On This Day In History

[Bikkie]

1871 - While Prussian guns bombard Paris, the Reich is formed when William I of Prussia is crowned the first emperor of Germany.

1913 - Greek and Turkish naval forces battle off Tendos Isle.

1968 - United States and Soviet Union agree on draft treaty to control nuclear weapons.



In Music History

2016-Glenn Frey dies at age 67. Years in the fast lane took a toll on Frey, who suffered from a host of ailments. Frey founded the Eagles, and along with Don Henley, led the group throughout their career. He had a successful solo career while the group was on hiatus, reaching #2 with "The Heat Is On" in 1985.

2015-John Legend and Common perform "Glory" (from the movie Selma) at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and honor the march King led from the bridge to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.

2015-Dallas Taylor, former Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young drummer, dies of complications from pneumonia and kidney disease in Los Angeles, California, at age 66.

2009-A wide range of top musicians including Mary J. Blige, U2, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, will.i.am, James Taylor, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger, Shakira, Usher and Stevie Wonder, perform at a concert in Washington, DC, to celebrate the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America.

2008-Amid casting sessions for American Idol, Clay Aiken makes his Broadway debut in New York City in Monty Python's Spamalot.

1996-Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson.

1991-Three teenagers are killed at an AC/DC concert at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah when they are crushed in the crowd. The band learns of the tragedy a few songs later; they complete the show at the request of the fire marshal.

1990-Eric Clapton plays the first of an 18-night concert run at Royal Albert Hall in London.

1989-The Fourth Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include Dion, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder.

1987-Steve Winwood marries Eugenia Grafton.

1985-USA Today readers select Cleveland, Ohio, as their choice for the permanent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1983-Samantha Mumba, known for her hit debut single "Gotta Tell You" (2000), is born in Dublin, Ireland.

1980-Famous Southern-rock record label Capricorn files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

1980-Studio 54 owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager are sentenced to 3 ½ years in jail on charges of tax evasion, which soon brings the legendary disco to an end.

1978-Warren Zevon releases his most popular album, Excitable Boy, filled with outlandish story songs like "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner" and "Werewolves Of London." It's co-produced by Jackson Browne.

1978-Neil Sedaka is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1977-President Jimmy Carter's Inaugural Concert takes place the night before the swearing-in, featuring performances by Linda Ronstadt and Aretha Franklin, among others. John Lennon and Paul Simon are among those spotted in the crowd.

1977-Michael Tierney is born in Sydney, Australia. He and his brother, Andrew, along with next-door neighbor schoolmates Phil Burton and Toby Allen form the Australian boy band Human Nature while they are students at Hurlstone Agricultural High School in Sydney.

1975-Barry Manilow's "Mandy" hits #1 in America. The song was written as "Brandy" but changed to avoid confusion with the Looking Glass hit "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)."

1975-Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago officially declares today Bobby Vinton Day as a tribute to the artist.

1974-Free's Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, Mott The Hoople's Mick Ralphs, and King Crimson's Boz Burrell unite to form the band Bad Company.

1973-At The Forum in Inglewood, California, The Rolling Stones perform a benefit concert for the victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua, where Mick Jagger's wife Bianca is from. The show raises $400,000.

1971-Korn frontman Jonathan Davis is born in Bakersfield, California. With a talent for bagpipes and beatboxing, he brings a unique sound to the band. Many of their songs deal with his childhood traumas in a rather visceral way, including "Mr. Rogers" and "Daddy."


Iconic Coke Commercial Is Born
1971-The McCann-Erickson advertising agency takes a meeting with British songwriters Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway to record a Coca-Cola commercial with the group the New Seekers, which becomes "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing."

1970-DJ Quik is born David Marvin Blake in Compton, California.

1969-Former Beatles drummer Pete Best wins a defamation suit against his former group. Best sued over remarks Ringo made in an interview implying that he was kicked out of the band because of drug use.

1969-Neil Young records "Cowgirl in the Sand."

1968-At a White House luncheon to discuss the rise in urban crime, Eartha Kitt gets into a notorious spat with First Lady Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson, declaring, "Vietnam is the main reason we are having trouble with the youth of America. It is a war without explanation or reason." Although accounts of the entire argument differ, Kitt is subsequently blackballed in America.

1968-Joan Baez is released from jail after serving 31 days for a protest where she and other antiwar demonstrators blocked the entrance to the Armed Forces Induction Center in Oakland, California. "Jail is really peanuts," she tells reporters. "It's nothing for people like us."

1966-Lyricist Fred Wise dies aged 50 in New York, the city of his birth.

1965-Paul Simon drops out of law school to pursue music full-time.

1960-Johnny Preston's "Running Bear" hits #1 for the first of three weeks.

1956-Tom Bailey (lead vocalist for Thompson Twins) is born in Halifax, Yorkshire, England.

1953-Brett Hudson is born in Portland, Oregon, the youngest in The Hudson Brothers lineup.

1948-The Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour debuts on the Dumont network, a spinoff of Major Bowes' popular radio series. Teresa Brewer and Pat Boone, among others, are discovered via the program.

1944-New York City's Metropolitan Opera House holds its first Jazz concert, featuring Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge and Jack Teagarden.

1944-"Legs" Larry Smith (drummer for Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band) is born in Oxford, England.

1943-English composer/keyboardist Dave Greenslade is born in Woking, Surrey, England.

1941-David Ruffin (of The Temptations) is born in Meridian, Mississippi. He takes the lead on the hits "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg."

1941-Country/pop singer Bobby Goldsboro is born in Marianna, Florida.

1939-Louis Armstrong records "Jeepers Creepers," a song he sings to a horse in the movie Going Places.

1928-Dmitri Shostakovich's opera The Nose premieres at the Maliy Opera Theatre in Leningrad.

[Bikkie]

1845-Hōne Heke cuts down the British flagstaff - again
The first Māori to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, Ngāpuhi chief Hōne Heke Pōkai soon became disenchanted with the consequences of colonisation.


Strongman mine memorial
1967-Nineteen killed in Strongman mine explosion at Rūnanga
Nineteen men were killed when an explosion ripped through the Strongman coal mine at Rūnanga. An inquiry found that safety regulations had not been followed and a shot hole for a charge had been incorrectly fired.



In Music History

2017-3 Doors Down, Toby Keith and Sam Moore are among the performers at President Donald Trump's inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

2013-Steve Knight (keyboardist for Mountain) dies of complications from Parkinson's disease in New York, at age 77.

2012-The documentary Searching for Sugar Man premieres at the Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Malik Bendjelloul, the film traces the seemingly unbelievable-but-true musical career of Sixto Rodríguez.

2010-At the trial of Matt Baker, a Texas man accused of killing his wife in 2006, his former mistress Vanessa Bulls testifies against him, claiming he sent her an email with these lyrics from the The All-American Rejects song "Dirty Little Secret": I'll keep you my dirty little secret Don't tell anyone or you'll be just a little regret Baker is convicted of murder.

2009-The blind guitarist Jeff Healey wins Entertainer Of The Year at the Maple Blues Awards in Toronto thanks to his debut album, See The Light, which includes the hit "Angel Eyes."

2008-John Mayer makes a special visit backstage to meet Miley Cyrus during her Hannah Montana Best of Both Worlds Tour in Las Vegas.

2008-John Stewart (of The Kingston Trio) dies of a massive stroke, or possible brain aneurysm, at age 68. Wrote the Monkees hit "Daydream Believer."

2008-Charlie Daniels is inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith.

2007-Denny Doherty of The Mamas & The Papas dies of kidney failure at age 66 after surgery for a stomach aneurysm.

2006-Wilson Pickett dies of a heart attack at age 64.

2004-VH1 goes on a mission to bring '80s bands back together with the series Bands Reunited, successfully reanimating A Flock of Seagulls, Scandal, The Alarm, and in this first episode, Berlin. Extreme and New Kids On The Block don't reunite for the show but do a few years later.

2002-The Strokes make their first appearance on Saturday Night Live, where they sing "Last Nite" and "Hard To Explain" from their debut album, Is This It.

2000-Josh Clayton-Felt of School of Fish dies from aggressive testicular cancer.

1998-Carl Perkins dies at age 65 after suffering three strokes over the last two months.

1994-The Ninth Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include The Animals, The Band, Duane Eddy, The Grateful Dead, Elton John, John Lennon, Bob Marley, and Rod Stewart. Axl Rose performs "Come Together" at the ceremony with Bruce Springsteen - it is Axl's last public appearance until 1998.

Return Of The Mac For Clinton's Inauguration
1993-Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks return to Fleetwood Mac to perform Bill Clinton's campaign song, "Don't Stop," at his inauguration ceremonies.

1992-Rapper Mac Miller is born Malcolm McCormick in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His 2011 debut album Blue Slide Park goes to #1 in America despite being independently distributed.

1990-Reba McEntire makes her acting debut fending off snake-like monsters in the horror flick Tremors, starring Kevin Bacon.

1982-Bad Religion release their first full-length studio album, How Could Hell Be Any Worse?

1977-Charlie Daniels and The Marshall Tucker Band perform at President Jimmy Carter's inauguration ceremonies.

1974-Two Miami shows featuring Bob Dylan and The Band prove so popular that they cause a nine-mile-long traffic jam. Many ticket holders only get to see half of the show(s).

1974-Al Wilson's "Show And Tell" hits #1.

1973-The Bobby Darin Show, starring the singer, debuts on NBC. It is canceled in April.

1971-Alan Passaro, a member of the Hells Angels biker gang who stabbed 18-year-old Meredith Hunter to death during a concert by The Rolling Stones at their Altamont Speedway concert in Livermore, California on December 6, 1969, is acquitted of murder after 17 days of testimony in which the jury sees footage of the documentary Gimme Shelter that shows the stabbing. The Hells Angels were hired as security at the concert, and when Hunter brandished a gun, Passaro killed him. The Stones kept playing, unaware that a fan had been killed.

1971-John Wozniak (lead singer of Marcy Playground) is born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

1971-The Beatles' "Helter Skelter" is played at Charles Manson's murder trial as evidence. Manson claimed the song was about an impending race war, and led to murderous acts.

1970-The Easy Rider soundtrack, featuring "Born To Be Wild," "If 6 Was 9" and "Ballad of Easy Rider," is certified Gold.

1969-R&B singer Trey Lorenz is born Lloyd Lorenz Smith in Florence, South Carolina. He starts his music career as a backing singer for Mariah Carey and gains notoriety when they team up on the duet "I'll Be There."

1967-The Beatles start recording "A Day In The Life," leaving a placeholder in the middle section that is later filled with Paul McCartney's "Woke up, fell out of bed" part, taken from another song he was working on.

1967-Lesley Gore shows up on the Batman TV series, playing Catwoman's sidekick, Pussycat. She sings her new single "California Nights" on the show.

1966-Simon & Garfunkel release "Homeward Bound."

1966-The documentary A Boy Called Donovan airs on British TV. The film follows the singer Donovan as he goes to parties and makes music. In one scene, one of his associates is seen smoking marijuana, which is kind of shocking. This makes Donovan a target for the London drug squad, who make him their first high-profile bust when they arrest him in June for possession of marijuana. Members of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are later victims.

1963-Caron Wheeler (lead singer of Soul II Soul) is born in Acton, London, England.

1961-The night before John F. Kennedy's inauguration, Frank Sinatra throws a star-studded gala to eradicate the Democratic Party's $2 million campaign debt. With the help of Peter Lawford, fellow Rat Packer and husband of JFK's sister Patricia, Sinatra enlists elite entertainers for the evening, including Nat King Cole, Harry Belafonte, Gene Kelly, Ethel Merman, and actors Laurence Olivier, Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, and Bette Davis.

1959-Arbitron ratings reveal that ABC's American Bandstand is now the nation's most popular daytime show.

1959-The Platters' "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is on top of the Billboard Pop Chart.

1957-Pat Boone performs at the inaugural ball for President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

1957-Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill" hits #2 on the Hot 100, the highest he ever gets on the tally.

1957-Mickey Virtue (keyboardist for UB40) is born in Birmingham, England.

1957-Elvis Presley records "It Is No Secret," "Blueberry Hill," "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You," and "Is It So Strange."

1957-Johnny Cash appears for the first time on national TV when he appears on The Jackie Gleason Show.

1953-Marty Robbins makes his stage debut at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry.

1953-Desi Arnaz Jr. is born to Hollywood powercouple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, stars of the wildly popular sitcom I Love Lucy. The birth is a pop culture milestone as the couple's fictional counterparts, Lucy and Ricky, welcome "Little Ricky" at the same time (a smart, but controversial, decision to write Ball's pregnancy into the show). Shortly after, Desi Jr. appears on the very first cover of TV Guide. He goes on to form a band with Dean Martin's son Dean Paul and schoolmate Billy Hinsche (Dino, Desi & Billy).

1952-Dewey Bunnell (of America) is born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.

1951-Martha Davis (lead singer of The Motels) is born in California.

1949-Robert Palmer is born in Batley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He lands his breakthrough singing on the Alan Brown Set's 1969 single "Gypsy Girl."

1948-Harvey Hinsley (guitarist for Hot Chocolate) is born in Northampton, England.

1947-Original Deep Purple lead singer Rod Evans is born in Buckinghamshire, England.

1946-Dolly Parton is born in Sevier County, Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children. In 1967, she gets a big break when country star Porter Wagoner brings her on to co-host his popular TV variety show; Parton writes the song "I Will Always Love You," later a huge hit for Whitney Houston, as a heartfelt goodbye when she sets out on her own.

1944-Laurie London, known for the 1958 hit single "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," is born in Bethnal Green, East London, England.

1944-Shelley Fabares is born in Santa Monica, California. She becomes famous as daughter Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show, on which she performs the hit song "Johnny Angel."

1943-Janis Joplin is born in Port Arthur, Texas.

1942-Michael Crawford is born Michael Patrick Smith in Salisbury, England. He originates the title role in the Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera.

1939-Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers is born in Chicago, Illinois, the younger brother of future bandmate Don.

1908-Comedian and cornet player Ish Kabibble is born Merwyn Bogue in North East, Pennsylvania. He borrows his stage name from the novelty song "Isch ga-bibble," a play on a Yiddish expression meaning "I should worry?"

[Bikkie]

1957
Scott Base opens in Antarctica
Captain Harold Ruegg, Administrator for the Ross Dependency, opened Scott Base, New Zealand’s permanent Antarctic research station, during a ceremony on Ross Island.



In Music History

2025-President Donald Trump joins The Village People on stage when they headline the Liberty Ball, part of his inauguration festivities - their song "Y.M.C.A." was a staple at his rallies. Billy Ray Cyrus, Nelly and Jason Aldean also take the stage; other acts performing at inauguration events include Kid Rock, Rascal Flatts, Gavin DeGraw, Parker McCollum and Carrie Underwood, who sings "America the Beautiful" without a backing track at the swearing-in ceremony when there's a technical glitch.

2023-Marshall Tucker, a blind piano tuner from South Carolina whom The Marshall Tucker Band was named for, dies at 99.

2022-Meat Loaf dies at 74. His 1977 album Bat Out Of Hell is one of the best-selling albums of all time; its 1993 sequel, Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, contains the #1 hit "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)."

2021-Garth Brooks sings "Amazing Grace" at the inauguration of Joe Biden at the request of incoming First Lady Jill Biden. Brooks explains his performance is not a political statement, but "a statement of unity."

2021-At Joe Biden's inauguration, Lady Gaga sings the national anthem and Jennifer Lopez belts out "This Land Is Your Land" before he is sworn in. At night, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Demi Lovato, and Tim McGraw all perform on a socially distanced concert special capped by a massive fireworks display on the National Mall as Katy Perry sings, of course, "Firework."

2021-On his last day in office, President Donald Trump pardons Lil Wayne, who pleaded guilty to weapons charges. Days before the election, the rapper was photographed with Trump and tweeted his support.

Ozzy Releases Toy Bat With Removable Head
2019-Marking the 37th anniversary of that time he bit the head off a bat, Ozzy Osbourne's official store releases a plush bat with a detachable head.

2016-Mamma Mia, here we go again! The Swedish pop quartet ABBA reunite for the first time in eight years to celebrate Mamma Mia! The Party, a restaurant inspired by the long-running musical.

2015-Edgar Froese (drummer for Tangerine Dream) dies of a pulmonary embolism at age 70 in Austria.

2013-Bob Engemann (of The Lettermen) dies of complications from heart bypass surgery at age 77.

Etta James Dies
2012-Etta James dies at age 73 of leukemia complications.

Tiffany Inadvertently Outs A New Kid
2011-Appearing on the Bravo show Watch What Happens Live, Tiffany talks about dating Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block in the '80s, and inadvertently outs him, saying, "He became gay later."

2009-Bon Iver release Blood Bank, a four-track EP and follow-up to the hugely-successful For Emma, Forever Ago. The song "Woods" is sampled by Kanye West on his track "Lost in The World."

Beyonce Sings "At Last" For Obamas, Angers Etta James
2009-Beyoncé serenades Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, at the Neighborhood Ball as the couple shares their first dance together as president and first lady of the United States. The choice of song, Etta James' signature hit "At Last," throws the blues singer into a fit of rage aimed at Beyoncé.

2009-David "Fathead" Newman, a jazz and R&B saxophonist who played alongside Ray Charles, dies at age 75 of complications from pancreatic cancer.

2009-Kid Rock, Kanye West and Fall Out Boy perform at President Barack Obama's inauguration, playing the Youth Ball, which is broadcast live on MTV. Obama headlines, making a speech where he hypes the crowd with his "Yes We Can" slogan. Rock and West later throw their support to the next president: Obama's ideological opposite, Donald Trump.

High School Musical Debuts On Disney
2006-The TV movie High School Musical premieres on the Disney Channel, creating a teen and tween sensation and the biggest album of 2006.

2001-With the debut Lifehouse album climbing the charts, lead singer Jason Wade marries his longtime girlfriend, Braeden.

1999-Bill Albaugh (drummer for the psychedelic pop group The Lemon Pipers) dies at age 53.

1998-With the release of their debut single, "I Want You Back," *NSYNC emerges as a rival to Backstreet Boys, who are taking America by storm.

1998-Bob McBride (lead singer for Lighthouse) dies of heart failure at age 51.

Dawson's Creek Debuts With Hit Theme Song From Paula Cole
1998-Dawson's Creek, a coming-of-age drama following a group of North Carolina teens, debuts on The WB with Paula Cole's hit "I Don't Want To Wait" as its theme song.

1997-French electronic duo Daft Punk release their debut album, Homework in the UK (it is released in America on March 25). The record is a big hit in Europe but only reaches #150 in the USA. Both members, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, are music producers who use recording technology to combine house music with synthpop.

1996-Tori Amos makes her Saturday Night Live debut, performing "Caught A Lite Sneeze" and "Hey Jupiter" from her third album, Boys For Pele.

1993-At the Triangle Ball, the first gay and lesbian inaugural ball, Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang and Janis Ian come out publicly, declaring that they are gay and in same-sex relationships.

America Learns The Electric Slide
1990-After being revived by a Washington DJ, "The Electric Boogie" by Jamaican singer Marcia Griffiths peaks at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100, as the "Electric Slide" line dance craze sweeps the nation.

1988-The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Drifters, Bob Dylan, and The Supremes are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the third class. Mike Love of The Beach Boys gives a Ricky Gervais-at-the-Golden Globes-style speech, insulting many in attendance. Diana Ross skips the ceremony over a spat with fellow Supreme Mary Wilson.

1986-Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) is born in Sydney, Australia, raised in Perth. His parents are both from Africa, where impalas (a spry kind of antelope) are found - the name reflects the wild but controlled nature of his music. Outside of Tame Impala, he does production work for many artists, including Lady Gaga ("Perfect Illusion"), Gorillaz ("New Gold") and Dua Lipa ("Houdini").

1986-After years of campaigning to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday, Stevie Wonder commemorates the occasion with a star-studded concert celebration in Washington, D.C.

1985-Country singer Brantley Gilbert is born in Jefferson, Georgia. His 2009 debut album, Modern Day Prodigal Son, puts him on the map with the hit "Country Must Be Country Wide," and he quickly becomes one of the biggest names in country music, known for high-energy performances and blue-collar hits like "Bottoms Up" and "What Happens In A Small Town."

1984-Metallica's second single, "Jump in the Fire," is released.

Pyromania Induces Def Leppard Hysteria
1983-Def Leppard release their third album, Pyromania. Like their previous effort, High 'n' Dry, it's produced by Mutt Lange, who does the Gunter Glieben Glauten Globen on "Rock of Ages."

1983-Kenny Loggins falls off the stage while making his entrance at a concert in Provo, Utah. The house lights are dimmed, so the crowd doesn't see it. The audience is stunned to learn that Loggins is being taken to the hospital, where he is treated for broken ribs. The show is rescheduled, and while recovering, Loggins writes the song "Footloose" with Dean Pitchford, providing the title track for the movie.

Ozzy Osbourne Bites The Head Off Of Bat
1982-While performing at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa, Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off a bat.

1981-Fifty-two American hostages are freed after being held in Iran for 444 days, ending a tense political crisis. The Kool & the Gang song "Celebration," which is climbing the charts, provides the soundtrack, matching the mood. On February 7, the song hits #1 and stays for two weeks.

1979-Linkin Park drummer Rob Bourdon is born in Calabasas, California.

"Margaritaville" Introduced On Buffett Album
1977-Jimmy Buffett releases his seventh studio album, Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes, which features his signature song "Margaritaville." Peaking at #8, the tropical-themed track remains his highest entry on the Billboard Hot 100.


1975-Bob Dylan releases Blood on the Tracks, which contains the tracks "Tangled Up In Blue" and "Idiot Wind."

1973-Jerry Lee Lewis makes his first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, telling the crowd at the end of his set: "Let me tell ya somethin' about Jerry Lee Lewis, ladies and gentlemen; I am a rock 'n' rollin', country-and-western, rhythm 'n' blues-singin' mothaf---er."

1971-The Roots drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson is born in Philadelphia. He takes on projects as a music historian, winning an Oscar for his 2021 documentary Summer Of Soul.

1971-Diana Ross marries Bob Silberstein (Robert Ellis Silberstein) at a ceremony in Las Vegas. It's the first marriage for Ross, who dated Motown chief Berry Gordy for years. One of the first high-profile interracial couples, they get divorced in 1976 after having three children together, including Tracee Ellis Ross, star of the TV series Black-ish.

1969-Elvis Presley records "In The Ghetto."

1969-James Brown performs at Richard Nixon's Inaugural Ball, even though he endorsed Nixon's opponent, Hubert Humphrey. Nixon is wildly unpopular in the black community, but Brown stands by him, supporting him in his successful 1972 re-election campaign.

1968-John Fred and His Playboy Band's "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" hits #1. The song is a takeoff on The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds."

1968-Roughly three months after the death of Woody Guthrie, a tribute concert is put on in the folk hero's name by Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, the Band, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Tom Paxton, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Odetta, and Richie Havens at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

1967-Arthur Conley records "Sweet Soul Music."

1965-The Rolling Stones and The Kinks both make their debut on ABC's Shindig! along with guests Dave Clark Five, Petula Clark, Bobby Vee, Bobby Sherman and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

1965-Alan Freed, who brought black music to a white audience as a DJ and concert promoter in Cleveland and New York, dies at age 41 of cirrhosis. Caught up in the Payola scandal, Freed's brother says he "died of a broken heart because they took his microphone away."

1964-The Beatles' first American album is released: Meet the Beatles! The first two tracks are the hits "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There."

Dick Dale Launches Surf Music Craze With "Let's Go Trippin'"
1962-Dick Dale's guitar instrumental "Let's Go Trippin'" hits #60, becoming the first Surf Rock song to chart. Many groups, including The Beach Boys, subsequently cover the song.

1958-Elvis Presley receives his draft notice, which allows him a 60-day deferment to finish his film King Creole.

1958-Seventeen-year-old Ricky Nelson's debut album, Ricky, hits #1 in America.

1952-Paul Stanley of Kiss is born Stanley Harvey Eisen in Queens, New York.

1952-Judas Priest bass player Ian Hill is born in West Bromwich, England.

1948-Mel Pritchard (drummer for Barclay James Harvest) is born in Oldham, Lancashire, England.

1947-George Grantham (drummer for Poco) is born in Cordell, Oklahoma.

1945-Eric Stewart (guitarist for The Mindbenders, 10cc) is born in Droylsden, Lancashire, England.

1942-Kay Kyser and His Orchestra record "Who Wouldn't Love You."

1935-Country singer Buddy Blake Cunningham, known for the 1950s songs "Please Convince Me" and "Right Or Wrong," is born in Jackson, Mississippi.

1931-Vocalist/pianist Earl Grant is born in Idabel, Oklahoma. Known for '50s singles "The End" and "Ebb Tide."

1926-Pianist/composer David Tudor is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1923-Country signer Slim Whitman is born in Tampa, Florida.

1922-Trumpeter Ray Anthony (of the Glenn Miller Orchestra) is born in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania.

1885-Folk and blues musician Leadbelly is born Huddie William Ledbetter in Mooringsport, Louisiana.

[Bikkie]

Model of a Harrison refrigerator
1859
Ice comes to Nelson
Enjoying a cold drink on a hot afternoon was not always as simple as adding ice from the freezer to water from the refrigerator. At one time the ice made a much longer journey.


‘Professor’ Thomas Baldwin in later life
1889
American daredevil parachutes from balloon
‘Professor’ Thomas Baldwin landed safely by parachute from a balloon floating high above South Dunedin.


Australian Prime Minister John Curtin signs the Canberra Pact, watched by Australian Minister of External Affairs H.V. Evatt
1944
New Zealand and Australia sign the Canberra Pact
The Canberra Pact was an undertaking by the two countries to co-operate on international matters, especially in the Pacific.



In Music History

2023-Beyoncé plays a private show in Dubai, her first full concert in four years, for a reported $24 million. Her 11-year-old daughter Blue Ivy joins her on "Brown Skin Girl," the first live performance of the song.

2017-"Raindrop... drop-top..." the Atlanta rap trio Migos hit #1 in America with the meme-worthy "Bad and Boujee."

2014-Against Me! release the album Transgender Dysphoria Blues, their first since lead singer Laura Jane Grace came out as transgender. The album began as a concept piece about a transexual prostitute back when Grace was still presenting as a man (Tom Gabel). The personal implications became clear when she came out and her bandmates figured out what was going on. Two of the four members of the band - drummer Jay Weinberg and bass player Andrew Seward - quit before it is completed, but the album earns strong reviews and Grace becomes a leader in the fight for transgender rights.

Metallica Head To Therapy In Some Kind Of Monster
2004-The warts-and-all Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster makes its debut at the Sundance Film Festival.

2002-Peggy Lee dies of complications from diabetes and a heart attack at age 81.

Dolly Parton Inspires Meme Challenge
2020-Ever the trendsetter, Dolly Parton creates a viral meme that shows off four sides of her personality, as represented by LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Tinder. Celebrities like Oprah, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Garner, and Miley Cyrus join in on the fun with their own versions.

1999-Blues singer/pianist Charles Brown, known for "Driftin' Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby," dies of congestive heart failure at age 76.

1997-Elvis Presley's controversial manager Colonel Tom Parker dies at age 87.

Pat Boone Goes Metal
1997-Pat Boone releases the album In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, where he covers various hard rock classics, including "Stairway To Heaven," "Enter Sandman" and "Crazy Train."

1996-Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia (of Cannibal and the Headhunters) dies of an AIDS-related illness at age 49.

1993-French singer Noël Rota aka Helno (of Les Negresses Vertes) dies of a heroin overdose at age 29.

1989-Kid 'N Play's soon-to-be-gold debut album, 2 Hype, which was released three months earlier, debuts at #96 on the Billboard 200 chart.

1987-The Second Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include The Coasters, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, B.B. King, Clyde McPhatter, Rick Nelson, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Smokey Robinson, Big Joe Turner, Muddy Waters, and Jackie Wilson.

1984-Bon Jovi release their self-titled debut album. The first track is "Runaway," the group's debut single and first to get airplay. It was written by frontman Jon Bon Jovi, who recorded it with session musicians before the band formed.

1984-Jackie Wilson dies at 49. He has been incapacitated since suffering a heart attack on stage in 1975.

1984-"Owner Of A Lonely Heart" by Yes goes to #1 in America, an uncharacteristic hit for the prog-rockers and their only Top 10.

1983-Lamar Williams (the bassist who replaced Berry Oakley in The Allman Brothers Band) dies of lung cancer, possibly from exposure to Agent Orange during his service in the Vietnam War, at age 34.

1982-B.B. King donates his entire record collection to the University of Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture. The 20,000-record collection includes 7,000 discs King aired as a disc jockey at Memphis' WDIA in the '50s.

1979-Lynyrd Skynyrd reunite at the Volunteer Jam in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the first time the band have played since the 1977 plane crash that killed three of their members. Lynyrd Skynyrd perform an instrumental version of "Free Bird" alongside The Charlie Daniels Band.

1979-Lynyrd Skynyrd reunite at the Volunteer Jam in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the first time the band have played since the 1977 plane crash that killed three of their members. Lynyrd Skynyrd perform an instrumental version of "Free Bird" alongside The Charlie Daniels Band.

1978-The soundtrack album to Saturday Night Fever hits #1 in the US and stays there for an astonishing 24 weeks.

1976-Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice" of Spice Girls) is born in Finchley, North London.

1974-Bob Dylan meets future president Jimmy Carter at a gathering in Georgia, where Carter is serving as governor. "Carter has his heart in the right place," Dylan would later say. "He has a sense of who he is."

Hippies Gather At The Trips Festival
1966-The first Trips Festival, a three-day event, begins at the Longshoreman's Hall in San Francisco. It's a landmark event in the evolution of psychedelic music.

1966-George Harrison marries Pattie Boyd in Surrey, England, with Paul McCartney as best man. The couple met on the set of The Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night. Eric Clapton would later fall in love with Pattie, inspiring the song "Layla."

1965-The Animals are forced to cancel a show at New York City's famous Apollo Theater after US Immigration officials force the group to leave the country.

1959-The Kingston Trio's "Tom Dooley" is certified Gold.

1957-Filming begins on Elvis Presley's second movie, Loving You.

1957-An unknown singer named Patsy Cline wins on CBS' Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts program with a rendition of the song "Walking After Midnight."

1956Rob Brill (drummer for Berlin) is born in California.

1950-Billy Ocean is born Leslie Sebastian Charles in Trinidad and Tobago. At age 10 he moves to London with his family. He first charts in 1976 with "Love Really Hurts Without You," but he really breaks through with "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)" in 1984, kicking off a run of hits that includes "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" and "When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going."

1945-Peter Kircher (drummer for Status Quo) is born in Folkestone, Kent, England.

1944-Chris Britton (lead guitarist for The Troggs) is born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.

1942-Count Basie records "One O'Clock Jump."

1942-Country singer-songwriter Mac Davis is born in Lubbock, Texas. He writes "In The Ghetto" and "A Little Less Conversation" for Elvis Presley.

1942-Edwin Starr is born Charles Edwin Hatcher in Nashville, Tennessee. He grows up in Cleveland but launches his career in Detroit, eventually joining Motown, where he has big hits with "Twenty-Five Miles" and "War."

1941-Opera singer Placido Domingo (of The Three Tenors) is born in Madrid, Spain.

1941-Richie Havens is born in Brooklyn, New York. His music career takes off when he performs as the opening act at Woodstock in 1969.

1938-Lupine disc jockey Wolfman Jack is born Robert Weston Smith in Brooklyn, New York. In the 1960s he blasts rock 'n roll to the masses from a high-powered border blaster signal at XERF-AM in Mexico.

1936-Blues guitarist Snooks Eaglin is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1923-Frank Virtue, of the rock and roll band The Virtues, is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1917-Jazz pianist Billy Maxted is born in Racine, Wisconsin.

1834-Peter Dodds McCormick, the man who is best known for the patriotic tune, "Advance Australia Fair", is born in Glasgow, Scotland. Though his date of birth is usually given as being on an unknown date in 1834, this is a little off. Twenty-two years later, he would emigrate to Sydney, Australia, where in 1878, he would compose his famous tune, as well as many other patriotic songs, most of which were Scottish tunes. A little side note, one of Peter's siblings, most likely a brother, was credited as having invented the life jacket.

[Bikkie]

Plan for Wellington, 1840
1840
European settlers arrive in Wellington
The New Zealand Company's first settler ship, the Aurora, arrived at Petone to found the settlement that would become Wellington.


Thomas McGrath
1863
Slave trader competes in Wellington Anniversary Regatta
Slave trader Captain Thomas McGrath skippered the winning whaleboat in a race on Lambton Harbour which carried a £10 prize



In Music History

2021-In their hometown of Oklahoma City, Flaming Lips pull off the first COVID-protected space bubble concert, with audience members enclosed in plastic bubbles like the kind frontman Wayne Coyne often uses to walk over the crowd.

2020-Neil Young, born in Canada but a resident of California since 1966, finally becomes a US citizen.

2018-Neil Diamond announces that he's retiring from concert touring because he's been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

2013-Shakira and Spanish soccer star Gerard Pique welcome their first child, baby boy Milan.

2012-Seal and Heidi Klum, who got married in 2005 and had four kids together, announce they are separating.

2008-British tabloid The Sun posts video they claim is of Amy Winehouse smoking crack. The 24-year-old singer has been in and out of rehab, and is clearly in ill health. The video was apparently taken by a guest at her home.

2004-Famed New York nightclub the Bottom Line closes the doors forever at its Greenwich Village location. Opened nearly 30 years previously by Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowski, the club is forced to close after failed negotiations with its landlord, New York University.

2002-Bad Religion release their 12th full-length studio album, The Process of Belief. It is their first recording with Brett Gurewitz on guitar since 1994's Stranger Than Fiction and their debut with current drummer Brooks Wackerman. It's also their first studio album released on Epitaph Records since 1993's Recipe for Hate.

2001-Chubby Checker guest stars on Fox's Ally McBeal in the episode "Mr. Bo."

2000-Robbie Williams reaches #53 on the Hot 100 with "Angels," the highest the British superstar will ever place on the American chart.

1997-Scottish singer Billy MacKenzie (of The Associates) commits suicide at age 39 by overdosing on prescription drugs.

1997-Pop singer Ron Holden, known for the 1959 hit "Love You So," dies of a heart attack at age 57 in Rosarito Beach, Mexico.

1994-Rhett Forrester (former lead singer of Riot) is shot and killed during an attempted carjacking in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 37.

1991-Sting releases his third full-length studio album, The Soul Cages.

1989-Gene Simmons of Kiss and his girlfriend, the Playboy model Shannon Tweed, welcome their first child, a boy named Nicholas.

1989-Metallica's first music video, for "One," makes its debut. Running 7:44, it incorporates footage from the 1971 war movie Johnny Got His Gun.

1987-Pennsylvania State Treasurer R. Budd Dwyer, who had been found guilty of accepting bribes, pulls out a gun and kills himself at a press conference, inspiring the Filter song "Hey Man Nice Shot."

1985-Singer/songwriter Orianthi Panagaris is born in Adelaide, Australia. She was slated to be Michael Jackson's lead guitarist for his This Is It concert series.

1985-In his annual list of the Worst-Dressed Women, designer/fashion critic Mr. Blackwell names Cher the Worst of 1984, writing that she "has little or less respect for being a woman." Cyndi Lauper comes in at #4 ("looks like the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake"), and rounding out the list in a tie for #10 are Dee Snider of Twisted Sister ("a car crash in a whorehouse) and Prince ("a toothpick wrapped in a purple doily").

1984-What goes better with football than Barry Manilow? The "Mandy" singer performs the national anthem at Superbowl XVIII in Tampa, Florida. Disney handles the halftime show.

1983-Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders and Ray Davies of The Kinks have a daughter, Natalie Rae Hynde. They following year, Hynde marries Jim Kerr of Simple Minds.

1982-Alabama releases "Mountain Music."

1981-Pop singer/actress Willa Ford is born Amanda Lee Williford in Ruskin, Florida. She performs as Mandah but to avoid confusion with Mandy Moore, she settles on a variation of her surname.

John And Yoko Appear On Rolling Stone Cover In Photo Taken Day Of John's Death
1981-The John Lennon tribute issue of Rolling Stone is published with the famous Annie Leibovitz photo of a naked Lennon embracing a fully-clothed Yoko Ono. Lennon's full interview is not published by the magazine until 2010.

1977-Wings' album Wings Over America hits #1 in the US.

1977-Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" hits #1 in America.

1977-Singer-songwriters James Taylor and Carly Simon celebrate the birth of their second child, son Ben Taylor. Ben later becomes a singer-songwriter, and sometimes has both his mother and father tour with him, and on occasions, his older sister, Sally.

1974-Carly Simon's album Hotcakes is certified Gold.

1972-Don McLean's album American Pie hits #1 in the US, where it stays for seven weeks. It's a hasty ascent for McLean, whose previous album stalled at #111.

1972-In an interview with Melody Maker, David Bowie says, "I'm gay and I always have been."

1971-The Joe Cocker film Mad Dogs and Englishmen, featuring performances by Cocker, Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, and others, premieres in London.

1969-Billy Preston arrives at Apple Studios, where he helps The Beatles complete the Let It Be album. Preston gives them a musical jolt but more importantly provides a buffer for their infighting - George Harrison had quit the group 12 days earlier.

1968-Apple Corps (home of the boutique and the label) opens its offices at 5 Wigmore Street, Marylebone, London.

1967-Breaking with a British television tradition, The Rolling Stones refuse to appear on the revolving stage during the finale of ITV's Sunday Night at the London Palladium.

1966-After a rare snowstorm in Memphis, Elvis Presley and his cohorts build a snowman outside of his Graceland mansion.

1965-Guns N' Roses drummer Steve Adler is born Michael Coletti in Cleveland, Ohio.

1965-D.J. Jazzy Jeff (of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince) is born Jeffrey Allen Townes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he meets Will Smith.

1963-The Drifters record "On Broadway."

1963-Gerry & the Pacemakers record "How Do You Do It."

1962-Gene Chandler makes his television debut with a performance on American Bandstand.

1960-INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence is born in Lane Cove, a suburb of Sydney.

1960-Sam Cooke leaves the tiny Keen label to sign with RCA Records.

1959-Buddy Holly makes his last recordings alone with an acoustic guitar in his Greenwich Village apartment. Songs include "Peggy Sue Got Married," "Crying, Waiting, Hoping," "That's What They Say," "What to Do," "Learning the Game" and "That Makes it Tough." The rough versions are overdubbed and released after his death.

1952-Teddy Gentry (bassist for Alabama) is born in Fort Payne, Alabama.

1949-Nigel Pegrum (drummer for The Small Faces, Uriah Heep) is born in North Wales.

1949-Steve Perry is born in Hanford, California. He becomes Journey's lead singer in 1977, debuting on Infinity, their fourth album. His songwriting chops and instantly identifiable vocals help Journey become one of the top bands of the '80s. He and the band part ways in 1998 when Perry develops a hip condition that keeps him from touring.

1940-Addie "Micki" Harris (of The Shirelles) is born in Passaic, New Jersey.

1931-Clyde McCoy and His Orchestra record "Sugar Blues."

1931-Sam Cooke is born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He grows up in Chicago, where at six years old he forms the group the Singing Children with his siblings.

1924-Jazz trombonist J.J. Johnson is born in Indianapolis, Indiana.

1917-Jazz reed player Albert "Pud" Brown is born in Wilmington, Delaware, but grows up in Shreveport, Louisiana.

1889-The Columbia Phonograph Company is formed in Washington, DC. The record label eventually morphs into the Columbia Broadcast System, better known today as CBS.

[Bikkie]

1855
Massive earthquake hits southern North Island
The magnitude 8.2 earthquake had a profound impact on the development of Wellington city.


Start of the Wellington to Lyttelton yacht race
1951
Tragic centennial yacht race begins
Twenty yachts left Wellington for Lyttelton in a race to celebrate Canterbury's centenary. The fleet ran into a severe southerly storm and only one yacht officially finished the race. Two others were lost, along with their 10 crew members.



In Music History

2024-Melanie, known for her #1 hit "Brand New Key" and her Woodstock-inspired "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," dies at 76.

2024-German Producer Frank Farian, creator of the lip-synch acts Boney M. and Milli Vanilli, dies at 82.

2018-Trumpet player Hugh Masekela, one of the most popular musicians in his native South Africa, dies at 78 after a battle with prostate cancer. In 1968, he had a #1 US hit with "Grazing In The Grass."

2017-Bobby Freeman, who had hits with "Do You Want To Dance" and "C'mon And Swim," dies of a heart attack at 76.

2015-Pop singer Mandy Moore and alt rocker Ryan Adams announce their split after nearly six years of marriage, with Moore filing the divorce proceedings. She later accuses him of psychologically abusive behavior that derailed her music career.

2010-Powered by the single "TiK ToK," Kesha's debut album, Animal, hits #1 in America.

2007-David "Disco D" Shayman, a hip-hop record producer and composer who rose to prominence with 50 Cent's "Ski Mask Way," commits suicide at age 26.

2001-Jack Johnson releases his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales, which sells over a million copies and establishes him as a leading light in the mellow surf-rock movement.

2000-Britney Spears guest stars on The Simpsons in the episode "The Mansion Family," where she presents the award for Springfield's oldest man.

1999-Eagle-Eye Cherry's debut single, "Save Tonight," peaks at #5 on the Hot 100.

Spice World Opens In America
1998-The Spice Girls movie Spice World hits theaters in America.

1997-"Louie Louie" composer (and original performer) Richard Berry dies of heart failure at age 61.

1997-Tori Amos performs at a benefit concert for RAINN (The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) at Madison Square Garden in New York City. As a rape survivor, the cause is close to Tori's heart (she wrote her debut single, "Me And A Gun," about her rape experience).

1996-In America, Tori Amos releases her third album, Boys For Pele, with 18 tracks she wrote and produced herself. Pele is the Hawaiian volcano goddess; the "boys" represent the men in Amos' life whose fire she has stolen.

1996-The TV series Moesha, starring Brandy as a high-school student in California, debuts on UPN, where it runs for six seasons.

1991-The Albuquerque, New Mexico, radio station KLSK FM plays the Led Zeppelin song "Stairway To Heaven" over and over for 24 hours to inaugurate a format change to classic rock. It plays more than 200 times, eliciting hundreds of angry calls and letters. Police show up with guns drawn after a listener reports that the DJ had apparently suffered a heart attack, later because of suspicion that - this being eight days into the Gulf War - the radio station had been taken hostage by terrorists dispatched by Zeppelin freak Saddam Hussein. Weirdest of all, lots of listeners don't move the dial: "Turns out a lot of people listened to see when we would finally stop playing it."

1990O-riginal Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins, a survivor of their 1977 plane crash, dies of pneumonia - a complication of paralysis caused by a 1986 car accident.

1988-Seattle producer Jack Endino oversees the first recording session of an unknown, unnamed grunge band soon to be called Nirvana. The session takes place at Reciprocal Recording, where many of the genre's pioneers - including Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and Green River - cut their seminal albums. Nirvana returns to the studio a few months later to work on their debut album, Bleach.

1988-The California Raisins' "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" peaks at #84 on Billboard's Hot 100.

1988-At age 16, Tiffany becomes the youngest female singer with a #1 album in the US when her self-titled debut tops the chart.

Rock Hall Inducts First Class
1986-The first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame include Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino.

Boy George And Annie Lennox Make Cover Of Newsweek
1984-Boy George and Annie Lennox appear on the cover of Newsweek under the headline, "Britain Rocks America - Again."

1981-Orchestral composer Samuel Barber dies of cancer at age 70. Barber won the Pulitzer Prize for Music twice: first for the 1956 opera Vanessa and then for his 1962 Concerto for Piano and Orchestra.

1979-Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys divorces his wife Marilyn (one-time member of the Honeys and mother of Wendy and Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips).

1978-Terry Kath (singer and original guitarist for Chicago) dies at age 31 when he accidentally shoots himself in the head.

1977-Carole King's Tapestry sets a new record: 302 weeks on the Billboard albums chart.

1970-Judy Collins is refused permission to sing testimony at the infamous "Chicago 7" trial.

1969-Elvis Presley records "Suspicious Minds" at American Sound, a small studio in Memphis. The song is a huge comeback hit for Elvis and gives him his last #1 in America.

1966-Police arrest Jim Morrison for kissing a young woman, but the charges are really just a way for them to get to the bottom of a suspected murder that supposedly occurred weeks before.

1965-Petula Clark's "Downtown" climbs to #1 on the Hot 100, making her the first UK female singer to reach the summit on the US singles chart since Vera Lynn in 1952.

1964-The Temptations release "The Way You Do The Things You Do."

1962-Tony Bennett records "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

1961-Nina Simone's "Trouble in Mind" peaks at #92, where it will stay for one week.

1960-The Paradons record "Diamonds And Pearls."

1959-The "Winter Dance Party" tour gets underway with a show at the Million Dollar Ballroom in Milwaukee. Before the tour is over, headliners Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper are killed in a plane crash.

1959-Earl Falconer (bass player for UB40) is born in Meriden, Warwickshire, England.

1957-Bill Haley & his Comets attend the Australian premiere of their movie Don't Knock The Rock while on tour there.

1955-Reggie Calloway (of the R&B duo Calloway) is born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1954-Richard Finch (composer and former bass guitarist for KC & The Sunshine Band) is born in Indianapolis, Indiana, but is raised in Hialeah, Florida.

1953-Robin Zander (lead singer of Cheap Trick) is born in Beloit, Wisconsin.

1950-Danny Federici (organist, accordionist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band) is born in Flemington, New Jersey.

1950-Bill Cunningham (original bass guitarist/keyboardist for The Box Tops) is born in Memphis, Tennessee.

1948-Anita Pointer (of The Pointer Sisters) is born in Oakland, California.

1940-Pop singer Joe Dowell is born in Bloomington, Indiana, but grows up in Bloomington, Illinois.

1938-Eugene Church (lead singer of the Fellows) is born in St. Louis, Missouri. Known for the 1958 R&B hit "Pretty Girls Everywhere."

1910-Jazz guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt is born in Belgium.

[Piper]

41 AD-Roman Emperor Caligula is
assassinated by his own guard.


1848-James Marshall finds gold
at Sutter's Mill in California, trigging
the Gold Rush.


1895-Hawaii's Monarchy ends when
Queen Eili'uokalani was forced to abdicate
the throne to the Republic of Hawaii.


1908-The first installment Robert
Baden-Powell's scouting for Boy's is
released, starting the international
scout movement.


1935-The first bear can's are sold
by the Gottfried Krueger Brewing
company in Richmond, Virginia.

[Bikkie]

Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns


Dick Tayler collapses after winning the 10,000 m
1974
First day of competition at Christchurch Commonwealth Games
The opening ceremony of the ‘Friendly Games’ had featured performances by schoolchildren and a Māori concert party. Next day, Canterbury runner Dick Tayler ensured the success of the Games with a surprise victory for the host nation in the 10,000 m track race.



In Music History

2024-Eric Church and Morgan Wallen join a group of investors in purchasing Field & Stream magazine, which they both read growing up. They relaunch the brand and bring back print editions, which stopped publishing in 2020.

2016-Neil Young performs "Till the Morning Comes" live for the first time in his career while playing a private concert for French billionaire Édouard Carmignac. Young does the song as a medley with "Cripple Creek Ferry."

2003-Thanks to a raft of Grammy nominations, Norah Jones' debut album Come Away With Me goes to #1 in America 11 months after it was released. It stays on top for three weeks, then returns the week of March 15 after winning the Grammy for Album of the Year.

2003-Billy Joel crashes his Mercedes while driving in Long Island, New York. The singer later says that he was in a "mental fog" around this time, caused by relationship issues and a lingering depression after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

2003-Clarence Carter and Eddie Floyd are inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

2001-Celine Dion gives birth to her first child, son René-Charles. To spend more time raising him, she stops touring, and in 2003 takes a residence at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas that runs through 2007.

2000-D'Angelo releases his second album, Voodoo. Like his first album, Brown Sugar in 1995, it combines real instruments with digital production techniques to form the sound of neo-soul. It's a triumph, but D'Angelo soon falls from view and doesn't put out another album until 2014.

1999-The Rolling Stones begin their No Security tour in Oakland, California.

1994-R. Kelly releases the single "Bump N' Grind."

1991-Paul McCartney appears on the second season of MTV's Unplugged, including some Beatles songs in his set. In June, he becomes the first artist to release his performance as an album.

1990-In Rio De Janeiro, Eurythmics play their last concert until their 1999 reunion. "Dave [Stewart] and I had got quite heartily sick of each other," Annie Lennox explains. "And I say that in an affectionate way."

1990-The Righteous Brothers' Bill Medley guest stars on NBC's Cheers in the two-part episode "Finally!"

1989-Performing in Columbus, Georgia, Bobby Brown is arrested under the city's anti-lewdness act when he brings a girl on stage and simulates sex with her. Brown finishes the show about an hour later after he is booked and pays a $652 fine.

1987-Neil Diamond sings the US national anthem at Superbowl XXI in Pasadena, California. Halftime entertainment is Disney's "Salute to Hollywood's 100th Anniversary."

1986-Albert Grossman, manager to Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin, dies of a heart attack at age 59.

1985-Prince releases "Take Me With U," the last single from Purple Rain.

1984-John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, donates $375,000 to Liverpool's Strawberry Field, an orphanage which served as the inspiration for the Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever."

1980-The BET network goes on the air, providing a showcase for music videos by Black artists.

1980-Paul McCartney is released and deported from Japan after spending nine days in a Tokyo jail. He was arrested at the airport when customs officials found 219 grams of marijuana in his luggage.

1980-Alicia Keys is born Alicia Augello Cook in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York. Her background as a classically trained pianist influences her stage name. "It's like the piano keys," she explains, "And it can open so many doors." Her first album, Songs In A Minor, featuring her own compositions, goes to #1 in 2001.

1978-Bob Dylan's Renaldo and Clara, a semi-documentary of his famous Rolling Thunder Revue tour, premieres in Los Angeles.

1976-New Orleans R&B singer Chris Kenner, struggling with alcoholism, dies of a heart attack at age 46.

1975-"Please Mr. Postman" hits #1 in America for the second time when The Carpenters' version goes to the top. The song was a #1 for The Marvelettes in 1961.

1971-Grace Slick and Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane welcome a baby girl they name "God." Her name is later changed to "China," and as "China Kantner" she becomes a VJ on MTV.

1969-Nina Simone's "Ain't Got No; I Got Life" peaks at #94, where it stays for one week.

1964-Phil Spector appears as a panelist on Britain's Juke Box Jury program. Earlier in the day, he calls famous English producer Joe Meek to arrange a meeting. Meek accuses Spector of stealing his ideas and hangs up the phone so hard he breaks the receiver.

1963-Cilla Black makes her stage debut at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.

1958-Gary Tibbs (bass guitarist for Adam & The Ants, Roxy Music) is born in Northwood, London, England.

1957-Edmund Sylvers of The Sylvers is born in Memphis.

1956-Andy Cox (guitarist for Fine Young Cannibals) is born in Birmingham, England.

1950-Michael Cotten (of The Tubes) is born in Kansas City, Missouri.

Etta James Is Born
1938-Blues singer Etta James, known for the enduring ballad "At Last," is born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California.

1929-Singer/actress Elizabeth Allen is born Elizabeth Ellen Gillease in Jersey City, New Jersey.

1925-Jazz pianist Barbara Carroll is born Barbara Carole Coppersmith in Worcester, Massachusetts.

1915-Folk singer Ewan MacColl is born James Henry Miller in London. In 1957 he takes an hour to write "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" for a play his mistress is appearing in and, 15 years later, it becomes a #1 hit for Roberta Flack.

1913-Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski is born.

1909-The opera Elektra by Richard Strauss premieres at the Dresden Hofoper.

1897-Blind Willie Johnson, known best for "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground," is born in Pendleton, Texas

[Bikkie]

1844
Governor FitzRoy arrives in Wellington to investigate Wairau incident
Faced with demands for revenge after 22 settlers were killed in an incident in the Wairau Valley, Governor Robert FitzRoy decided that Māori had been provoked by the unreasonable actions of the Europeans.


Minister of Internal Affairs Allan Highet
1984
Floods devastate Southland
A record one-day total of up to 84.8 mm of rain caused extensive surface flooding in the streets of Invercargill, Riverton, Ōtautau, Tūātapere and Bluff.



In Music History

2026-The Eagles compilation Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 becomes the first album to go Quadruple Platinum, certified at 40 million units.

2024-The RIAA certifies "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey at 18x Platinum, making it the best-selling song of all time in America. It was certified at just 5x Platinum in 2013, but picked up steam as it became a streaming favorite across generations. Newer songs like Post Malone's "Sunflower" are soon certified higher, but "Don't Stop Believin'" stands as the top song from before the streaming era.

2022-Spotify complies with Neil Young's request to remove his music from the service. Young's issue is with the Spotify podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, which he feels is spreading false information about vaccines. Joni Mitchell also removes her music, but Spotify stands tall for Rogan, whose subscriber count grows considerably in wake of the controversy. Young returns to Spotify two years later.

2019-Composer Michel Legrand, who won an Oscar for "The Windmills Of Your Mind," dies at 86.

2019-Miranda Lambert gets married for a second time, tying the knot with police officer Brendan Mcloughlin in a secret ceremony. Lambert, whose first marriage was to Blake Shelton, breaks the news on social media on February 16.

2018-Fleetwood Mac perform at the Musicares benefit in Radio City Music Hall, where they are honored. It's Lindsey Buckingham's last performance with the group; three months later he is ousted, replaced by Mike Campbell and Neil Finn.

2017-Kylie Minogue successfully blocks Kylie Jenner's application to trademark the name "Kylie."

2015-Chris Brown postpones his Between the Sheets tour on judge's orders to stay put in California due to a probation violation earlier in the month. The rapper tells Twitter followers that he must complete his last 100 hours of community service before he can embark on the 26-city tour of the US with Kendrick Lamar.

2015-Blink-182 announce Tom DeLonge's resignation, the same day that bandmates Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker slam DeLonge in a tell-all Rolling Stone interview. They claim the vocalist/guitarist will only communicate with them via email or through his manager, and his constant flakiness has kept them from recording new music. Barker adds: "It's hard to cover for someone who's disrespectful and ungrateful."

2015-Nick Jonas lands a recurring role on Scream Queens, a horror anthology series from Glee creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck. The cast also includes Ariana Grande as a recurring guest star.

2014-Justin Timberlake is a big winner at the Grammy Awards, winning three of his seven nominations: Best R&B Song for "Pusher Love Girl," Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Holy Grail," and Best Music Video for "Suit & Tie" (the latter two with Jay Z).

2013-Funk guitarist Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner (of The Ohio Players) dies at age 69.

2011-Wilco announce the launch of their own label, dBpm Records. The band state the label will put out all future Wilco releases "and more."

2011-Gladys Horton (lead singer of The Marvelettes) dies at age 66 after a series of strokes.

2010-Lady Antebellum release their second album, Need You Now, which goes to #1 in America, where it sells over 4 million copies. The title track becomes the first country song to make a big impact on the pop chart since "Not Ready To Make Nice" by Dixie Chicks in 2007. Both groups later change their names, becoming Lady A and The Chicks.

2008-Weezer's Rivers Cuomo takes part in the Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra charity soccer match benefiting the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation in Carson, California.

2006-Garth Brooks' Double Live album, released in 1998, becomes the first live album certified Double Diamond by the RIAA for sales of over 20 million in America.

2004-Britney Spears, Pink and Beyoncé star as Roman gladiators sent to fight to the death by emperor Enrique Iglesias in a lavish Pepsi commercial. Instead of fighting, they sing "We Will Rock You" and drink soda.

Billie Eilish Wins Big At Grammys
2020-Billie Eilish, 18, wins big at the Grammys as the death of Kobe Bryant and an internal scandal cast a cloud on the ceremony.

1998-In a big surprise upset at the American Music Awards, rapper Puff Daddy loses in all five categories in which he is nominated for an award.

1998-Edwin McCain releases "I'll Be."

1997-ZZ Top, James Brown and The Blues Brothers perform at the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show in New Orleans.

1992-Presidential candidate Bill Clinton appears on the news program 60 Minutes with his wife, Hillary, who in response to a discussion about her husband's infidelity, says, "I'm not sitting here – some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette."

1991-At the second Rock in Rio festival, Norwegian pop trio a-ha draw a crowd of 198,000, breaking the world record for paid attendance at a rock concert - and is snubbed by the press.

The Phantom Of The Opera Makes Its Broadway Debut
1988-Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster musical The Phantom of the Opera debuts on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre two years after a successful run on London's West End.

1986-Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins is left paralyzed from a car accident that kills his female companion. He can't play with the re-formed band the next year, but chooses his replacement: Randall Hall.

1980-Prince performs on American Bandstand, where he's interviewed on national TV for the first time. Host Dick Clark has a hard time getting more than a few words out of him. When he asks how many instruments Prince plays, he pauses before answering, "a thousand."

1977-Ginger Alden, who was Elvis Presley's fiancée at the time of his death, claims that Elvis proposed to her on this day.

1977-Opening for Bob Seger at a show in Tampa, Florida, Patti Smith falls off the stage, tumbling into the orchestra pit 15 feet below. She suffers a head injury and breaks her back, leaving her in traction. During her extensive rehab, she starts working on her next album, Easter.

1977-Original Fleetwood Mac lead guitarist Peter Green is committed to a mental hospital after threatening an accountant with an air rifle. The accountant was trying to deliver a royalty check, which Green insisted he didn't want.

1975-The BBC airs the David Bowie documentary Cracked Actor. At the time of filming, Bowie was addicted to cocaine and the footage shows Bowie's fragile mental state.

1974-Ringo Starr's "You're Sixteen" hits #1 in America.

1974-The Doobie Brothers begin their first European tour with a show at the Rainbow Theatre in London.

Elton John Releases Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player
1973-Elton John issues his sixth studio album, Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player, in America. It features two of his most popular songs: the '50s flashback "Crocodile Rock" (Elton's first #1 hit in America) and the Vietnam War-inspired "Daniel."

1970-The Ourimbah rock festival, Australia's first, opens to an audience of 11,000. The festival results in 26 arrests.

1970-Gospel musician Kirk Franklin is born in Fort Worth, Texas.

Bridge Over Troubled Water Released
1970-The Simon & Garfunkel album Bridge Over Troubled Water is released, with the title track simultaneously issued as a single.

1970-John Lennon writes and records "Instant Karma" all in one day, calling in Phil Spector to produce the song.

1968-At the University of Southampton, Pink Floyd play their first gig without founding member Syd Barrett, who never returns to the band. The 22-year-old Barrett is an early acid casualty, no longer able to contribute to the group.

1966-Eric Burdon of The Animals handles lead vocals at Manfred Mann's London concert, filling in for Paul Jones, who is recovering from a car accident.

1963-DJ Jazzie B (of Soul II Soul) is born Trevor Beresford Romeo in Hornsey, London, England.

1963-The Rooftop Singers' "Walk Right In" hits #1 for the first of two weeks.

1963-Dionne Warwick lands her first solo hit when her debut single, "Don't Make Me Over," peaks at #21 on the Hot 100. It also marks the beginning of her longtime collaboration with songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

1963-Andrew Ridgeley is born in Windlesham, Surrey, England. He meets George Michael in high school and together they form the duo Wham!.

1960-Charlie Gillingham (keyboardist for Counting Crows) is born in Torrance, California.

1958-R&B singer-songwriter Anita Baker is born in Toledo, Ohio, but is raised by foster parents in Detroit, Michigan.

1958-Norman Hassan (percussionist, trombonist for UB40) is born in Birmingham, England.

1955-Eddie Van Halen is born in Amsterdam. His family eventually settles in Pasadena, California, where he forms Van Halen with his brother, Alex, and quickly becomes one of the most acclaimed and influential guitarists in rock history.

1953-Lucinda Williams is born in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

1951-Big Star bass player Andy Hummel is born to former Miss America (1947) Barbara Walker Hummel in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. He is raised in Memphis, Tennessee.

1951-David Briggs, who replaces Ric Formosa as lead guitarist for Little River Band, is born in Melbourne, Australia.

1949-Derek Holt (guitarist for Climax Blues Band) is born in Stafford, England.

1948-Laurence "Corky" Laing (drummer for Mountain) is born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

1947-Actress/singer Grace Moore dies in a plane crash in Copenhagen at age 48. Her life inspires the 1953 movie So This Is Love, starring Kathryn Grayson.

1945-Ashley Hutchings (bass guitarist for Fairport Convention) is born in Southgate, England.

1943-Jean Knight is born Jean Caliste in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1943-Thom Bell, whose productions for The Stylistics, The Delfonics, and The Spinners helped define the Philadelphia Soul sound, is born in Kingston, Jamaica.

1934-R&B pianist Huey "Piano" Smith is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1934-Formerly home to burlesque shows, The Apollo Theater in Harlem becomes a music venue, christening their new format with a jazz variety show featuring mostly black performers, including the Benny Carter Orchestra and Mabel Scott.

1932-Country singer Claude Gray, dubbed The Tall Texan, is born in Henderson, Texas. Known for the 1960 hit "Family Bible."

1923-Broadway and film star Anne Jeffreys is born Anne Carmichael in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

1922-Pianist/vocalist Page Cavanaugh is born in Cherokee, Kansas. He notches a number of hits in the 1940s, including "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," as part of The Page Cavanaugh Trio with guitarist Al Viola and bassist Lloyd Pratt.

1913-Composer Jimmy Van Heusen, who teams with lyricist Sammy Cahn to write a number of hits, including "Come Fly With Me" for Frank Sinatra, is born Edward Chester Babcock in Syracuse, New York.

1908-Violinist Stephane Grappelli, who forms the jazz group Quintette du Hot Club de France along with guitarist Django Reinhardt, is born in Paris, France.

1790-The Mozart opera Cosi Fan Tutte opens at the Burgtheater in Vienna.

[Bikkie]

1340 - Edward III of England declares himself king of France, a claim that leads to the Hundred Years' War.

1731 - Death of Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian harpsichord manufacturer generally credited with the invention of the piano.

1880 - American inventor Thomas Edison receives a patent for his electric incandescent lamp.



In Music History

2024-Max Martin breaks Beatles producer George Martin's record for most #1 hits as a producer when "Yes, And?," which he helmed for Ariana Grande, becomes his 24th chart-topping production. His first was "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears in 1999.

2018-A little over a year after leaving Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello goes to #1 in America with "Havana," a celebration of the city where she was born.

2018-Huey Lewis loses his hearing before a concert in Dallas. He does the show singing way out of pitch and is later diagnosed with Ménière's disease, a rare condition that causes his hearing to come and go.

2015-Taylor Swift's Twitter and Instagram accounts are hacked, resulting in bogus tweets to her 51 million followers (the fourth-largest Twitter account). Swift takes to Tumblr, where she posts: "Hackers gonna hack hack hack hack hack." She also assures fans that no nude photos exist.

2014-The day after winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album for The Heist, Macklemore takes to Instagram, where he posts a screenshot of his text to Kendrick Lamar, whose good kid, m.A.A.d city was one of the nominees. The Seattle rapper texted: "I wanted you to win. You should have. It's weird and sucks that I robbed you." Macklemore takes some flak for the post, which many feel is disingenuous (Drake calls it "wack"). Lamar is more charitable. "Macklemore is a genuine dude," he says. "However it panned out, I wish him much success." On his 2016 track "Light Tunnels," Mac recounts these events.

2014-Pete Seeger dies at age 94.

2014-Billy Joel begins his residency at Madison Square Garden, where he plays once a month as long as there is demand.

2013-A fight breaks out after Frank Ocean accuses Chris Brown of taking his parking space at a Los Angeles recording studio. Brown throws a punch at Ocean, and threatens to shoot him, allegedly shouting: "We can bust on you too!"

2002-Koko Taylor collapses during a private function at her club, Koko Taylor's Celebrity, in Chicago, Illinois, after failing to take her diabetic medication. Doctors also discover arterial blockage in her heart.

2001-"Independent Women Part I" by Destiny's Child tops the US Hot 100 for the 11th consecutive week, a record for an all-girl group.

1991-At the Speakeasy club in Los Angeles, Dr. Dre roughs up Dee Barnes, the female host of a rap music TV show called Pump It Up. Dre, who was upset over a segment on the show, later reached a settlement with Barnes, who filed a $22.7 million lawsuit.

1991-With American troops fighting in the Gulf War, Whitney Houston does a stirring version of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Her performance is lip-synched, but so well received that it is released as a single, charting at #20. This version is re-released in 2001 following the September 11 attacks.

1990-Soundgarden become the first grunge band to make the Billboard albums chart when Louder Than Love shows up at #168 (Phil Collins is at #1 with ...But Seriously). It peaks at #108 in March.

1985-Bruce Springsteen wraps up the first leg of his Born in the U.S.A. tour with a show at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. The next day, he flies to Los Angeles, rents a car, and drives to A&M Recording Studios, where he takes part in the "We Are The World" sessions.

1984-At the peak of his popularity, Michael Jackson films an ad for Pepsi that goes horribly wrong when some stray pyro sets his hair on fire.

1984-The movie Silkwood opens in theaters. Cher is nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as a worker at a plutonium processing plant.

1980-At the Gaumont theater in Southampton, England, AC/DC play their last show with Bon Scott. The electrifying frontman dies on February 19 after a night of excessive drinking.

1979-Keith Morris (vocals), Gregg Ginn (guitar), Chuck Dukowski (bass) and Brian Migdol (drums) play live for the first time under the Black Flag moniker in Redondo Beach, California.

1976-Glam rocker Gary Glitter announces his retirement and begins traveling the world, spending time in Paris, Thailand, and New Zealand before a 1977 bankruptcy forces him back into action.

1976-David Bowie sues his former attorney, Michael Lippan, for unfair business practices and withholding of funds. Bowie claims Lippan took a 15% fee instead of the customary 10% and adds that after his dismissal, Lippan withheld $475,000 from the musician.

1973-Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" hits #1 in America, where it stays for one week.

1972-The New Seekers' "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing," originally a Coke commercial, is certified Gold.

1972-Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson dies from heart failure and diabetes complications in Evergreen Park, Illinois, at age 60.

1971-David Bowie arrives in the United States for the first time, not to perform, but to do a series of interviews. He creates a stir by wearing a dress to many of the appearances.

1970-Mark Trojanowski (Sister Hazel drummer) is born.

1968-Mike Patton (lead singer of Faith No More) is born in Eureka, California.

1962-Joey Dee and the Starliters' "Peppermint Twist" hits #1 for the first of three weeks.

1962-Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love" is certified gold.

Twist Party Packs The Cow Palace
1962-With "The Twist" at #1 in America, two San Francisco DJs sell out the Cow Palace in San Francisco with a "Twist Party" headlined by Chubby Checker.

1961-Margo Timmins (lead vocalist of Cowboy Junkies) is born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is one of six children, including brothers Michael and Peter, who become her bandmates.

1961-Gillian Gilbert (New Order keyboardist) is born in Whalley Range, Manchester, England.

1956-21-year-old Elvis Presley releases "Heartbreak Hotel," which becomes his first #1 hit in America.

1951-Brian Downey (Thin Lizzy drummer) is born in Dublin, Ireland.

1951-Seth Justman (The J. Geils Band keyboardist) is born in Washington, D.C.

1948-Kim Gardner (of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke) is born in Dulwich, London, England.

1946-Nedra Talley (of The Ronettes) is born in New York City.

1944-Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason is born in Birmingham, England.

1944-Rocker Kevin Coyne is born in Derby, England.

1944-The Siege of Leningrad ends, a harsh military operation undertaken by Germany under Hitler's command to attempt to seize the Russian city. The Decemberists would later commemorate this event with their song "When The War Came."

1931-Rudi Maugeri (of The Crew-Cuts) is born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

1930-Bobby "Blue" Bland is born Robert Calvin Brooks in Barretville, Tennessee.

1919-Ross Bagdasarian is born in Fresno, California. Using the stage name David Seville, he would create the The Chipmunks.

1918-Elmore James is born Elmore Brooks in Richland, Mississippi.

1918-Lyle "Skitch" Henderson is born on a farm near Halstad, Minnesota. As a pianist and composer, he will work with the likes of Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby.

1916-Swing jazz pianist Milt Raskin is born in Boston, Massachusetts.

1895-Film producer, record executive and occasional lyricist Buddy DeSylva is born George Gard DeSylva in New York. He co-wrote the Al Jolson hit "April Showers."

1895-Composer Harry Ruby ("A Kiss to Build a Dream On") is born in New York City.

1885-Pop composer Jerome Kern ("The Way You Look Tonight") is born in New York City.

1756-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is born in Salzburg, Austria.

[Bikkie]

1827
D'Urville sails through 'French Pass'
In a feat of navigational daring – and after several attempts – the French explorer Jules Sébastien César Dumont d’Urville sailed the Astrolabe from Tasman Bay through the narrow ‘French Pass’ into Admiralty Bay in the Marlborough Sounds.


William Hardham
1901
Hardham wins Victoria Cross in South Africa
Wellington blacksmith William Hardham served in South Africa with the fourth New Zealand contingent. He was the only New Zealander awarded a Victoria Cross during the South African War.



In Music History

2023-Miley Cyrus' alone-but-happy anthem "Flowers" grows to #1 in the US, where it stays for a total of eight weeks.

2018-Shakira's El Dorado wins the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop album, making her the first female performer to receive two trophies in that category. The first was for her 2001 live album, MTV Unplugged.

2016-Two founding members of Jefferson Airplane, lead singer Signe Anderson and guitarist Paul Kantner, die on the same day, both at 74. Anderson left the group in 1966 after recording their first album - she was replaced by Grace Slick.

2014-At a press conference, all four members of Mötley Crüe sign a "cessation of touring agreement" preventing them from ever touring again after 2015. It prevents nothing: they kick off their next tour in 2022.

2009-Billy Powell (Lynyrd Skynyrd and Vision keyboardist) dies of a heart attack in his Orange Park, Florida home.

2008-Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix confirms drummer Dave Buckner has left the band. A statement released by the frontman says: "For y'all that don't know, we had to split with Dave, our drummer. It was one of the hardest things we have ever had to do. He's taking this time to get his life together. We are still friends and still talk on a regular basis."

2005-Traffic drummer Jim Capaldi dies of stomach cancer at age 60.

2005-Members of the "Free Fiona" movement protest outside Sony headquarters in New York City, encouraging the label to release Fiona Apple's long-delayed third album, which shows up in October. As part of the campaign, members also mailed apple-related items (foam apples, pictures of apples) to Sony.

2004-James Brown, 70, is arrested on charges of domestic violence after he's seen pushing his fourth wife, Tomi Rae Hynie, to the floor. He's fined and released from jail the next day after pleading no contest. Brown also faced assault charges from his third wife, Adrienne Rodriguez, in the '80s and '90s.

2004-Mel Pritchard, drummer for the British prog rock band Barclay James Harvest, dies of a heart attack at age 56.

2001-Ray Charles sings "America The Beautiful" at Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa. The Backstreet Boys sing the US national anthem, and halftime performers include Aerosmith, 'N Sync and Britney Spears.

1999-Shakira makes her American TV debut on The Rosie O'Donnell Show in an episode guest hosted by her good friend Gloria Estefan. She sings an English version of her song "Inevitable," which is considered for her first English-language single but bumped for "Whenever, Wherever," which she wrote with Estefan.

1997-A day before his 16th birthday, Jonny Lang's major-label debut album, Lie To Me, is released.

1996-Diana Ross performs at the Superbowl XXX halftime show in Tempe, Arizona.

1996-Chris Isaak guest-stars in the Friends episode "The One After the Superbowl," where he plays Phoebe's date, Rob Donnen.

Four British Acts Make Modern Rock Top 10
1995Four British acts make the Top 10 of the US Modern Rock chart, where homegrown acts typically dominate:

#5 "Love Spreads" - The Stone Roses
#6 "Everything Zen" - Bush
#7 "Live Forever" - Oasis
#9 "Sour Times" - Portishead

1994-Latin pop singer/rapper Maluma is born Juan Luis Londoño Arias in Medellin, Colombia. His breakthrough sophomore album, Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy (2015), showcases his dual personality as a pretty boy who sings romantic ballads and a dirty boy who sings reggaeton songs with seductive lyrics. "Borro Cassette," "El Perdedor," and "Sin Contrato" all reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Latin Songs chart.

1991-At the American Music Awards, Gloria Estefan performs live for the first time since a tour bus accident 10 months earlier where she seriously injured her back. She debuts her new single, "Coming Out Of The Dark," which is inspired by her recovery.

1990-Aaron Neville performs the US national anthem at Superbowl XXIV in New Orleans, Louisiana. Halftime entertainment is a salute to the city, with local marching bands performing along with Pete Fountain, Irma Thomas and Doug Kershaw.

1986-The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after liftoff, killing the seven crew members on board. The disaster inspires a lyric in the Prince song "Sign O' the Times":

Silly, no? When a rocket ship explodes and everybody still wants to fly.

1985-Jimmy Buffett opens his first Margaritaville retail store, named for his 1977 hit, in Key West. It sells beach-inspired apparel like Caribbean Soul t-shirts and flip-flops.

1985-Lionel Richie hosts the American Music Awards, where he wins five of the eight awards he's nominated for, including Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist. He can't slow down: After the show, he heads to A&M Recording Studios to record "We Are The World," which he wrote with Michael Jackson.

1985-J. Cole is born Jermaine Cole on an American military base in Frankfurt, Germany. He's raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In 2009 he becomes the first artist signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label.

1984-Thanks to a ban by the BBC, "Relax," the debut single from Frankie Goes to Hollywood, hits #1 in the UK. In America, the #1 song is "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" by Yes. Both songs are produced by Trevor Horn, making him the first producer with #1s simultaneously in both territories with different acts.

1984-The legendary Nina Simone tells NME she was forced to record her 1978 album Baltimore under duress when she was kidnapped by five men and held in a basement for three days without food or water. She retracts the statement later.

1984-Def Jam Records release their first single: "It's Yours" by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay. The rap label becomes wildly successful, attracting Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Kanye West and many other big-name artists.

1983-English pop singer Billy Fury, known for hit singles like 1961's "Halfway to Paradise," dies of a heart attack at age 42. Fury's heart was damaged when contracted rheumatic fever as a child.

1982-Jackson Browne's second child - a son named Ryan - is born. The mother is Lynne Sweeney, an Australian model and Browne's second wife. Ryan becomes a musician, performing in the band Sonny & the Sunsets.

1980-Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys is born in Jamestown, New York. He is just 13 when he joins the boy band in 1993.

1978-By request, Ted Nugent carves his autograph into the arm of a fan using his bowie knife.

1978-The Doobie Brothers star in the first of a two-part episode of What's Happening! where they teach the kids why bootlegging is bad.

1977-Buzzcocks release the their EP Spiral Scratch on their own independent label, distributing it at live shows, via mail order and at record stores around their stomping grounds of Manchester, England. It sells over 15,000 copies, proving it's possible to succeed without a major label and leading a wave of DIY UK punk bands.

1977-Joey Fatone (of 'N Sync) is born in Brooklyn, New York, where he grows up in the Bensonhurst neighborhood.

1976-R&B singer Raphael "Tweet" Brown (of Next) is born in Minnesota.

1969-Stevie Wonder releases "My Cherie Amour."

1968-Rakim, of the hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, is born William Michael Griffin Jr. in Wyandanch, Long Island, New York.

1968-Jim Morrison (of The Doors) is arrested after threatening a security guard at an adult movie theater.

1968-During their tour in Australia, members of The Who and The Small Faces, among others, are escorted off their flight from Adelaide to Essendon for drinking beer on the plane, being rowdy, and using "very bad language." Two of the flight's four attendants are said to be in tears.

1968-DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill is born Lawrence Muggerud in Queens, New York. He also produces House Of Pain, including their hit "Jump Around."

Sarah McLachlan Born
1968-Sarah McLachlan is born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She breaks through in 1997 with her fourth album, Surfacing, which includes the hits "Adia" and "Angel." That year, she launches the Lilith Fair with a full roster of female singer-songwriters.

1966-Brian Poole announces his departure from The Tremeloes.

1965-The Who make their UK TV debut when they appear on the show Ready Steady Go! to promote their single "I Can't Explain."

1959-Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin perform together in Vegas for the first time, joining forces at the Sands hotel. They become regular performers at the venue, often joined by fellow "rat pack" members Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.

1956-Elvis Presley makes his TV debut on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show, where he sings "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Heartbreak Hotel."

1955-The "Top 10 R&B Show" package tour kicks off its 42-date, 60-day national excursion in New York City, featuring The Clovers, Faye Adams, The Charms, Joe Turner, The Moonglows, Lowell Fulson, and The Bill Doggett Trio.

1955-Twelve-year-old Aretha Franklin gives birth to her first child, a son named Clarence.

1953-Derek Bentley is hanged for the murder of Police Constable Sidney Miles, who on November 2, 1952, was shot dead on a Croydon rooftop by 16-year-old Christopher Craig. Christopher Craig, too young to be executed, was paroled in 1963. The murder and trial later become the topic of the Ewan MacColl song "Ballad Of Derek Bentley."

1946-Rick Allen (keyboardist for The Box Tops, The Gentrys) is born in Little Rock, Arkansas.

1943-Brian Keenan (drummer for Manfred Mann, The Chambers Brothers) is born in New York.

1943-Dick Taylor (lead guitarist for The Pretty Things) is born in Dartford, Kent, England.

1936-Country singer Bill Phillips, known for the 1966 hit "Put It Off Until Tomorrow," is born in Canton, North Carolina.

1929-Clarinettist/vocalist Acker Bilk is born Bernard Stanley Bilk in Pensford, Somerset, England.

1927-Jazz tenor saxophonist Ronnie Scott is born Ronald Schatt in Aldgate, England.

1927-Jean Goldkette and His Dancing Orchestra records "I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover."

1923-Ivo Robic is born in Garešnica, Croatia.

1900-Composer Michael Head is born Michael Dewar Head in Eastbourne, England.

1878-Hymn composer William Matthew Golden is born William M. Golding in Mississippi to James Golding and Camella Hood Golding.