of Arms
1911
New Zealand Coat of Arms warranted
On this day King George V signed the Royal Warrant assigning the first New Zealand Coat of Arms. The Warrant was published in the New Zealand Gazette on 11 January 1912.

1920 – The 19th Amendment becomes part of the Constitution of the United States, giving women the right to vote.

1936 – Anglo-Egyptian Treaty establishes Egypt as a sovereign state after 50 years of British occupation.

1939 – The first televised Major League baseball game, between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York, is broadcast.

1959 – British Motor Corporation introduces the first Mini, designed by Alec Issigonis.


Music History


2023-Sean "Diddy" Combs makes a $1 million donation to the Earn Your Leisure fund to help foster financial literacy, then in a show of support for HBCU's, gives the Jackson State University football team another million. Diddy's alma matter is the HBCU Howard University.

Unsigned Singer Debuts at #1 With Working-Class Anthem "Rich Men North Of Richmond"
2023-Oliver Anthony becomes the first artist with no chart history to debut at #1 in America when "Rich Men North Of Richmond," recorded outdoors in one take with his dogs nearby, shoots to the top.

2022-After Jason Aldean's wife Brittany posts a makeup video on Instagram with the caption, "I'd really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase," Maren Morris, an advocate for transgender rights, flames her with a Tweet, writing, "Zip it, Insurrection Barbie." The feud raises tensions between conservative members of the country music community and those with more progressive views like Morris.

2020-Katy Perry welcomes her first child, daughter Daisy Dove Bloom. The father is her partner, actor Orlando Bloom.

2019-Ed Sheeran wraps up his ÷ (Divide) tour with a show at Chantry Park in Ipswich, England, near his hometown of Framlingham. The tour started on March 16, 2017 and set the record for highest-grossing tour, earning $775.6 million over 255 shows. After two-and-a-half years on the road, he's ready for a rest. "This is my last gig for probably 18 months," he tells the crowd.

2017-The first annual LOVELOUD Festival goes down in Orem, Utah, with performances by Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees and Walk The Moon. Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds founded LOVELOUD to support the LGBTQ+ community.

2016-Ann Wilson's husband is arrested for assault after getting physical with Nancy Wilson's 16-year-old twin sons, causing a rift between the Heart sisters, who finish their tour using separate dressing rooms and avoiding contact.

2014-Kate Bush, who hasn't toured since 1979, returns to the stage for a series of 22 shows at the Eventim Apollo in London. Titled Before The Dawn, it's an elaborate production with acting, a puppeteer, and an illusionist. The shows earn rave reviews and, the next week, eight of her albums return to the Top 40 of the UK albums chart.

2009-Hit songwriter Ellie Greenwich dies from a heart attack at age 68 after a bout of pneumonia.

2007-The Rolling Stones wrap up their A Bigger Bang tour at the O2 Arena in London. The tour lasted two years and sets a new record with a gross of $558 million.

2006-Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud?" drops out of the Hot 100 after just eight weeks, establishing a new record for the shortest stay on the chart for a #1 hit. A little perspective: "London Bridge" by Fergie is the 2006 #1 with the next-fewest weeks on the chart, with 21.

2005-A post office in Los Angeles is officially renamed after singer Ray Charles due to its close proximity to the studio where he recorded later in life.

2004-"Gloria" singer Laura Branigan dies from a cerebral aneurysm in East Quogue, New York, at age 52.

2002-Herman's Hermits original lead singer Peter Noone files an unsuccessful lawsuit against the group's drummer Barry Whitwam, attempting to block him from touring with new musicians under the group name.

2000-Allen Woody (bass guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule) dies in Queens, New York, from an indeterminate cause at age 44.

2000-De La Soul's Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, their first album in four years, debuts at #9 on the Billboard 200 chart and #3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

1996-Delegates at the Democratic National Convention take a break to do the "Macarena," including First Lady Hillary Clinton, who's rocking the dance's hand motions from the crowd.

1995-Ronnie White (of The Miracles) dies after a battle with leukemia at age 56 in Detroit, Michigan. White had also lost his first-born daughter to the disease when she was 9 years old.

1995-Seal's "Kiss From A Rose" hits #1 in the US after being used in the movie Batman Forever. "I owe my career to Joel Schumacher," Seal says, referring to the film's director.

1994-Scottish singer/songwriter Frankie Miller suffers a brain hemorrhage while in New York, lapsing into a five-month coma that eventually forces him into physical therapy to regain his motor skills.

1994-Hole play the Reading Festival in England, their first concert following two tragedies: the suicide of Kurt Cobain (husband of Hole frontwoman Courtney Love) in April, and the death of their bass player, Kristen Pfaff, from a heroin overdose in June. Pfaff's replacement is Melissa Auf der Maur.

1993-Apple Records wins the bidding for a rare recording of the Beatles playing "Kansas City" and "Some Other Guy" at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in 1962, paying £16,000 for the acetate disc.

1983-The film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, starring David Bowie, opens in New York City.

1981-Folk singer Lee Hays (bass vocalist for The Weavers) dies from diabetic cardiovascular disease at age 67 in Croton-on-Hudson, Westchester County, New York. Hays penned a farewell poem wishing for his ashes to be mixed with his compost pile. That wish was fulfilled.

1981-The mayor of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Marion Dewar, declares today "Paul Anka Day" in honor of its Paul Anka.

1980-Cheap Trick bass player Tom Peterson leaves the group, citing burnout. He returns for their 1988 Lap Of Luxury album, featuring their comeback song "The Flame."

1978-The Canada Jam festival goes down in the Great White North (Bowmanville, Ontario), with The Doobie Brothers, The Village People, Triumph, and Kansas on the bill.

1978-Frankie Valli's "Grease," the title track to the blockbuster film, hits #1 in America.

1977-Kiss play the first of three nights at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The shows are compiled for their Alive II album, released in October.

1976-Steven Tyler of Aerosmith appears on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Annie Leibovitz took the photo, which shows the frontman haggard and bleary after just two hours sleep. Leibovitz got the shot by showing up at his hotel at 6 a.m.

1974-As part of As part of Women's Equality Day, the National Organization of Women give Paul Anka their "Keep Her In Her Place" award for his song "(You're) Having My Baby."

1973-Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers record "Mellow My Mind," "Speakin' Out," "World on a String," "Tired Eyes," and "Tonight's the Night." All five recordings are included on the final cut of Tonight's the Night.

1973-10cc make their stage debut at the Palace Lido on England's Isle of Man.

1973-At the Hilton in Las Vegas, Bobby Darin plays his final concert. The singer dies on December 20.

1972-Looking Glass' "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" hits #1, where it will stay for one week.

1972-Nilsson's novelty song "Coconut" peaks at #8 on the US pop chart, where it will stay for one week.

1970-The five-day Isle of Wight festival kicks off in England, boasting a very impressive lineup, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Donovan, Jethro Tull, Miles Davis, Emerson, Lake And Palmer, The Doors, The Who, Spirit, The Moody Blues, Chicago, Procol Harum, Sly and the Family Stone, Free, and in his last concert appearance in England, Jimi Hendrix.

1970-After an all-night jam, The Allman Brothers' Duane Allman asks Eric Clapton if he can attend the recording sessions for his new group, Derek & the Dominos. Clapton agrees, only on the condition that Allman also play on the sessions.

1969-Elvis Presley cracks himself up during his concert in Las Vegas when he changes a lyric to "Are You Lonesome Tonight," singing, "Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair?"More

1969-No Doubt drummer Adrian Young is born in Long Beach, California.

1968-Mary Hopkin releases "Those Were The Days" in the US.

1968-In America, The Beatles release the Paul McCartney-penned "Hey Jude" with John Lennon's "Revolution" on the B-side. It hits #1 a month later and stays for nine weeks, longer than any other song in 1968.

1968-Jeannie C. Riley's "Harper Valley P.T.A." is certified gold.

1967-Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billy Joe" hits #1 in America for the first of four weeks. The song looks at how quickly we move on to the next thing, as Billie Joe's demise quickly becomes old news.

1967-The Beatles follow their favorite new lecturer, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, to University College in Bangor, North Wales, along with Mick Jagger and his girlfriend Marianne Faithfull. After his lecture the group holds a press conference to announce that they've become his disciples in the "Spiritual Regeneration Movement" and officially renounced the use of all drugs.

1966-Shirley Manson is born in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she forms the band Angelfish. Their video for "Suffocate Me" gets the attention of the Americans Butch Vig, Duke Erikson and Steve Marker, who convince her to join their new band, Garbage.

1966-Dan Vickrey (lead guitarist for Counting Crows) is born in Walnut Creek, California.

1963-British singer Cilla Black makes her concert debut, opening for The Beatles at the Odeon in Southport, Lancashire, England.

1960-Jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis is born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, to a family of musicians. He played sax and miscellaneous percussion on Sting's 1985 solo debut, The Dream of the Blue Turtles.

1958-English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams dies in London, England, at age 85. Known for compositions like "A Pastoral Symphony" and "The Lark Ascending."

1952-Rock guitarist Billy Rush (of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes) is born.

1949-Pop singer Bob Cowsill (of The Cowsills) is born in Portsmouth, Virginia, though the family band will be born out of Newport, Rhode Island.

1948-Motown songwriter Valerie Simpson (half of the Ashford & Simpson team) is born in The Bronx, New York.

1942-Maureen "Moe" Tucker (drummer for The Velvet Underground) is born in Levittown, New York.

1942-Singer Vic Dana is born in Buffalo, New York. Known for '60s hits like "Little Altar Boy," "I Will," and a popular cover of "Red Roses for a Blue Lady."

1942-Drummer Chris Curtis (of The Searchers) is born Christopher Crummey in Oldham, Lancashire, England. After a move to Liverpool at age 4, he meets bandmate Mike Pender in primary school.

1940-Rocker Nik Turner (of Hawkwind) is born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.

1939-Doo-wop singer Fred Milano (of The Belmonts) is born in New York City. Belmont Avenue, the Bronx street where he grew up, inspired the group's name.

1936-Duke Elllington music, Helen McKay sings "Here's Looking At You" as part of a test transmission for the BBC television service, making it the first song ever broadcast on television.

[Bikkie]

1904-Foundation stone for Victoria University’s first building laid
Victoria College (now Victoria University of Wellington) was founded in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria's 60th jubilee. Until the opening of the Kelburn building in 1906, classes were taught in rented rooms.

1911-Pawelka's last prison break
Joseph Pawelka’s escape from Wellington’s Terrace Gaol was the last of three bold but seemingly effortless prison escapes he made over a period of 18 months.

1859 First successful oil well drilled near Titusville, Pennsylvania, by Edwin Drake

1869 The first international boat race is held on the River Thames; Oxford beats Harvard

1881 Hurricane hits Florida and the Carolinas, killing about 700

Krakatoa: The World’s Mightiest Explosion
1883 Krakatoa volcano, located west of Java in Indonesia, erupts with a force of 200 megatons of TNT, killing approximately 36,000 people


Music History


2024-The bellicose brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher announce an Oasis reunion tour, ending a 15-year hiatus. "The guns have fallen silent," the press release reads. "The stars have aligned."

2018-Weird Al Yankovic receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the ceremony, he tells the crowd, "My name is gonna be walked on, spit on, and let's face it ... urinated on for generations to come. That's a legacy, my friends."

2017-Kendrick Lamar wins Video of the Year for HUMBLE. at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Taylor Swift debuts her video for "Look What You Made Me Do."More

2013-To celebrate the band's 40th anniversary, Alabama reunites for Alabama & Friends, a tribute album with some of the group's biggest hits sung with contemporary country artists like Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and Jason Aldean.

2011-In Italy, Phoenix lead singer Thomas Mars marries the director Sofia Coppola - the couple already have two daughters together. Phoenix contributed a song to Coppola's 2003 film Lost in Translation and appear in her 2006 movie Marie Antoinette.

2008-Election '08 fever begins as the Democratic National Convention hits Denver and brings Kanye West, Rage Against The Machine, John Legend and many more to town.

2003-Janis Ian marries her girlfriend, Nashville defense lawyer Patricia Snyder, in Toronto, one of the few places where gay marriages are legal.

2002-Queens Of The Stone Age release their third album, Songs For The Deaf, touted as being so heavy even deaf people can hear it. The drummer is Dave Grohl, taking some time away from Foo Fighters.

1996-Pearl Jam release their fourth album, No Code, which debuts at #1 in the US.

1995-Big Dee Irwin dies of heart failure in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 63. Recorded a popular version of "Swinging on a Star" with Little Eva.

1992-John Lennon's original written lyrics for "A Day In The Life" fetch $87,000 at a Sotheby's auction.

1992-The Heights, a drama series about a group of working-class youths struggling to form a rock band, premieres on the FOX network. Produced by Aaron Spelling, the short-lived show spawns a #1 single with its theme song, "How Do You Talk To An Angel."

1991-Pearl Jam release their debut album, Ten, which launches them to stardom and puts them in the forefront of the Seattle grunge movement.

1990-35-year-old Stevie Ray Vaughan dies in a helicopter crash near East Troy, Wisconsin, following a concert at the Alpine Valley Music Theater where earlier in the evening he appeared with Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, and his older brother, Jimmie Vaughan.

1989-Izzy Stradlin of Guns N' Roses is arrested at the Phoenix airport after urinating on the floor of the plane, apparently upset at having to wait to use the bathroom. His publicist explains that it was Izzy's "way of expressing himself."

1989-The BCM Summer Dance Festival kicks off at the Tempodrom in Berlin. The 3-day festival brings together a number of American acts, including the up-and-coming hip-hop groups Stetsasonic, EPMD and UTFO, along with disco mainstays The Village People and R&B legend Bobby Womack.

1988-Tracy Chapman's self-titled debut album races to #1 in the US as her song "Fast Car" peaks at #6.

1988-As baby boomers soak up the soothing sounds of Kenny G, Yanni and Enya, Billboard introduces the New Age Albums chart. The first #1 is Cristofori's Dream by the pianist David Lanz.

1988-20-year-old Kylie Minogue becomes the youngest female artist to land a #1 album in the UK when her debut, Kylie, claims the top spot. Her record stands until 2003, when 18-year-old Avril Lavigne goes to #1 with Let Go.

1987-With the jury deadlocked, a judge declares a mistrial in the case against Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, who was charged with distributing harmful material to minors because he included a surreal poster of penis art in the band's 1985 album Frankenchrist - the first time a musician has been prosecuted for album art. The trial is a costly one for the Dead Kennedys, who break up soon after.

1986-R&B singer Mario is born Mario Dewar Barrett in Baltimore, Maryland.

1986-Tina Turner receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1982-George Strait makes his movie debut in The Soldier, where he performs his song "Fool Hearted Memory" in a honky tonk as a brawl breaks out. The song becomes the first of Strait's 44 #1 Country hits.

1979-Jon Siebels (guitarist for Eve 6) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1977-Jackson Browne plays the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. His performances of "Running On Empty" and "The Load Out/Stay" from the show are released on the album Running on Empty.

1977-Jimmy Buffett marries his second wife, Jane Slagsvol, of Columbia, South Carolina, who had co-written two of his songs, "Something So Feminine About A Mandolin" and "Kick It In Second Wind." They remain married today.

1977-Rapper Mase is born Mason Durell Betha in Jacksonville, Florida. Known for "Feel So Good" and "Lookin' at Me" from his 1997 solo debut, Harlem World.

1970-The second day of the Isle of Wight Festival is notable primarily for its lack of big names. It does see an early appearance from Supertramp, whose debut album was released just four weeks earlier.

1970-The sci-fi musical Toomorrow, starring newcomer Olivia Newton-John as a pop singer whose band gets abducted by aliens, debuts in theaters. The film is meant to be a vehicle for the title group, but flops, pushing Newton-John towards a solo career.

1970-No Doubt bass player Tony Kanal is born in London to Indian parents.

1967-The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein dies of an accidental overdose (Carbitral mixed with alcohol) in London, England, at age 32.

1966-The Association release "Cherish."

1965-Elvis Presley meets The Beatles for the first time when the Fab 4 are brought to The King's Los Angeles mansion. They hang out, talk music and have a little jam session. John Lennon would later say, "If it hadn't been for him, The Beatles would be nothing."

Julie Andrews Debuts In Mary Poppins
1964-Disney releases Mary Poppins, a Sherman Brothers musical featuring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. It's the first movie role for Andrews, who is already a Broadway star. Her portrayal of the title character earns her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

1962-Gospel singer Yolanda Adams is born in Singapore to American parents. She will be raised in Houston, Texas. Known for her 1999 Grammy-award-winning album, Mountain High... Valley Low.

1956-Glen Matlock (original bass guitarist for The Sex Pistols) is born in Paddington, London, England.

1955-Fats Domino's "Ain't That A Shame" hits #10 in the US, becoming the first R&B song to hit the Top 10 on the Pop chart. Three weeks later, Pat Boone's cover hits #1.

1953-Alex Lifeson (guitarist for Rush) is born Aleksandar Zivojinovic in Fernie, British Columbia, Canada, to Serbian immigrant parents. He is raised in Toronto, Ontario.

1949-Country rock musician Jeff Cook (of Alabama) is born in Fort Payne, Alabama.

1945-Malcolm "Duke" Allured (drummer for Showaddywaddy) is born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England.

1944-Rocker Tim Bogert (bassist/vocalist for Vanilla Fudge) is born John Voorhis Bogert III in Richfield, New Jersey.

1942-Daryl Dragon, the Captain of Captain & Tennille, is born in Los Angeles. His father is the conductor Carmen Dragon.

1939-Operatic tenor Allan Jones records "I'm Falling In Love With Someone."

1937-Pop singer Tommy Sands is born in Chicago, Illinois. Known for the 1956 hit "Teen Age Crush."

1937-Phil Shulman (of Gentle Giant) is born in The Gorbals, Glasgow, Scotland.

[Bikkie]

Horse in Race Against a Train
1830 The first American-built locomotive, "Tom Thumb," races a horse-drawn car from the Stockton and Stokes stagecoach company from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills; due to mechanical problems, the horse wins!

Britain Abolishes the Slave Trade
1833 Britain's Slavery Abolition Act gains royal assent

1837 Pharmacists John Lea and William Perrins manufacture Worcestershire sauce
1840 Nine Jewish prisoners are released from Damascus jails
1845 Scientific American magazine publishes its first issue

1st Photograph of a Tornado
1884 First known photograph of a tornado is taken near Howard, South Dakota

World Record 300m
1920 Ethelda Bleibtrey leads an American medal sweep in the Antwerp Olympics women's 300 m freestyle with a world record swim of 4:34.0

Babe Ruth Starts Streak
1921 Babe Ruth starts a streak of hitting an extra-base hit in nine consecutive games




Music History


2020-Katy Perry releases her sixth album, Smile. It's bundled with the video game Katy's Quest, which she is seen playing in the video for the title track.

Beyonce And Rihanna Have VMA Moments
2016-At the MTV Video Music Awards, Beyoncé wins Video of the Year for "Formation." In support of the Black Lives Matter movement, she brings four mothers of shooting victims with her onto the red carpet. By the end of the evening, Bey (along with her production designer, choreographer, director, cinematographer and editor) has eight trophies.More

2011-Beyoncé reveals her pregnancy during the MTV Video Music Awards, setting Twitter on fire.

2009-Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein dies of what is ruled as an accidental overdose at age 36 in his New York City apartment. This comes nearly a year after AM and his friend Travis Barker survived a fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of four others.
Oasis Call It Quits

2009-After the latest in a series of incidents between feuding brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, Oasis finally split, with Noel walking out for good. "It is with some sadness and great relief... I quit Oasis tonight," he says. "People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer."

2009-Three days before the release of their second studio album, The First Days of Spring, Noah and the Whale lead singer Charlie Fink's brother Doug announces that he will leave the band to pursue a career in medicine. In a 2011 interview, Charlie says that Doug is still the one he consults first on matters concerning the band. "He can always see where I'm going, even when something is embryonic and sounds like madness."

2005-To promote their new line of fall denim, the Gap recruits seven artists to cover their favorite songs on a commercial that airs during the MTV Video Music Awards. Joining Alanis Morissette, who sings Seal's "Crazy" in the clip, are Keith Urban, Joss Stone, Michelle Williams (of Destiny's Child), Jason Mraz, John Legend, and Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd.More

2005-For the second time in two years, Art Garfunkel is arrested for marijuana possession.

2004-A woman claims to be badly injured by Rick Springfield's butt when he ventures into the audience as part of his show in Syracuse, New York. Her lawsuit is the butt of many jokes but is a real pain in the ass for the singer. The case isn't decided until 2015, when a jury rules in Springfield's favor.

2004-Lou Rawls is awarded an honorary doctorate from Ohio's Wilberforce University in recognition of his charity work with the United Negro College Fund and his "lifelong service to the education of historically disadvantaged populations."

2003-Britney Spears and Madonna share a big, juicy kiss during the opening performance of the MTV Video Music Awards. Madonna then plants one on Christina Aguilera, but we only get a glimpse of it because the director cuts to a shot of a thunderstruck Justin Timberlake in the audience.

2001-Mary J. Blige releases her fifth studio album, No More Drama.

2001-Weezer release "Island In The Sun," the second single from Weezer (aka The Green Album). It's a very tranquil song for the band, a stark contrast from the first single, "Hash Pipe." It becomes the most-licensed song in their catalog, showing up in The Simpsons, The Sopranos, and Trolls Band Together.

2001-With nu-metal still alive and well, Puddle Of Mudd release their debut album, Come Clean. It sells over 3 million copies thanks to the hits "Blurry," "Control," and "She Hates Me."

1998-The Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall In Love opens in theaters. Named after Lymon's famous song, the film stars Larenz Tate, Halle Berry and Vivica A. Fox.

1998-The movie Studio 54, about the legendary New York Disco, opens starring Ryan Phillippe and Mike Myers as the club's owners.

1998-Pearl Jam's video for "Do The Evolution," their first since "Jeremy" in 1992, debuts on MTV. The band does not appear in the video, which is animated by Todd McFarlane.

1997-In Leeds on the U2 Popmart tour, Bono responds to George Harrison's comment, "Bono and his band are so egocentric," by holding up a middle finger and saying, "This one's for you George!"

1996-Isaac Hayes officially protests the use of Sam and Dave's classic "Soul Man" (which he wrote) by the Bob Dole US Presidential campaign (which had renamed it "I'm A Dole Man").

1993-At a charity concert held at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island, Natalie Merchant plays her first gig after leaving 10,000 Maniacs.

1986-Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine is born in London.

1986-The anti-corporate-pollution benefit concert Get Tough On Toxics is held in Long Beach, California, featuring members of Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Neil Young.

1984-The Egyptian poet Abdul Rahim Mansour dies.

1984-With over one million ticket sales in only two months, the Jacksons' reunion tour, entitled Victory, becomes the most successful concert tour of all time.

1982-George Strait lands his first #1 Country hit with "Fool Hearted Memory," a song from his second album, Strait From The Heart, which also contains his famous cover of "Amarillo By Morning." Strait quickly becomes the biggest hitmaker in country music, with 17 #1 hits by the end of the decade.

1982-Country singer LeAnn Rimes is born Margaret LeAnn Rimes in Jackson, Mississippi.

1981-Guy Stevens (music producer/manager) dies of a prescription drug overdose in South London, England, at age 38. He produced The Clash's third album, London Calling.

1981-Country singer Jake Owen is born Joshua Ryan Owen in Winter Haven, Florida. Arriving with him is fraternal twin brother, Jarrod.

1971-John Denver's first hit, "Take Me Home Country Roads," peaks at #2 on the Hot 100, held back by the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" Denver's song, which endures as a singalong favorite, is about West Virgina, but he had never been there - the lyric was inspired by postcards his co-writer Bill Danoff received from a friend who lived in that state.

1970-The third day of the Isle of Wight Festival includes performances from Procol Harum, Rory Gallagher's trio Taste and Chicago. Although appearing on the bill and in the programme, Mungo Jerry decide not to play when the show overruns to such an extent they would be playing in the early hours of the morning.

1969-Paul and Linda McCartney have their first child: a daughter named Mary, named after Paul's mother.

1968-At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, overzealous police in riot gear brutally beat protestors who are demonstrating against the Vietnam War. The Doors, Graham Nash and Chicago all write songs about it.

1967-In San Francisco, Grateful Dead, along with Janis Joplin's group Big Brother & the Holding Company, play the funeral of a Hell's Angel killed after being hit by a car.

1965-Bob Dylan plays "Desolation Row" for the first time at the Forest Hills Music Festival in Queens, New York.

1965-Shania Twain is born Eilleen Regina Edwards in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

1965-Mel Carter's signature tune "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" peaks at #8 on the Hot 100.

1965-The Rolling Stones sign with Decca records and ink a management contract with Allen Klein.

1964-The Beatles smoke pot for the first time, supplied by Bob Dylan, who joins the band after one of their concerts in New York state. Dylan is surprised they haven't tried it before, as he thought they sang "I get high" in their song "I Want To Hold Your Hand," when it was really "I can't hide."

Dylan, Joan Baez and Mahalia Jackson Join MLK at the March On Washington
1963-At the March On Washington, where Martin Luther King, Jr. gives his "I have a dream" speech, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Odetta and Mahalia Jackson sing for equal rights.

1961-Joe Dowell's "Wooden Heart (Muss I Denn)" hits #1, where it will stay for one week.

1960-A 17-year-old Barry White completes his four-month prison term for stealing 300 tires from a Cadillac dealership. Having heard Elvis sing "It's Now Or Never" in prison, he leaves determined to make music his life.

1955-Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till is murdered by two white men in Money, Mississippi, for talking to a white woman. His story later inspires Bob Dylan's "The Death of Emmett Till" and Emmylou Harris' "My Name is Emmett Till."

1951-Wayne Osmond (of The Osmonds) is born in Ogden, Utah.

1951-Dave Hlubek (lead guitarist for Molly Hatchet) is born in Jacksonville, Florida.

1949-Martin Lamble (drummer for Fairport Convention) is born in St John's Wood, London, England.

1948-Danny Seraphine (original drummer for Chicago) is born in Chicago, Illinois.

1943-Ann "Honey" Lantree (drummer and singer for The Honeycombs) is born in Hayes, Middlesex, England.

1943-Actor/singer David Soul is born David Richard Solberg Jr in Chicago, Illinois. Soul played "Hutch" to Paul Michael Glaser's "Starsky" in the '70s crime series, Starsky & Hutch.

1942-Ken Andrew (original drummer for Middle of the Road) is born in Bearsden, Glasgow, Scotland.

1937-Vocalist John Perkins (of The Crew-Cuts) is born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Known for the hit 1954 cover of The Chords' "Sh-Boom."

1931-Drummer Clem Cattini (of The Tornados) is born Stoke Newington, North London, England.

1925-Country singer Billy Grammer is born in Benton, Illinois. Known for his chart-crossing 1959 hit, "Gotta Travel On."

1925-Song-and-dance man Donald O'Connor is born in Chicago, Illinois. Known for starring in Singin' in the Rain with Gene Kelly.

1904-Swing/Jazz musician Ernie Fields is born in Nacogdoches, Texas. Raised in Oklahoma, he would be known as bandleader to Tulsa-based Royal Entertainers.

1890-Poet and composer Ivor Gurney is born in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England.

[Bikkie]

1533 – The last Incan emperor, Atahuallpa, dies by strangulation at the hands of Francisco Pizarro’s conquistadors.

1842 – The First Opium War ends with the Treaty of Nanking, confirming the ceding of Hong Kong to Britain.

1882 – English cricketers lose to Australia on English soil for the first time. A mock obituary in the Sporting Times declares the death of English cricket, saying its ashes will be taken to Australia.

1885 – The first motorcycle, built in Germany by Gottlieb Daimler is patented.

1895 – A meeting of breakaway northern rugby clubs in a hotel in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, marks the birth of rugby league.

1914 – A New Zealand expeditionary force captures German Samoa during World War I. It continued to be under New Zealand control until independence in 1962.

1930 - The last 36 residents of the Scottish island of St Kilda are evacuated, ending 4000 years of human occupation.

1949 – The Soviet Union detonates its first atomic bomb.


Music History

2021-Lee "Scratch" Perry, a transgressive reggae musician who produced albums for Bob Marley, The Clash, and many others, dies at 85.

2013-Fergie and her husband Josh Duhamel have their first child: a boy named Axl. She says the name came to her in a dream where she was watching Axl Rose perform.

2011-Delta bluesman David "Honeyboy" Edwards dies of congestive heart failure in Chicago, Illinois, at age 96.

2009-Two months after Michael Jackson's death on what would have been his 51st birthday, 13,597 people in Mexico City perform the Thriller dance, establishing a new Guinness World Record.

2006-Rockabilly singer/songwriter Jumpin' Gene Simmons dies after a long illness in Tupelo, Mississippi, at age 73.

2005-Hurricane Katrina pounds New Orleans. One of the victims is Barry Cowsill of The Cowsills, who dies by drowning at age 50. Fats Domino, 77, survives after he is rescued from his home in the Ninth Ward.

2004-"Hey Ya!" wins Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards, one of four wins for Outkast on the night. The show also marks the first red carpet appearance for Jay-Z and Beyoncé as a couple.

2004-Jet take home the award for Best Rock Video for "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" at the MTV Video Music Awards and perform the song live during the strangely un-hosted ceremony at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

2002-Enrique Iglesias and the tennis star Anna Kournikova show up as a couple for the first time when they attend the MTV Video Music Awards, where Eminem takes Video Of The Year for "Without Me."

2002-Pepsi pull their commercial with Ludacris after Bill O'Reilly blasts the rapper on his show The O'Reilly Factor for "peddling antisocial behavior." Luda does just fine: His next three albums go to #1 and he lands a role in the Fast & Furious franchise.

1999-HBO premieres Cher: Live In Concert From Las Vegas. The singer performed at the sprawling MGM Grand Las Vegas, the second largest hotel in the world (by number of rooms).

1998-Country/rockabilly musician Charlie Feathers dies of complications from a stroke-induced coma in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 66. Known for '50s hits like "Peepin' Eyes."

1995-Junior M.A.F.I.A. release their debut album, Conspiracy. The group is led by The Notorious B.I.G. and also features newcomer Lil' Kim, one of the few female rappers to be part of a group. Two hits emerge from the album: "Player's Anthem" and "Get Money."

1995-The US Internal Revenue Service places a lien on Aretha Franklin's home for $600,000 in back taxes.

1994-During the Meat Puppets set opening for Stone Temple Pilots at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, the famous DJ Howard Stern joins them on stage to jam on "Lake of Fire."

Oasis Starts Britpop Invasion With Definitely Maybe
1994-Oasis release their debut album, Definitely Maybe. The record goes on to sell over a million copies in the US, spearheading a second British Invasion, but for now the band remain unknown outside of the UK.

1993-Liam Payne of One Direction is born in Wolverhampton, England. After the band's 2016 split he releases a successful solo album in 2019 but is plagued by addiction and mental health issues, leading to his death in 2024 at 31 when he falls from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

1990-After soundcheck for her concert in Saratoga Springs, New York, Sinead O'Connor dons a disguise and joins protesters outside the venue. The hubbub is over her concert from a week earlier when she asked that the National Anthem not be played before her performance.

1986-Madonna stars in the movie Shanghai Surprise, which bombs at the box office and is pilloried by critics. The film is produced by George Harrison's production company, HandMade Films. He says of the star, "She doesn't have a sense of humor, which is unfortunate, because it was a comedy."

1980-David Desrosiers (bassist for Simple Plan) is born in Sept-Îles, Quebec, Canada.

1980-TV star Valerie Bertinelli goes to a Van Halen concert in Shreveport, Louisiana, and finagles her way backstage to meet Eddie Van Halen, whom she considers a "cutie." It's a love connection: They get married less than a year later and have a son, Wolfgang, in 1991. They split in 2001 and finalize their divorce in 2007.

1980-UB40 release their seminal debut, Signing Off. It climbs to #2 in the UK, becoming the first reggae album to reach those heights. In 2010, to mark the group's 30th anniversary and Signing Off's far-reaching influence, the band performs the record in its entirety during a series of intimate concerts across the UK.

1976-Bluesman Jimmy Reed dies of respiratory failure in Oakland, California, at age 50. Known for hits like "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" (1956) and "Bright Lights, Big City" (1961).

1976-At a concert in Santa Monica, California, Neil Young joins Firefall on stage, who are opening for Spirit. When the headliners take the stage, Spirit's bass player asks Young to join them, but when he does, Spirit's frontman Randy California pushes him off the stage to the horror of his bandmates, who stop playing and leave.

1976-The British music magazine Sounds publishes letters responding to Eric Clapton's racist rant at his Birmingham concert earlier in the month. "Own up, half your music is black," one of them states. "You are rock music's biggest colonist."
This particular missive includes a call to action with an address to join Rock Against Racism, "A rank and file movement against the racist poison in rock music." Rock Against Racism soon becomes a viable movement, holding a series of concerts and festivals in support of tolerance.

1975-Kyle Cook (lead guitarist for Matchbox Twenty) is born in Frankfort, Indiana.

1970-R&B singer Carl Martin (of Shai) is born in Lafayette, Louisiana. Known for the 1992 hit "If I Ever Fall in Love."

1970-The Isle of Wight Festival hits its stride on Day 4 (of 5), with performances by Miles Davis, The Doors and The Who. Joni Mitchell's set is interrupted by a hippie named Yogi Joe who has to be removed by security. It also features Emerson, Lake And Palmer in only their second live performance, which is later released as the album Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.More

1970-Edwin Starr's "War" hits #1 for the first of three weeks. According to Starr, the song isn't specifically about the Vietnam War, but deals with gang violence and other domestic disputes.

1969-Bob Seger divorces his first wife after only ten months of marriage.

1969-Singer/bassist Me'Shell NdegéOcello is born Michelle Lynn Johnson in Berlin, Germany. She is raised in Washington, DC.

1966-The Beatles play their last paid concert, wrapping up their tour at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Jaded by poor sound systems and the rigors of the road, they turn their attention to studio work.

1966-The variety show Hullabaloo airs its final episode, with Lesley Gore, Paul Anka and Peter and Gordon making appearances.

1964-Roy Orbison releases "(Oh) Pretty Woman."

1964-In a clear case of rock and roll being saved by the British Invasion, Billboard magazine notes that guitar sales are the highest they've been since the advent of Elvis Presley.

1962Elvis' 10th movie, Kid Galahad, opens in US theaters, featuring the King as an amateur boxer. Charles Bronson also stars.

1958-Michael Jackson is born in Gary, Indiana.

1958-The first of Alan Freed's Big Beat revues is held at Brooklyn, New York's Fox Theatre, featuring Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and his Comets, Frankie Avalon, The Elegants, Bobby Freeman, and Jimmy Clanton.

1956-Underground rocker GG Allin is born in Lancaster, New Hampshire. He famously declares that he will end his life by committing suicide on stage, but ends up dying of a heroin overdose in 1993.

1946-Ella Fitzgerald records "It's A Pity To Say Goodnight."

1945-Rock musician Chris Copping (of Procol Harum) is born in Middleton, Lancashire, England.

1943-Jazz/rock musician Dick Halligan (of Blood, Sweat & Tears) is born in Troy, New York.

1942-Sterling Morrison (guitarist for The Velvet Underground) is born Holmes Sterling Morrison Jr. in East Meadow, New York.

1935-Controversial singer and co-founder of the West Coast Pop Experimental Art Band Bob Markley is born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

1927-Country singer Jimmy C. Newman is born near Big Mamou, Louisiana. Known for the 1957 hit "A Fallen Star."

1924-Jazz/R&B vocalist Dinah Washington is born Ruth Lee Jones in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

1920-Jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker is born in Kansas City, Kansas. He is raised in Kansas City, Missouri.

[Bikkie]

1682 ‒ William Penn leaves England to sail to the New World.

1903-Four killed by Rotorua geyser
Guide Joseph Warbrick and three tourists were killed instantly when the Waimangu geyser erupted unexpectedly.


Kawarau Falls Dam, 1925
1926
Kawarau Falls dam becomes operational
Hundreds attended the opening ceremony for a dam above the Kawarau Falls which was to temporarily block the outlet from Lake Wakatipu and hopefully expose gold-bearing rock to prospectors.



Music History

2020-Lady Gaga is the big winner at MTV Video Music Awards, taking Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (her Ariana Grande collaboration "Rain On Me") and the Tricon Award, formerly the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. With the coronavirus lockdown still in place, two new categories are awarded: Best Music Video From Home ("Stuck with U" by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber) and Best Quarantine Performance (CNCO: Unplugged at Home).

2019-Tool release Fear Inoculum, their fifth studio album and first in 13 years. Their previous album was 10,000 Days in 2006.

2016-The Go-Go's complete their final tour, playing their last show at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

2015-Taylor Swift and Kanye West make peace when Swift presents him with the Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs, where West famously interrupted Swift six years earlier. The truce doesn't last: In February 2016, West raps, "I made that bitch famous" in his song "Famous," invoking Swift's ire.

2015-Wilko Johnson, known for his work in the band Dr. Feelgood, returns to the stage after beating cancer when he performs at the Rye Jazz Festival in East Sussex, England.

2005-Rihanna, 17, releases her first album, Music Of The Sun. The lead single is the hit "Pon De Replay," which draws on her Bajan heritage with Caribbean rhythms.

2004-Björk releases Medúlla, an album made up almost entirely of human voices.

1997-After 11 weeks on top, "I'll Be Missing You," a tribute to "The Notorious B.I.G." by his producer/label boss Puff Daddy, cedes the top spot to "Mo Money Mo Problems," a posthumous single by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff.

1996-Liam Gallagher flies to America to rejoin his Oasis bandmates on the (What's the Story) Morning Glory? tour. The band played the first four shows with brother Noel taking vocal duties after the capricious singer watched their MTV Unplugged performance from the wings, claiming to be suffering from a throat infection.

1995-Sterling Morrison (guitarist for The Velvet Underground) dies of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Poughkeepsie, New York, the day after his 53rd birthday.

1995-James Taylor and ex-wife Carly Simon perform together for a benefit concert at Martha's Vineyard. It's their first time in 16 years that they have shared a stage.

1993-Billy Joel is the first musical guest on David Letterman's first show after moving to CBS.

1992-Nirvana headline the Reading Festival in England. On the bill is L7, whose frontwoman Donita Sparks throws a (used) tampon into the crowd.

1989-Bebe Rexha is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1989-Never do business with family: Billy Joel fires his manager, who is also his ex-wife's brother. Joel sues him for $90 million, setting off a series of acrimonious court battles.

1988-Thomas "Papa Dee" Allen (percussionist/saxophonist/vocalist for War) collapses onstage during a performance in Solano County, California. He dies of a brain aneurysm at age 58.

1988-Danzig, fronted by former Misfits lead singer Glenn Danzig, release their self-titled debut album, produced by Rick Rubin. The song "Mother" becomes a minor hit when it is re-released five years later.

1980-Barclay James Harvest perform "A Concert For The People" next to the Berlin Wall to an audience of approximately 250,000.

Notting Hill Riots Inspire The Clash
1976-The Notting Hill riots take place as black youth clash with police at the Notting Hill Carnival in England. Members of The Clash are present, and the event inspires them to write "White Riot" as a call for white people to protest with the same furor.

1975-The disco-riffic "Get Down Tonight" by KC & The Sunshine Band goes to #1 in America, the first of five chart-toppers for the group.

1974-Pop singer/songwriter Rich Cronin (of LFO) is born in West Roxbury, Massachusetts.

1972-John Lennon and Yoko Ono play two benefit concerts (an afternoon and evening show) at Madison Square Garden in New York City. They're Lennon's only full concerts in his post-Beatles career.

1971-The Beach Boys release Surf's Up.

1970-Jimi Hendrix rocks the Isle of Wight Festival in his last British concert appearance. The show is plagued by technical problems, with the guitarist's amplifier picking up signals from the security radios. Other artists appearing onstage include Free, Joan Baez and The Moody Blues. The festival closes with a dawn performance by Richie Havens, who also opened at Woodstock.

1969-The Birmingham band Earth changes its name when lead singer Ozzy Osbourne announces on stage that the band's new name is Black Sabbath. The band had played "N.I.B.," "The Wizard," "Black Sabbath," and "Warning."

1969-Santana release their self-titled debut album, with standout tracks "Evil Ways" and "Soul Sacrifice."

1969-It's the first day of the two-day Isle of Wight Festival. Performers include Bob Dylan, the Moody Blues and The Who. This is the second Isle of Wight Festival - it goes on again next year, but doesn't return until 2002.

1963-Trance DJ/record producer Paul Oakenfold is born in London, England.

1959-The Miracles release "Bad Girl."

1958-Martin Jackson (drummer for Swing Out Sister) is born in Manchester, England.

1953-Horace Panter (bassist for The Specials and General Public) is born Stephen Graham Panter in Croydon, Surrey, England.

1950-Micky Moody (guitarist for Whitesnake) is born in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England.

1941-Comic singer George Formby's film Spare A Copper is released in Sweden.

1939The influential British DJ John Peel is born (John Robert Parker Ravenscroft).

1935-"Papa" John Phillips, leader of The Mamas & The Papas, is born in Parris Island, South Carolina, raised in Alexandria, Virginia. He's the primary writer in the group, penning hits like "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'." He also co-writes the Beach Boys hit "Kokomo."

[Bikkie]

1841 - The Sophia Pate is wrecked on a sandbar at the entrance to Kaipara Harbour; 21 people die.

1888 - Jack the Ripper's first victim, prostitute Mary Ann Nichols, is found murdered in London.

1894 - New Zealand introduces compulsory arbitration for disputes between employers and unions.

1897 - Thomas Edison receives a patent for his movie camera, the Kinetograph.

1939 - Nazi leader Adolf Hitler signs an order to attack Poland.

1968 - West Indies’ Garfield Sobers becomes the first cricketer to score six sixes off one over in first-class cricket, in Swansea, Wales.

1974 - NZ prime minister Norman Kirk dies suddenly, aged 51.

1997 - Diana, Princess of Wales, is killed in a car crash in Paris, aged 36. Her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and the car's driver, Henri Paul, also die.

2005 - Nearly 1000 people drown or are crushed to death in Bag



Music History


2019-Ellie Goulding marries the art dealer Caspar Jopling at York Minster Cathedral in a wedding attended by Katy Perry, James Blunt, Princess Eugenie, and Sarah, Duchess of York.

Van Morrison Plays On Cyprus Avenue
2015-On his 70th birthday, Van Morrison plays two shows on Cyprus Avenue in Belfast, inspiration for his song "Cyprus Avenue."

2014-Survivor lead singer Jimi Jamison dies from a heart attack aged 63.

2014-The Raskins, who have paid $1 million to join Mötley Crüe on tour, are accosted by members of the headliner's road crew who come on stage and spray them with urine during their set at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, according to a lawsuit filed by the band.

2012-Eddie Van Halen, of Van Halen lead-guitar fame, is rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery on his digestive system to correct a severe bout of diverticulitis. Tour dates with Van Halen are rescheduled as he recovers.

2012-Entertainer Max Bygraves dies after a battle with Alzheimer's disease in Hope Island, Queensland, Australia, at age 89.

2010-Papa Roach release their first live album, Time for Annihilation. Alongside nine live tracks, the record contains five new studio tracks.

2009-Lil Wayne signs Nicki Minaj to his Young Money Label, also home to Drake. It's a good signing. As Wayne predicts, she becomes a star, breaking out in 2010 with a host of collaborations and a #1 debut album, Pink Friday.

2004-Green Day release the title track of their new album American Idiot as a single three weeks before the album is issued. Both the song and the album are wildly successful and highly acclaimed, with each nominated for multiple Grammy Awards (winning for Best Rock Album). American Idiot later becomes a successful stage musical.

2001-Aaliyah's funeral is held at St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Manhattan, New York, six days after her death in a plane crash in The Bahamas. Hundreds of weeping fans march alongside the singer's casket, which is carried by a horse-drawn carriage to a private service with Gladys Knight, Lil' Kim, Sean Combs, Timbaland, and Missy Elliott in attendance. After the service, 22 doves are released in her memory, representing each year of her life.

1994-R. Kelly, 27, marries 15-year-old Aaliyah at the Sheraton hotel in Rosemont, Illinois (her age on the marriage certificate is listed as 18). The marriage is annulled when Aaliyah's family finds out, and few details emerge as neither party will talk about it publicly. Kelly, who produced Aaliyah's debut album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, which was released before their wedding, tells GQ in 2016: "I can tell you I loved her, I can tell you she loved me, we was very close."

Dixie Chicks Release Fly
1999-Led by the hit single "Ready To Run," the Dixie Chicks release their second major-label album, Fly.

1992-Prince extends his contract with Warner Bros. in a deal reported as being worth $100 million, but worth far less in reality.

1987-MTV debuts Club MTV, their contemporary and far more lascivious version of American Bandstand.

1985-The serial killer Richard Ramirez is captured in Los Angeles and later convicted for 13 murders. At one of the crime scenes, he left behind an AC/DC hat. The media dubbed him the "Night Stalker," and speculated that the band's song "Night Prowler" compelled him to kill, an assertion that is never substantiated, but unfairly links the killer to AC/DC, which is horrified by the association.

1980-Karen Carpenter (of the Carpenters) marries her first and only husband, a California real estate developer named Thomas Burris. She files for divorce the following year.

1978-The Grateful Dead perform "Shakedown Street" live for the first time ever at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.

1976-George Harrison is found guilty of "subconscious plagiarism" in a bizarre lawsuit that leaves songwriters baffled.

1974-The final Partridge Family episode airs on ABC, starring the musical family.

1973-The Rolling Stones release Goat's Head Soup.

1971-Seeking payment of back royalties, The Rolling Stones sue both their former manager Andrew Loog Oldham and their ex-publisher, Allen Klein.

1971-John Lennon leaves England to start a new life with his wife, Yoko, in New York City. He never returns to England.

1970-Singer/songwriter Debbie Gibson is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1969-Acoustic rocker Jeff Russo (of Tonic) is born. Composer for the FX series Fargo.

1968-Jefferson Airplane headline the first Isle of Wight Festival, a one-day event that grows to two days the following year and five in 1970.

1963-Keyboardist/pianist Larry Waddell (of Mint Condition) is born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wrote the group's gold-certified single "What Kind of Man Would I Be" (1996).

1960-Tony DeFranco (of The DeFranco Family) is born in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.

1957-Gina Schock (drummer for The Go-Go's) is born Regina Ann Schock in Baltimore, Maryland.

1957-Glenn Tilbrook (guitarist/lead singer for Squeeze) is born in Woolwich, London, England.

1955-Folk rocker Anthony Thistlethwaite (of The Waterboys) is born in Lutterworth, England.

1948-Guitarist Rudolf Schenker (founder of Scorpions) is born in Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany.

1945-Bob Welch (guitarist for Fleetwood Mac) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1945-Van Morrison is born George Ivan Morrison in Bloomfield, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

1945-Violinist Itzhak Perlman is born in Tel Aviv, Israel (then British Mandate of Palestine).

1939-Frank Sinatra records "All Or Nothing At All," one of his first big hits.

1939-Jerry Allison (drummer for The Crickets) is born in Hillsboro, Texas. Co-wrote the Buddy Holly hits "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue."