On This Day In History

[Bikkie]

Department of Social Security head office, 1939
1939
Welfare plan gets baptism of fire
A massive fire destroyed the nearly completed three-storey Social Security building. Just seven weeks later, a replacement building was opened by Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage.

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Filbert Bayi holds off John Walker to win the 1500 m
1974
'The greatest middle distance race of all time'
The men’s 1500-m final was run on the last day of the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games. Tanzanian Filbert Bayi ran the first 800 m in an astonishing 1 minute 52.2 seconds, conserved energy on the third lap, and held off 22-year-old New Zealander John Walker to set a new world record of 3:32.16.



In Music History

2025-The Beatles win the Best Rock Performance Grammy for "Now And Then," the first Grammy-nominated song made with help from AI, which was used to create John Lennon's vocal. It's their fourth post-breakup Grammy, matching their total from when the band was active.

2025-On her fifth rodeo getting nominated for the Album Of The Year Grammy, Beyoncé finally wins for Cowboy Carter. The other big winner is Kendrick Lamar, who wins five awards for "Not Like Us," including Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Music Video.

2019-Marshmello performs a virtual concert inside the online game Fortnite that is seen by an estimated 10 million gamers. To pull it off, he is rigged to a body-motion suit that transfers his movements to the screen. It's the first large-scale integration of a concert within a video game.

2011-Leonard Cohen's first grandchild is born to proud parents Lorca Cohen, Rufus Wainwright and "deputy dad" Jorn Weisbrodt. Little Viva Katherine, named after Wainwright's mother, the folk singer Kate McGarrigle, is born only a year after Cohen reportedly remarked on childhood to both Lorca and Rufus: "You know, it's pretty much the only amazing thing there is."

The White Stripes Break Up
2011-The White Stripes split up after six albums, ending their run as one of the most successful rock duos.

2007-Joe Hunter, who played piano in the Motown house band The Funk Brothers, dies at age 79.

2007-The Spinners founding member Billy Henderson dies of complications from diabetes at age 67 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

2004-Exodus return after a 12-year hiatus with their sixth studio album, Tempo of the Damned.

2002Paul Baloff, who sang on Exodus' 1985 debut album, Bonded Blood, dies of a heart attack at age 41.

1999-Freddy Fender is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1996-Gene Kelly, one of the most famous dancers of his time, dies at age 83. Kelly was also an accomplished singer, known for crooning the title track of Singin' In The Rain.

Bill Murray Wakes Up To "I Got You Babe"... Again
1993-Bill Murray can't stop waking up to the Sonny and Cher song "I Got You Babe" in the movie Groundhog Day.

1993-Willie Nelson settles his $17 million tax debt with the US Internal Revenue Service by paying them $9 million in cash and assets already seized. Some of the cash was raised through sales of his 1991 album The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories, released specifically to fund his payout.

1992-Todd Rundgren has his third child, a son named Rebop.

1985-"I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner begins a two-week run at #1 in the US, the first song with a gospel choir to top the chart. The song was written by Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones and inspired by the woman who would later become his wife: Ann Dexter-Jones.

1980-The Specials hit #1 in the UK for the first time with "Too Much Too Young," but they're busy touring America, where their ska sound has yet to find much of an audience.

1979-Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols, out on bail after being accused of killing his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, dies of a heroin overdose at age 21.
Shakira Is Born

1977-Shakira is born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll in Barranquilla, Colombia. At 13, she gets a record deal with Sony Music – the first step on her path to becoming a worldwide superstar.

1976-Lynyrd Skynyrd release Gimme Back My Bullets. It's their fourth album, following Nuthin' Fancy and preceding Street Survivors, which is their last release before a fatal plane crash ends the original lineup.

1975-Billy Mohler, best known as a member of The Calling, is born in Laguna Beach, California.

1975-Stevie Wonder's daughter Aisha (heard crying at the beginning of "Isn't She Lovely") is born. Aisha is Wonder's first child, born to Yolanda Simmons.

"The Way We Were" Hits #1
1974-Barbra Streisand scores her first #1 when "The Way We Were" hits the top spot.

1973-Elvis Presley meets Muhammad Ali in Las Vegas. The two exchange gifts, and Ali later says, "I felt sorry for him because he didn't enjoy life the way he should. He stayed indoors all the time. I told him he should go out and see people."

1973-NBC debuts The Midnight Special rock variety show, its response to ABC's popular In Concert series. The first host: Helen Reddy.

1973-Emerson, Lake and Palmer keyboard player Keith Emerson injures his hands when a rigged piano explodes prematurely during a San Francisco gig, leaving him with minor cuts and a broken fingernail.

1971-The Point!, an animated fable written by pop star Nilsson, makes its debut on ABC's Movie of the Week.

1968-After cycling through a number of band names (including Bag 'O Nails and Navy Blue), Ian Anderson's group plays the Marquee Club in London as Jethro Tull, a name that sticks. Their agent suggested the name; Jethro Tull is the inventor of the seed drill.

1966-Robert DeLeo, who will form Stone Temple Pilots along with his brother Dean and lead singer Scott Weiland, is born in Montclair, New Jersey.

1963-The Beatles begin their first British tour at the Gaumont in Bradford. They're listed last on the bill, which includes The Honeys, The Kestrals, The Red Price Orchestra and 16-year-old Helen Shapiro.

1963-Eva Cassidy is born in Washington, D.C. She is raised in Maryland.

1959-At the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper play their last show as part of the "Winter Dance Party" tour. Admission: $1.25. The last song of the night: The Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace.

1957-Dale Hawkins records "Susie Q."

1957-Fats Domino makes an appearance on The Perry Como Show, singing his hits "Blue Monday" and "Blueberry Hill."

1956-The Coasters sign with Atlantic Records.

1949-Ross Valory, bass player with Journey and the Steve Miller Band, is born in San Francisco.

1948-Al McKay (of Earth, Wind & Fire) is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1947-Peter Lucia (of Tommy James & the Shondells) is born in Morristown, New Jersey.

1946-Howard Bellamy (of the country duo The Bellamy Brothers) is born in Darby, Florida.

1942-Graham Nash is born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. After founding The Hollies in 1962, he leaves in 1968 to make more newsworthy music, which he does with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

1940-Alan Caddy (guitarist of The Tornados, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates) is born in Chelsea, London, England.

1937-Guy Lombardo and His Orchestra record "Boo Hoo."

1932-Jazz musician Arthur Lyman, known as "The King of Lounge Music," is born in Kauai, Hawaii.

1927-Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1912-Burton Lane, known for composing the music for the Broadway productions of Finian's Rainbow (1947) and On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965), is born Morris Hyman Kushner in New York City.

1900-The opera Louise by Gustave Charpentiers (his most famous composition) premieres in Paris.

1525-Italian Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina is born in the town of Palestrina near Rome.

[Bikkie]

Headline from Wellington Independent, 11 February 1868
1868
Killer storm sweeps the country
An ex-tropical cyclone swept south across the country from Saturday 1st. By the time it moved away on Tuesday 4th, more than 40 people had died.

Ruins of the Napier nurses’ home following the earthquake
1931
Deadly Hawke's Bay earthquake
When the earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, struck at 10.47 a.m., many buildings in central Napier and Hastings collapsed.



In Music History

2021-TJ Osborne of the Brothers Osborne comes out as gay in an interview with Time, making him the first openly gay country artist signed to a major label.

2019-In Atlanta, 21 Savage is arrested in an immigration crackdown and detained for nine days. It's revealed that he was born in England and has been living as an undocumented immigrant since his visa expired in 2006. During his detention he watches the Grammy Awards, where he's nominated for Record Of The Year for his Post Malone collaboration "Rockstar." He finally gets his green card in 2023.

2018-Lady Gaga cancels the remainder of her Joanne tour, citing severe pain caused by fibromyalgia. She later reveals the cause to be a psychotic break, telling Rolling Stone, "I completely crashed. It was really scary."

2015-Former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight is rushed to the hospital after pleading not guilty in his connection with a fatal hit-and-run just days before. His friend Terry Carter was killed in the incident and actor Cle Denyale Sloan was injured during an altercation over the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton. Knight faces charges of murder and attempted murder, along with two counts of hit-and-run.

Phil Spector Kills Lana Clarkson
2003-Phil Spector is charged with murder after police are called to his 33-room mansion in Alhambra, California, and discover the actress Lana Clarkson dead from a gunshot wound.

2013-Beyoncé invigorates the 2013 Super Bowl halftime show with a performance that reunites Destiny's Child.

2001-Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me," based on an Eddie Murphy routine about what to do when you get caught cheating, goes to #1 in America.

1997-David Bowie releases the electronica-influenced album Earthling, including the Grammy-nominated song (Best Male Rock Vocal Performance) "Dead Man Walking," and the paranoia-tinged track "I'm Afraid Of Americans," featuring Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

1994-Tori Amos charts on the Hot 100 for the first time with "God" from her sophomore solo album, Under The Pink. It peaks at #72.

1990-Sean Kingston is born Kisean Anderson in Miami. His pop-reggae sound gets the attention of producer J.R. Rotem, who signs him to his label and issues his first single, "Beautiful Girls," in 2007. The song goes to #1 and leads to a run of hits that lasts through 2013, but in 2025 Kingston is convicted of wire fraud after exploiting his celebrity to steal luxury goods.

1989-"Wild Thing" by Tone Loc becomes the first rap single certified Platinum, with sales of over a million.

1986-The Firm release Mean Business, their second and final album.

1981-At The Who concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London, Pete Townshend drinks four bottles of brandy onstage, and instead of playing, mouths off to the crowd. His bandmates just keep playing without him. Months later, Townshend gets treatment for his alcoholism but turns to drugs, once again putting his life in danger. In early 1982, he rehabs again and finally gets sober.

1980-Studio 54 throws one last bash with A-list regulars Diana Ross, Andy Warhol and Richard Gere before the owners, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, go to jail for tax evasion.

1979-"Y.M.C.A." by The Village People goes to #2 in America, where it stays for three weeks, unable to overtake fellow disco stalwarts "Le Freak" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" In many other territories, including Australia, Canada and the UK, the song goes to #1.

1979-20 years after the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Del Shannon and The Drifters perform a tribute show in Clear Lake, Iowa, where Holly's last concert took place.

1979-The Blues Brothers' album Briefcase Full of Blues hits #1 in the US - not bad for two comedians (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) who formed the duo for Saturday Night Live.

1978-The TV-movie Dead Man's Curve, the first to deal with the tragic Jan & Dean story, premieres on ABC.

1978-Harry Chapin, who has started an organization to fight hunger called World Hunger Year, meets with US President Jimmy Carter to discuss the project.

1977-Reggaeton star Daddy Yankee is born Ramon Rodriguez in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1976-David Bowie opens his US tour with a new persona: The Thin White Duke. He's dressed in a black-vested suit with slicked-back hair. Bowie later described the persona as "a nasty character indeed."

1973-Elton John's reptilian rocker "Crocodile Rock" hits #1 in America for the first of three weeks, giving him his first chart-topper in that country.

1971-Lynn Anderson's "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden" is certified Gold.

1969-Beatles John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr hire Allen Klein as the group's new manager, against the express wishes of Paul McCartney, who preferred his father-in-law Lee Eastman. The dissension is a deciding factor in the group's breakup a year later.

1968-The Lemon Pipers hit #1 in America with "Green Tambourine," a psychedelic song about a busker.

1967-Joe Meek, an experimental pop pioneer who wrote and produced the Tornados' "Telstar," fatally shoots his landlady before turning the gun on himself.

1966-Paul McCartney meets Stevie Wonder for the first time after Wonder's show at London's Scotch Of St. James nightclub.

1964-The Beach Boys release "Fun, Fun, Fun," which stalls at #5 in the US, thanks to Beatlemania.

1961-Bob Dylan makes his first recordings, versions of "San Francisco Bay Blues" and "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well," at the home of friends Sid and Bob Gleason in East Orange, New Jersey.

1960-Frank Sinatra launches the first fully artist-owned label, Reprise Records (pronounced "repreeze"), so he can own his own masters. Some of his cohorts, including Dean Martin and Rosemary Clooney, join the label, which is sold to Warner Brothers in 1963, where it becomes home to a number of famous acts, including Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell and Green Day.

The Day The Music Died
1959-Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed in a plane crash. Don McLean would call it "The Day the Music Died" in his 1971 hit "American Pie."

1959-Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst of The Cure is born in Horley, Surrey, England. A founding member, he starts out on drums, then moves to keyboards before he is sacked by Robert Smith in 1989.

1956-Lee Ranaldo (guitarist for Sonic Youth) is born in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York.

1950-The Ames Brothers' "Rag Mop" hits #1.

1949-Arthur Kane (bass guitarist for New York Dolls) is born in The Bronx, New York City.

1947-Folk singer Melanie is born Melanie Safka in Queens, New York. She makes a big impact at Woodstock, where she plays on the muddy first day, inspiration for her song "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)."

1947-Dave Davies (lead guitarist for The Kinks) is born in Fortis Green, London, England.

1945-Johnny Cymbal is born John Hendry Blair in Ochiltree, Ayrshire, Scotland.

1943-Folk rocker Shawn Phillips is born in Fort Worth, Texas. He starts his music career as a session musician for Donovan.

1943-Eric Haydock (original bass guitarist for The Hollies) is born in Stockport, Cheshire, England.

1943-Dennis Edwards (of The Temptations) is born in Fairfield, Alabama. He replaces lead singer David Ruffin in 1968.

1941-Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra records "Amapola."

1940-Angelo D'Aleo (of Dion & The Belmonts) is born in the Belmont neighborhood of The Bronx, New York City.

1935-Blues rocker Johnny "Guitar" Watson is born in Houston, Texas.

1928-Pop singer Frankie Vaughan is born Frank Ableson in Liverpool, England.

1920-Actor/singer Russell Arms is born in Berkeley, California. In the '50s, he becomes a popular vocalist on the NBC series Your Hit Parade.

1809-German composer Felix Mendelssohn is born in Hamburg.

[Bikkie]

1950
Opening ceremony at British Empire Games in Auckland
Forty thousand spectators packed Eden Park for the opening ceremony of the fourth British Empire Games – the first staged since the Second World War.

Lynne Cox swimming Cook Strait, 1975
1975
First woman swims Cook Strait
American Lynne Cox swam from the North Island to the South in 12 hours 7 minutes. The fourth person to do so, she battled heavy seas and strong winds.

USS Buchanan entering Sydney Harbour anti-nuclear cartoon
1985
USS Buchanan refused entry to New Zealand
New Zealand's Labour government refused the USS Buchanan entry because the United States would neither confirm nor deny that the warship had nuclear capability.



In Music History
2024-Taylor Swift wins the Album Of The Year Grammy for Midnights, making her the first artist to win that award four times. Miley Cyrus gets Record Of The Year for "Flowers" and Billie Eilish takes Song Of The Year for "What Was I Made For?" from the movie Barbie.

2017-Black Sabbath play the final concert of their farewell tour at the Genting Arena in their English home city of Birmingham. Their final song of the night, "Paranoid," is streamed live on Facebook so fans around the world can witness the historic moment onstage.

2016-Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White dies at age 74 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

2015-Post Malone, 19, uploads a demo of his song "White Iverson" on SoundCloud. It takes off, landing him a record deal and launching his career.

2013-Reg Presley (lead singer The Troggs) dies of lung cancer, coupled with a series of strokes, at age 71.

2013-R&B singer Darlene McCrea (of The Cookies) dies.

2013-Jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd (of The Blackbyrds) dies at age 80.

2012-About 100 dancers participate in a Soul Train-style line dance in Times Square as a tribute to the recently deceased founder of the show, Don Cornelius.

2012-Adele becomes the first female British artist to have three #1 songs from the same album top the Billboard Hot 100 chart when "Set Fire to the Rain" hits the top spot, following "Rolling In The Deep" and "Someone Like You" from the album 21.

2010-A judge rules that the flute riff of the Men at Work song "Down Under" plagiarizes another Australian classic: the 1932 song "Kookaburra."

2009-Lux Interior (of The Cramps), real name: Erick Lee Purkhiser, dies of aortic dissection at age 62.

2008-Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart resurrect Grateful Dead for a benefit concert in support of presidential hopeful Barack Obama in San Francisco.

2008-John Mellencamp becomes the first of many artists to accuse soon-to-be-Republican presidential nominee John McCain of using their music without authorization. McCain had been using the song "Our Country," and while he had the legal rights to do so, Mellencamp makes it clear he does not support McCain and asks that he refrain from using his music.

2008-With digital delivery transforming the industry, some record companies package releases with additional goodies. The Virgin-owned Astralwerks label issues Laura Marling's debut album, Alas, I Cannot Swim, in what they call a "songbox" format, which includes a concert ticket and souvenirs representing each song along with the CD.

2007-Razorlight members Johnny Borrell and Carl Dalemo clash onstage at a gig in Lyon. The concert is halted, but the band returns to finish the set.

2002-On the occasion of civil-rights activist Rosa Parks' 89th birthday, Stevie Wonder sings his song "Happy Birthday" to her at the premiere of her TV-movie biography The Rosa Parks Story. The song had originally been written by Wonder to help bring about a national Martin Luther King holiday.

1999-In a daring move, Rykodisc becomes the first music label to give its stamp of approval to MP3, the controversial Internet-based music distribution format that struck fear into the hearts of many music industry executives.

1998-Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford comes out as gay in an interview with MTV. "I feel this is the moment to discuss it," he says. "A lot of homophobia still exists in the music world."

1997-The Offspring return with their fourth studio album, Ixnay on the Hombre - the follow-up to their 1994 breakthrough album Smash and the band's first after signing to Columbia Records in 1996.

1989-Thanks to radio-station rediscovery, Sheriff hit #1 in America with the ballad "When I'm With You," which peaked at #61 when it was first released in 1983. The band, which has been defunct since 1985, never get back together.

1987-Liberace dies of AIDS-related pneumonia at age 67.

Janet Jackson Takes Control
1986-Janet Jackson, 19, asserts her independence on her third album, Control, where she takes on much of the songwriting and production. With five big hits, including the #1 "When I Think of You," it vaults her into a league with her brother Michael.

1984-Thanks to a music video that puts their flamboyant frontman Boy George on a Mississippi steamboat in the 1800s, the British band Culture Club hit #1 in America with "Karma Chameleon."

1983-Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters dies at age 32 of complications from anorexia.

1982-Alex Harvey (of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band) dies of a massive heart attack at age 46.

Ramones Album Produced By Phil Spector Released
1980-The Ramones release their fifth album, End of the Century, produced by Phil Spector. Dee Dee Ramone claims Spector pulled a gun on him during the sessions.

1979-Save The Whales organizes a month-long rock memorabilia auction in San Francisco.

1978-The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive," which features in the opening scene of Saturday Night Fever, hits #1 in the US and stays there for four weeks.

Fleetwood Mac Release Rumours
1977-Fleetwood Mac release their landmark album Rumours. The LP sets a record for most weeks at #1 with 31, and becomes one of the best-selling albums of all time, with worldwide sales estimated at about 40 million.

1977-Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw is born in South Fallsburg, New York. After moving to New York City, he signs with Clive Davis' J Records and releases his first album, Chariot, in 2003. The first single, "I Don't Want To Be," becomes the theme song to the TV series One Tree Hill.

1977-American Bandstand gets a primetime special in honor of the show's 25th anniversary. The show features one of the first "all-star jams," as Chuck Berry is joined by Greg Allman, Junior Walker, The Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels and several others on a performance of "Roll Over Beethoven."

1976-Rapper Cam'ron is born Cameron Ezike Giles in Harlem, New York.

1975-Natalie Imbruglia is born in Sydney, Australia. Before embarking on a singing career, she stars on the soap opera Neighbours.

1975-Louis Jordan dies of a heart attack at age 66.

1974-The Stooges play a bar in Wayne, Michigan, where a biker gang called The Scorpions is initiating a new member by having him hurl eggs at lead singer Iggy Pop, who responds by going into the crowd to fight him.

1974-John Lennon begins his "Lost Weekend," which lasts 18 months. Separating from Yoko, he goes on an extended bender, often joined by his friend Nilsson.

1969-In response to the other Beatles hiring Allen Klein as manager the day before, Paul McCartney hires his father-in-law's firm, Eastman & Eastman, as general legal counsel for Apple Corps.

1968-US Attorney General John Mitchell receives a secret memo from Senator Strom Thurmond, in which Thurmond suggests deporting John Lennon due to his antiwar stance.

1966-The Who play their first show as headliners, at the Astoria in Finsbury Park, England. Also appearing are The Fortunes and The Merseys.

1963-Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman (lead guitarist for The Offspring) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1962-Country singer Clint Black is born in Long Branch, New Jersey.

1961-Johnny Burnette is rushed to Hollywood's Cedars of Lebanon Hospital to undergo an emergency appendectomy. The medical crisis forces Burnette, then on the charts with "You're Sixteen," to cancel $10,000 worth of domestic engagements and postpone a European tour.

1959-A day after the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper, the Winter Dance Party tour continues in Sioux City, Iowa, with Fabian, Frankie Avalon and Jimmy Clanton as the new headliners and Waylon Jennings singing Holly's songs.

1956-Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" reaches its US chart peak of #17, giving him his first hit. Pat Boone's version of the song outcharts him, making #12 two weeks later.

1954-The Drifters record "Bells Of Saint Mary's," "White Christmas," "Honey Love," and "What'cha Gonna Do."

1952-Jerry Shirley (drummer for Humble Pie) is born in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, England.

1951-Phil Ehart (drummer for Kansas) is born in Coffeyville, Kansas.

1948-Vincent Furnier, who will become better known as Alice Cooper, is born in Detroit.

1944-Florence LaRue (of The 5th Dimension) is born in Plainfield, New Jersey, but grows up in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

1943-Frank Sinatra cameos in the movie Reveille with Beverly, singing "Night And Day."

1941-John Steel (original drummer for The Animals) is born in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England.

1939-Frank Sinatra marries Nancy Barbato at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Jersey City. They welcome three children - Nancy, Frank Jr., and Tina - before divorcing in 1951.

1937-Glen Gray and His Casa Loma Orchestra records "A Study in Brown."

1924-Louis Armstrong marries Lillian Hardin, a pianist with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, of which he is also a member. Lil encourages her husband's rising career, but the marriage falls apart, ending in a 1938 divorce.

[Bikkie]

Invercargill railway yard
1867
Opening of railway from Invercargill to Bluff
The 27-km line between Invercargill and Bluff was the third public railway in New Zealand. Southland's railway ambitions helped drive the province into bankruptcy.


Manurewa
1911
New Zealand’s first controlled powered flight
Pioneering aviator Vivian Walsh took to the skies over South Auckland for the first successful flight in New Zealand.


The Big Day Out, Auckland, 2007
1994
First Big Day Out in New Zealand
The Big Day Out, an Australian franchise based on the successful Lollapalooza model, brought alternative, hard rock, hip hop and, more recently, dance acts together in a one-day festival in Auckland.



In Music History

2024-Toby Keith dies at 62 after a battle with stomach cancer. He wrote or co-wrote most of his 20 #1 Country hits, including "How Do You Like Me Now!?" and "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)."

2023-Beyoncé wins four Grammys, breaking the record for most all-time Grammy wins with 32. There's also a 50 years of hip-hop celebration, and the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, given to... Dr. Dre.

Paul Simon Announces Farewell Tour
2018-Paul Simon announces his final tour, the Homeward Bound Tour.

2017-Lady Gaga opens the Super Bowl halftime show with a verse from "God Bless America," followed by the song Woody Guthrie wrote as a parody, "This Land Is Your Land."

2012--The Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary" is mashed with Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" for a special Budweiser commercial that airs during Super Bowl XLVI.

2012-The Super Bowl XLVI halftime show becomes the most-watched television event in history, at 118 million views. Performing artists include Madonna, LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, and Cee Lo Green.

2009-R&B/blues singer-songwriter Piney Brown dies at age 87.

2008-Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who taught Transcendental Meditation to The Beatles and The Beach Boys, dies in his sleep at age 90. Paul McCartney calls him "a great man who worked tirelessly for the people of the world and the cause of unity."

2008-Lenny Kravitz releases his eighth studio album, It Is Time For A Love Revolution, which peaks at #4 in the US.

Stars Come Out To Support Obama On Super Tuesday
2008-On the day of the Super Tuesday primary elections in America, luminaries from across many genres of music (country - not so much) voice their enthusiastic support for Barack Obama, who wins big in the primaries on his way to the White House.

2007-Apple Computers settles a long-standing legal battle with Apple Records, the label set up by The Beatles. The companies have disputed the rights of the computer maker to sell music under the Apple name.

2006-A 29-year-old man is shot to death near a video shoot for rapper Busta Rhymes in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, New York. The man worked as a bodyguard at Kiss the Cactus Productions, where the video for Rhymes's "Touch It" was being filmed.

2005-"Helena" by My Chemical Romance peaks at #33 on the Hot 100. It's the alt rock band's first big crossover hit.

2000-Powered by a sample of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," "Rise" by Gabrielle goes to #1 in the UK.

1998-Elton John and Stevie Wonder perform at the White House for US President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

1998-Tim Kelly (guitarist Slaughter) dies in a car accident in Arizona at age 35.

1992-New Kids On The Block appear on The Arsenio Hall Show to address accusations made by Gregory McPherson, their former music director, that they didn't sing on their albums. McPherson later recants the allegations.

1990-Hasbro introduces the New Kids On The Block dolls, which come with personal interview cassettes. It's one of many marketing opportunities for the group, who also sell phones, buttons, and fanny packs.

She's Having A Baby Introduces Kate Bush Weeper
1988-The John Hughes film She's Having A Baby debuts in US theaters. Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern star as a young married couple whose lives are about to be upended by the birth of their first child. The soundtrack features Kate Bush's heart-wrenching ballad "This Woman's Work," written and recorded expressly for the movie.

1983-Continental shift: "Africa" by Toto replaces "Down Under" by Men At Work at #1 in the US.

1981-Joni Mitchell is inducted into Canada's Juno Hall of Fame.

1979-The Pointer Sisters' "Fire" is certified Gold.

1979-Fifteen months after announcing his retirement on stage, Elton John is back in action in Stockholm with the first show of his A Single Man tour.

1977-Mary MacGregor's "Torn Between Two Lovers" hits #1 for the first of two weeks.

1976-Elvis Presley records "For the Heart," "Hurt," and "Danny Boy."

1972-Paul Simon releases "Mother and Child Reunion."

1971-Sara Evans is born in Boonesboro, Missouri.

1969-Bobby Brown is born in Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts.

1968-Spin Doctors frontman Chris Barron is born Christopher Barron Gross in Hawaii. He moves with his family to Australia at age 8, then to Princeton, New Jersey at 12, where he goes to high school with John Popper of Blues Traveler.

1967-Pop Stars And Drugs – Facts That Will Shock You screams the headline of the British newspaper News of the World. The article describes LSD parties thrown by The Moody Blues and attended by Pete Townshend, Ginger Baker and other prominent rock stars, and claims that Mick Jagger took Benzedrine tablets and lured girls back to his apartment to smoke hash. Jagger sues for libel, as it was actually Brian Jones with the Benzedrine. The paper responds by staking out Jagger and tipping police to drug activity at Keith Richards' Redlands estate. On February 12, police raid the place, arresting Jagger, Richards and Marianne Faithfull on drug charges.

1967-Chilean composer Violeta Parra commits suicide at age 49.

1966-Petula Clark's "My Love" hits #1 on the Hot 100 for the first of two weeks.

1964-Bass player Duff McKagan is born Michael Andrew McKagan in Seattle, Washington. With the Seattle drug scene causing problems, he heads to Los Angeles, where he forms Guns N' Roses.

1961-Gene Pitney releases "Love My Life Away."

1957-Bill Haley arrives in London for his first British tour. He's the first American rock star to tour there and is met by about 4,000 fans at Heathrow Airport, mostly thanks to promoters who hyped his coming as "the second battle of Waterloo."

1955-The Fontane Sisters' "Hearts of Stone" hits #1 in America for the first of three weeks.

1948-Actor Christopher Guest, known as Alan Barrows of the fictional folk trio The Folksmen and Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap, is born in New York City. The mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap tells us Tufnel was born in Squatney, London.

1944-Al Kooper (of The Blues Project, Blood, Sweat & Tears) is born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt in Brooklyn, New York.

1944-J.R. Cobb (guitarist for Classics IV, Atlanta Rhythm Section) is born in Birmingham, Alabama.

1943-Chuck Winfield (trumpet player for Blood, Sweat & Tears) is born.

1941-Cory Wells (of Three Dog Night) is born Emil Lewandowski in Buffalo, New York.

1941-Barrett Strong, who teams with producer Norman Whitfield to write a number of Motown hits, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," is born in West Point, Mississippi.

1935-Alex Harvey (of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band) is born in Glasgow, Scotland.

1931-Eddie Cantor makes his debut radio appearance, singing on Rudy Vallee's Fleischmann Hour.

1930-Jazz trumpeter Don Goldie is born Donald Elliott Goldfield in Newark, New Jersey. His father, Harry "Goldie" Goldfield, was also a trumpet player who worked with Paul Whiteman.

1929-Hal Blaine, the famous session drummer coined the term "Wrecking Crew" for the prolific group of Los Angeles studio musicians, is born in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

1923Country singer-songwriter Claude King, known for the 1962 hit "Wolverton Mountain," is born in Keithville, Louisiana.

[Bikkie]

1943- 1st Spitfire in action above Darwin, Australia, Mu Ki-46 shot down

Magnum Photos Founded
1947- Magnum Photos founded in Paris by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and David Seymour


Photojournalist
Robert Capa

Photographer
Henri Cartier-Bresson
1948 -1st radio-controlled airplane flown
1948- KNXT (now KCBS) TV channel 2 in Los Angeles, CA (CBS) 1st broadcast
1948- Nils Karlsson wins the 50k cross country gold medal at the St. Moritz Winter Olympics; Swedish skiers win all 3 cross-country events at the Games
1948- World & European champion Barbara Ann Scott becomes the first Canadian to win a women's figure skating Olympic gold medal at the S




In Music History

Ozzy Announces Sequel To "No More Tours" Tour
2018-Ozzy Osbourne announces his No More Tours 2 tour, billed as his "final global tour." Ozzy first retired from touring in 1992 with his original No More Tours tour.

2016-Dan Hicks dies of liver cancer in his Mill Valley, California home. Best remembered for his work as leader of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, he also holds the distinction of having been drummer in seminal '60s psychedelic act The Charlatans during their historically important 1965 Red Dog Saloon residency, which was crucial in shaping the San Francisco psychedelic music scene.

2016-Panic! at the Disco top the US albums chart for the first time when Death of a Bachelor goes to #1. The group stalled at #2 with their 2008 release, Pretty.Odd.

2013-Rihanna accompanies Chris Brown to his probation hearing stemming from when he assaulted her in 2009. They are back together as a couple; she is spotted blowing kisses his way.

2011-Christina Aguilera messes up a line of the US national anthem when she performs it at the Super Bowl. Instead of "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming," Aguilera sings: "What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming." Aguilera later said of the mistake: "I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through."

2011-Gary Moore (guitarist for Thin Lizzy) dies of a heart attack at age 58.

2007-Fall Out Boy drift from their pop-punk roots with their third studio album, Infinity On High, by incorporating elements of funk, R&B, and flamenco. The album debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, bolstered by the hit single "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race."

2007-Barenaked Ladies release their eighth studio album, Barenaked Ladies Are Men, the last BNL album to feature founding member Steven Page.

2007-Frankie Laine dies at age 93.

2003-50 Cent drops his major-label debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', a joint release on Eminem's Shady Records and Dr. Dre's Aftermath label. It includes two #1 hits: "In Da Club" and "21 Questions."

2003-ABC's 20/20 airs the British documentary Living With Michael Jackson, where we see him climb a tree, go shopping, and talk about sharing his bed with kids.

1998-Austrian singer-songwriter Falco (Hans Hölzel) dies in a car crash while under the influence of cocaine and alcohol, just two weeks shy of his 41st birthday.

1998-Beach Boys guitarist Carl Wilson dies of lung cancer at 51. Wilson sang lead on the group's hits "Good Vibrations," "God Only Knows," and "Kokomo."

1998-Blues Brothers 2000 opens in theaters. James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and Erykah Badu are among the musicians to appear in the film.

1987-Featuring a title song written by Bruce Springsteen, the movie Light of Day hits theaters. The film stars Joan Jett and Michael J. Fox as leaders of a struggling band called The Barbusters.

1984-At the Sweetwaters South Festival in Christchurch, New Zealand, Talking Heads play their last concert, a messy set that is cut short after just a few songs. They release three more albums but perform together again just once: in 2002 when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1982: The J. Geils Band hit No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Centerfold’.

1981: American jazz pianist and composer Vincent Guarldi died at the age of 47.

1981-Hugo Montenegro, an orchestra leader and film composer known for his 1968 hit cover of Ennio Morricone's theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly dies of emphysema at age 55.

1976-Elvis Presley records "Never Again" and "Love Coming Down."

1976-Just hours after finishing the soundtrack for It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown, longtime Peanuts composer Vince Guaraldi dies suddenly of a heart attack (or a possible aortic aneurysm) at age 47. At the jazz pianist's funeral, Charlie Brown music is played over the church's sound system.

1971: George Harrison hit number one in the UK with his third solo studio album 'All Things Must Pass'.

1966-Rick Astley is born in Lancashire, England. He gets a big break when the producer Pete Waterman of Stock Aitken Waterman spots him singing at a showcase and offers him an office job, which leads to a record deal.

1965-The Righteous Brothers' yearning "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'," written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and produced by Phil Spector, hits #1 in America.

1964-The Tragically Hip lead singer Gord Downie is born in Kingston, Ontario.

1962-Axl Rose, born William Bruce Rose, Jr., is born in Lafayette, Indiana (his stage name is an anagram for "Oral Sex"). Rose forms the band Guns N' Roses.

1961-The Capris' "There's a Moon Out Tonight" enters the R&B charts.

1960-R&B singer Jesse Belvin, who co-wrote the Penguins' hit "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)," dies in a car crash at age 27.

1958: George Harrison joined The Quarrymen, forming a precursor to The Beatles.

1957-Simon Phillips (drummer for Toto) is born in London, England.

1950-Natalie Cole is born in Los Angeles, California, to crooner Nat King Cole and former Duke Ellington Orchestra singer Maria Hawkins Cole.

1949-Mike Batt is born in Southampton, England. He writes Art Garfunkel's "Bright Eyes" for the 1978 animated film Watership Down.

1947-Allan Jones (saxophonist for Amen Corner) is born in Swansea, Glamorgan, South Wales.

Bob Marley Is Born
1945-Bob Marley is born Nesta Robert Marley in Jamaica. His mother is a native of Jamaica and his father an officer in the British military.

1943-"50s teen idol Fabian is born Fabiano Forte in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1941-Pop singer Dave Berry is born David Holgate Grundy in Woodhouse, Sheffield, England.

1929-Rudy Vallee and His Orchestra record "Deep Night."

[Bikkie]

Wreck of HMS Orpheus, Illustrated London News, 1863
1863
New Zealand’s worst shipwreck
For the British it was the costliest day of the New Zealand Wars – but it occurred far from the battlefield. Bringing naval stores from Sydney, the modern 1706-ton steam corvette HMS Orpheus ran aground on the bar at the entrance to Auckland’s Manukau Harbour.


Brynderwyn disaster memorial
1963
Fifteen die in Northland bus tragedy
Fifteen people were killed and 21 injured, many severely, when a bus returning to Auckland from Waitangi Day celebrations in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip lost its brakes on Brynderwyn hill



In Music History

2016-Coldplay and football (the American kind) come together when the band headlines the halftime show of Super Bowl 50 between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. It is an odd pairing, but after a set that includes "Viva La Vida" and "Paradise," Bruno Mars appears, followed by halftime show savior Beyoncé, who blasts out her new song, "Formation."

2012-Alicia Keys and Nas join Jay-Z at the second of two charity concerts he holds at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The concerts raise $3.5 million for the United Way and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.

2009-Jazz singer Blossom Dearie dies in her sleep at age 84.

2000-Rapper Big Pun, real name Christopher Lee Rios, dies at age 28 of a heart attack and respiratory failure.

2000-Dave Peverett (original lead vocalist for Foghat, guitarist for Savoy Brown) dies of cancer at age 56.

1997-Sarah McLachlan marries her drummer, Ashwin Sood, in Negril, Jamaica. They split in 2008.

1994-Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski dies of cancer at age 81.

1993-Neil Young records a live set on MTV's Unplugged. Fraught with trouble due to Young's displeasure over the performances of his backing band, it's still released as an album later that year.

1993-Carmen Electra's self-titled debut album was released.

1990-Primus release their first studio album, Frizzle Fry. Their mashup of progressive, punk and alternative is a winner, earning them an ardent fanbase that takes to affectionately screaming "Primus Sucks!" at concerts.

1989-The Georgia State Representative Billy Randall introduces a bill to make Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" the official state rock song. It doesn't pass.

1986-The Rolling Stones shot the video for "Harlem Shuffle" in New York City.

1985-Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" becomes the official anthem of New York City. The tune, which was introduced by Liza Minnelli in the movie of the same name, was a Top 40 hit for Sinatra in 1977.

1981-"Celebration" by Kool & the Gang goes to #1. It becomes the de-facto party song to celebrate just about any festive event, but there's a deeper meaning many don't know about: It was inspired by a passage in the Quran where angels gather to celebrate the creation of humankind.

1981-ABC begins airing the first installment of the mini-series Elvis and Me, based on ex-wife Priscilla Presley's book of the same name.

1980-Twelve days before his death, Bon Scott goes to the UFO concert at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

1980-At the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Pink Floyd stage the first production of The Wall, an immersive concert performance in which a giant wall is erected on stage as the band plays, representing the alienation between audience and performer.

1980-AC/DC appear on Top of the Pops, where they perform "A Touch Too Much." It's lead singer Bon Scott's last appearance with the band, as he drinks himself to death 12 days later.

1979-The Clash, who have established themselves as leaders in the punk rock movement, play their first show in America when they perform at the Berkeley Community Theatre in California. Their opening act is blues legend Bo Diddley, who finds them quite loud.

1979-Stephen Stills records the first major-label album using all-digital equipment, but it's never released, which means that Ry Cooder's Bop Till You Drop will get the honor.

1976-Paul Simon lands his first #1 American hit as a solo artist when "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover" claims the top spot. It's no "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Simon calls it a "nonsense song" - but listeners love it and it stays on top for three weeks.

1976-Paul Simon lands his first #1 American hit as a solo artist when "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover" claims the top spot. It's no "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Simon calls it a "nonsense song" - but listeners love it and it stays on top for three weeks.

1976-Bob Dylan's album Desire, featuring the songs "Isis" and "Mozambique," hits #1 in America.

1974-Barry White earns Gold certifications for "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up," his album Stone Gon', and also for The Love Unlimited Orchestra's "Love's Theme" and their album Under the Influence of Love Unlimited.

1973- Punk pioneers the Stooges released their third studio album "Raw Power".

1971-Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor record backup vocals for Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold," which becomes his biggest hit.

1970-The Dutch group the Shocking Blue hit #1 in America with "Venus." Sixteen years later, a cover version by Bananarama goes to the top.

1970-Led Zeppelin earned their first UK No.1 album with "Led Zeppelin II".

1969-Tom Jones' UK variety show This Is Tom Jones premieres on ABC after the network pays out over $20 million for the rights.

1967-The Monkees announce during an appearance on the British TV show Top of the Pops that they will play on their own records from now on instead of using session players.

1966-The first magazine dedicated specifically to rock and roll music, Crawdaddy!, is published by Paul Williams in New York City.

Beatlemania Comes To America
1964-Thanks to media coverage and a publicity campaign by Capitol Records, thousands of screaming fans greet The Beatles when their plane lands in New York at 1:20 p.m. The scenes become iconic images of Beatlemania.

1963-Weeks before her tragic death in a plane crash, Patsy Cline wraps up her final recording sessions, including a contemporary rendition of the 1925 pop ballad "Always" and a cover of country song "Sweet Dreams."

1962-David Bryan (keyboardist for Bon Jovi) is born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

1960-Steve Bronski (keyboardist, percussionist for Bronski Beat) is born in England.

1959-Ritchie Valens is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

1959: Buddy Holly's funeral was held in Lubbock, TX.

1959-New Orleans blues guitarist Eddie Jones, known as Guitar Slim, struggling with alcoholism, dies of pneumonia at age 32.

1959-Brian Travers (saxophonist for UB40) is born in Birmingham, England.

1955-Saxophone player Jimmy Z is born Jimmy Zavala in North Highlands, California.

1949-Alan Lancaster (bassist, vocalist for Status Quo) is born in Peckham, London, England.

1948-Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboardist for Three Dog Night) is born in Los Angeles, California. His mother is silent movie actress Mary O'Brian.

1946-Sammy Johns, who has a hit in 1975 with "Chevy Van," is born in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1934-Earl King is born Earl Silas Johnson IV in New Orleans, Louisiana. Composer of the blues standard "Come On" (aka "Let The Good Times Roll"), among others.

1934-Saxophonist King Curtis is born Curtis Montgomery in Fort Worth, Texas. He plays the distinctive solo on The Coasters' hit "Yakety Yak."

1920-Folk singer-songwriter Oscar Brand is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but is raised in Brooklyn, New York.

1887Composer Eubie Blake is born in Baltimore, Maryland.

[Bikkie]

1915
Turkish ambush kills New Zealand seaman
Able Seaman William Edward Knowles became one of the first New Zealanders to die in the First World War as a result of enemy action.

1915: The film "The Birth of a Nation," a Civil War epic by DW Griffith, premiered in Los Angeles, and a New Zealand warship was ambushed in Turkey.

The ill-fated Desoutter ZK-ACA
1931
First fatal accident on a scheduled air service in New Zealand
All three people on board a Dominion Airlines Desoutter died when it crashed near Wairoa in northern Hawke’s Bay.

1952-Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen, marking a new era in New Zealand's history as the Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith.

1972
Women cricketers triumph
New Zealand’s women cricketers achieved their first test victory at the 17th attempt. They had lost seven and drawn nine of their previous tests, all against either England or Australia.




In Music History

2024-"Sunflower" by Post Malone and Swae Lee becomes the first song ever certified Double Diamond by the RIAA for 20 million units in America, which translates to 3 billion streams. The song is featured in the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

2021-Mary Wilson, the only member of The Supremes with the group throughout their tenure, dies at 76.

2015-Sam Smith is the big winner at the Grammy Awards, taking Best New Artist and also Record of the Year and Song of the Year ("Stay With Me").

2011-Ashlee Simpson files for divorce from Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, citing irreconcilable differences. They continue to amicably co-parent their son Bronx, and in 2014 Simpson marries Evan Ross, son of Diana Ross.

2011-Blues singer-songwriter Marvin Sease dies of complications from pneumonia at age 64.

2009-Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are the big winners at the Grammy Awards, taking Album Of The Year for their collaboration Raising Sand and Record Of The Year for "Please Read the Letter." Lil Wayne wins four awards, and Adele takes Best New Artist, banishing any curse associated with that award.

2009-Sugarland's track "Stay" scoops two Grammy Awards - Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and Best Country Song.

2009-Ne-Yo wins the Grammy awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for the Year of the Gentleman single "Miss Independent."

2009-Chris Brown and his girlfriend Rihanna miss the Grammy Awards, where they are scheduled to perform, after he assaults her.

2009-About four months after the plane crash that nearly killed their drummer, Travis Barker, Blink-182 announce that they are getting back together during the Grammy Awards.

2006-David Bowie is awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

2005-Tori Amos releases Piece By Piece, a Q&A-style autobiography co-authored by rock journalist Ann Powers.

2005-Keith Knudsen (drummer, vocalist for The Doobie Brothers) dies of pneumonia at age 56.

2004-Pink wins her first solo Grammy Award when her Try This single "Trouble" is named Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. She previously earned a trophy for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals in 2002 alongside Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim and Mýa for their rendition of "Lady Marmalade."

2004-Justin Timberlake wins the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Cry Me A River" (inspired by his breakup with Britney Spears) and takes Best Pop Vocal Album for Justified. The prizes are the first Grammy wins for the former *NSYNC singer.

Beyoncé and OutKast Win Big At Grammys
2004-At the Grammy Awards, OutKast is the first hip-hop act to win Album of the Year, for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, and Evanescence takes Best New Artist, beating out 50 Cent, who comes on stage anyway

2009-Chris Brown and his girlfriend Rihanna miss the Grammy Awards, where they are scheduled to perform, after he assaults her.

2009-About four months after the plane crash that nearly killed their drummer, Travis Barker, Blink-182 announce that they are getting back together during the Grammy Awards.

Katy Perry Releases Gospel Album
2001-Katy Perry, 16, releases her self-titled debut gospel album under her real name, Katy Hudson.

1990-Del Shannon, struggling with depression, commits suicide at age 55.

1989-Anthrax earn their first Gold album when their fourth album, State of Euphoria, is certified for sales of 500,000 copies.

1988-The three remaining members of The Who reunite at Royal Albert Hall for the British Phonographic Industry awards, leading to a full-fledged 25th anniversary tour the next year.

1986-Anderson Paak is born in Oxnard, California.

1986- Billy Ocean topped the UK Singles chart with "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going".

1982-Cher makes her Broadway debut in Come Back To The Five And Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.

1980-David Bowie and wife Angela are officially divorced, although they've been separated since the mid-'70s. David gets custody of their son Zowie.

1977-Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (bassist for Linkin Park) is born in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He is raised in Mission Viejo, California.

1977-Television release their debut album, Marquee Moon. It doesn't chart in the US but is later hailed by many critics as landmark, with a guitar sound that influences a number of New Wave and rock acts.

1975- Engelbert Humperdinck started a three-week stint at No.1 in the UK with his compilation album 'His Greatest Hits'.

1975-The Ohio Players' "Fire" hits #1.

The First Major Reggae Movie Comes To America
1973-The Jamaican cult classic film The Harder They Come is released in the US.

1972-Frank Zappa's concert at London's Royal Albert Hall is canceled when promoters discover "obscene" lyrics in Zappa's 200 Motels score.

1971-Bob Dylan's documentary Eat the Document, chronicling his 1966 tour of the UK, premieres at New York's Academy of Music. The ABC television network will buy the rights to the film, although they refuse to air it after deciding it doesn't contain enough concert footage.

1971-Will Turpin (bassist for Collective Soul) is born in Fairbanks, Alaska.

1969-George Harrison gets a tonsilectomy.

1968-The duo Peter and Gordon announce their split.

1965-The Dave Clark Five begin filming their movie Catch Us if You Can.

1965-The Supremes release "Stop In The Name Of Love."

1964-With "Louie Louie" under FBI investigation for obscene lyrics, the song's publisher offers $1,000 to anyone who can definitively distinguish the dirty words.

1961-Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil is born in Los Angeles. His distinctive vocals and commanding stage presence help them rise to the top of the hair metal mountain, but he has a tempestuous relationship with his bandmates. He leaves the group in 1992, returning in 1997.

1961-Sam Llanas (vocalist, guitarist of The BoDeans) is born in Wisconsin.

1960- Mark Dinning topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with "Teen Angel," a song banned from multiple radio stations due to its depressive lyrics.

1960-The "payola" hearings begin, as the US government cracks down on the practice of paying for airplay on radio stations.

1959- Johnny Cash performed his hit "Don't Take Your Guns To Town" on the Ed Sullivan Show.

1958-The Quarrymen perform at the Wilson Hall in the Garston section of Liverpool, England. Afterwards, member Paul McCartney introduces his friend George Harrison to John Lennon.

1956-Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" enters the R&B charts.

1956-Buddy Holley becomes "Buddy Holly" when he signs a recording contract with Decca Records that leaves out the "e" in his last name.

1956-The Teen Queens' "Eddie, My Love" enters the R&B charts.

1948-Ron Tyson (of The Temptations) is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1948-Dan Seals (of England Dan & John Ford Coley) is born in McCamey, Texas. He is the younger brother of Jim Seals (Seals & Crofts).

1946-Paul Wheatbread (drummer for Gary Puckett & the Union Gap) is born in San Diego, California.

1946-Adolfo 'Fito' de la Parra (drummer for Canned Heat) is born in Mexico City, Mexico.

1943-Creed Bratton of The Grass Roots is born William Charles Schneider in Los Angeles, California. Many know him for something else: he plays the character Creed on the US version of The Office.

1942-Terry Melcher, who produces "Kokomo" for The Beach Boys and "Kicks" for Paul Revere & the Raiders, is born in New York City. His mother is Doris Day.

1941Singer-songwriter Tom Rush is born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Wrote and recorded the folk-rock standard "No Regrets."

1938-R&B singer Ray Sharpe is born in Fort Worth, Texas.

1934-Novelty singer Larry Verne is born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

1932-John Williams is born in Floral Park, New York. The prolific composer is known for his iconic scores for classics like the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series and Jaws.

1919-Big band trombonist Buddy Morrow is born Muni Zudekoff in New Haven, Connecticut. He starts a three-decade run as leader of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1977.

1894-Lonnie Johnson, one of the first blues guitarists, is born in New Orleans.

[Bikkie]

1770
Cook completes circumnavigation of North Island
The Endeavour's arrival at Cape Turnagain confirmed that the North Island was indeed an island, not part of a fabled great southern continent.


Wanganui Opera House plans
1900
Wanganui Opera House opened
The large wooden building on St Hill Street has been a jewel in Whanganui’s crown for more than a century.




In Music History

2025: Kendrick Lamar performed halftime at Super Bowl LIX, with an appearance by Samuel L. Jackson.

2022-Snoop Dogg buys Death Row Records, the label he started with. He plans to take the label into the metaverse and issue non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

2021-The acclaimed jazz pianist Chick Corea dies of cancer at 79.

2018-At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, four popular Korean artists sing "Imagine" at the opening ceremony, where the theme is "Peace in Motion."

2014-The Beatles: The Night That Changed America airs on CBS exactly 50 years after the group first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. The show features performances by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and also covers of Beatles songs by Stevie Wonder, Dave Grohl and a reunited Eurythmics.

2008-An oversold venue is to blame for the deaths of 10 fans and the injuries of six at a concert by Indonesian metalcore band Beside. Conflicting reports on numbers seem to confirm that the venue, meant to hold 700, was well over capacity, with perhaps as many as 1,500 people inside. The fans were killed in the crush as they tried to leave the packed venue while hundreds more were trying to force their way in.

2005-Soul singer Tyrone Davis dies of complications from a stroke in Chicago, Illinois, at age 66. Known for his #1 R&B hits, "Can I Change My Mind" (1968), "Turn Back The Hands Of Time" (1970), and "Turning Point" (1975).

2001-After being booted from the "reunion" lineup of the Eagles, guitarist Don Felder files a lawsuit against the group.

1997-Soundgarden play the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, their last show until 2010.

1997-Brian Connolly (lead singer of Sweet) dies at age 51 of renal and liver failure after multiple heart attacks.

1995: The Irish music and dance show "Riverdance" first opened in Dublin, Ireland, with lead dancer Michael Flatley.

1991-Gospel singer Reverend James Cleveland dies at age 59.

Midnight Oil Release Blue Sky Mining
1990-Midnight Oil release the album Blue Sky Mining. The lead single, "Blue Sky Mine," is inspired by the Wittenoom industrial disaster in the band's native Australia. The song is a Top 10 hit on the ARIA singles chart and tops the rock charts in the US.

1985: Madonna's album "Like a Virgin" went to number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.

1981-Bill Haley dies of an apparent heart attack at age 55. With "Rock Around The Clock," Haley had the first big hit of the rock era, but his fortunes faded quickly as the '50s came to an end, and the second half of his life was mired in financial problems and a struggle to regain musical relevance.

1979-UB40 play their first live show, sharing the bill with another local group called the Au Pairs at The Hare & Hounds Pub in Birmingham. In 2011, a plaque went up outside the pub to mark the performance.

1974-"Love's Theme," a groovy instrumental composed by Barry White for his Love Unlimited Orchestra, hits #1 in the US.

1974-At The Palace in Detroit, The Stooges play their last show until their 2003 reunion. An imploding Iggy Pop taunts the crowd, which responds with various projectiles. The opening act is a young band called Aerosmith.

1973-Max Yasgur, who owned the farm in upstate New York where the 1969 Woodstock festival was held, dies of a heart attack at age 53.

1972-Beginning a covert university tour where Paul McCartney can play to small audiences, Wings play their first show: an unannounced concert at Nottingham University in England.

1970-Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" is certified Gold.

1966-Liza Minnelli brings her nightclub act to New York City with a show at the Persian Room of the Plaza Hotel.

1966-Sophie Tucker dies of lung cancer and kidney failure at age 79.

1963-Paul and Paula's "Hey Paula" hits #1 for the first of three weeks.

1963-Country singer Travis Tritt is born in Marietta, Georgia.

1963-Hattie Carroll, a 51-year-old bartender in Baltimore, is killed after a disgruntled patron hits her with a cane. Bob Dylan writes a song about it called "The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll," which appears on his The Times They Are A-Changin' album.

1962-Neil Sedaka records "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do."

1961-The Beatles, with a lineup of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, bass player Stuart Sutcliffe and drummer Pete Best, play the Cavern Club in Liverpool for the first time, earning £5 for the lunchtime gig. They become regulars at the club, where they end up doing 291 more shows.

1959-Lloyd Price's "Stagger Lee" hits #1 for the first of four weeks.

1958-Ratings show that ABC's American Bandstand is now America's top-rated daytime television program, with an average of 8,400,000 viewers per day.

1957-Elvis Presley's "Too Much" hits #1 for the first of three weeks.

1955-Sham 69 frontman Jimmy Pursey is born in Hersham, Surrey, England.

1951-Dennis "DT" Thomas (alto saxophonist Kool & the Gang) is born in Jersey City, New Jersey.

1947-R&B singer Major Harris (of The Delfonics) is born in Richmond, Virginia. He lands his biggest solo hit in 1975 with "Love Won't Let Me Wait."

1947-Country rocker Joe Ely is born in Amarillo, Texas.

1943-Barbara Lewis is born in Salem, Michigan.

1942-Mark Mathis (of The Newbeats) is born in Hahira, Georgia.

Carole King Is Born
1942-Carole King is born Carol Joan Klein in Manhattan, New York City. She meets husband and songwriting partner Gerry Goffin while attending Queens College.

1940-Brian Bennett (drummer for The Shadows) is born in Palmers Green, North London, England.

1939-Barry Mann is born Barry Imberman in Brooklyn, New York City. He teams with wife Cynthia Weil to write a number of classic hits, including "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'."

1914-Ernest Tubb is born in Crisp, Texas.

1909-Carmen Miranda is born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha in Marco de Canaveses, Portugal.

[Bikkie]

1967
End of free school milk
New Zealand schoolchildren received free milk between 1937 and 1967. The first Labour government introduced the scheme – a world first – to improve the health of young New Zealanders (and make use of surplus milk).

1863- 1st US fire extinguisher patent granted to Alanson Crane of Virginia

1866- Dutch government of Frans van der Putte forms

1868 -Conservatives & military seize Convention Hall in Florida

1870 -City of Anaheim in California incorporates for the 1st time, but disincorporates after two years as the tax burden was too high

1870- The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) forms in NYC

1878- Pact of Zanjón signed between Cubans rebels and the Spanish bringing the 10 Years War to an end

1879 -1st electric arc light used (California Theater)



In Music History

2020-While performing at the Get Out The Vote rally in New Hampshire in support of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, The Strokes debut the animated video for their new single "At The Door." They also perform the forthcoming followup single "Bad Decisions" for the first time.More

2019-At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, Leon Bridges and PJ Morton tie for Best Traditional R&B Performance when Bridges' "Bet Ain't Worth The Hand" and Morton's cover of the Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love" both win the title. It's the first Grammy win for both artists.

2017-Tom Petty is honored as Person of the Year at the MusiCares gala, held two days before the Grammy Awards. "Twenty years ago I'd have been way too cynical to do this, but I'm 66 now and I feel ya," he says in his speech.

2017-Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2013-Janis Ian wins the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for her autobiography Society's Child, beating out Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama, Rachel Maddow and Ellen DeGeneres. Ian quips: "I keep thinking there's got to be a punchline here: an ex-president, the First Lady and three lesbians walk into a bar..."

Rebecca Black's "Friday" Hits YouTube
2011-The video for Rebecca Black's song "Friday" is uploaded to YouTube, where it becomes a viral smash.

2010-John Mayer describes his ex-girlfriend Jessica Simpson as "sexual napalm" in a Playboy interview.

2008-Amy Winehouse is the big winner at the Grammy Awards, taking five trophies, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year (both for "Rehab").

2008-Famous spaghetti western composer Ennio Morricone and Bruce Springsteen win the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental. Springsteen covered Morricone's classic "Once Upon a Time in the West."

2008-Daft Punk make their first televised live appearance at the 50th Grammy Awards, joining Kanye West in a performance of "Stronger" at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

2008-Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around... Comes Around" wins the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. He also takes Best Dance Recording for "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows."

2008-Ne-Yo's sophomore album, Because Of You, wins the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. It's the singer-songwriter's first Grammy win.

2006-James "Jay Dilla" Yancey dies of a heart attack at age 32, just three days after the release of his final album, Donuts.

2004-The string band Old Crow Medicine Show release "Wagon Wheel," a song based on a Bob Dylan outtake from 1973 called "Rock Me Mama." The song becomes a bluegrass standard, most famously recorded by Darius Rucker, whose 2013 version is a #1 Country hit.

Kanye West Drops Debut Album The College Dropout
2004-Kanye West, known for producing tracks on Jay-Z's 2001 album The Blueprint, releases his debut album, The College Dropout.More

2004-Eminem is among the guests heard on the second season premiere episode of Comedy Central's Crank Yankers. The rapper gives voice to "Bobby's Brother" opposite comedian Jim Florentine's "Bobby" in a prank phone call to a restaurant.

2001-Jennifer Lopez' album J.Lo goes to #1 in America. Her movie The Wedding Planner is #1 at the box office, making her the first person with a #1 movie and album at the same time.

1997-Blur's eponymous fifth album is released. Although the band is huge in Europe, American success has proven elusive. The single "Song 2" becomes the band's biggest US hit, topping out at #55 on the Hot 100.

1993-Michael Jackson appears on Oprah's prime time special, where he talks about having a skin condition called Vitiligo, and claims he's had just 2 plastic surgery operations

1990-Paula Abdul's "Opposites Attract," a duet with MC Skat Cat (Minnesota DJ Derrick "Delite" Stevens), goes to #1 in America, where it stays for three weeks.

1987-Randy Travis' Storms Of Life becomes the first debut country album certified for selling a million copies within its first year of release.

1981-Natalie Cole is trapped in her suite on the 26th floor of the Las Vegas Hilton hotel when it catches fire.

1979-Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy," a disco diversion for the British superstar, hits #1 in the US.

1979-Rod Stewart's album Blondes Have More Fun hits #1.

1978- Van Halen's self-titled debut album was released, featuring hits like "Running with the Devil."

1976-Elvis Presley is made an honorary Captain in the Memphis Police Department.

1975-Dave Alexander (bassist for The Stooges) dies of pulmonary edema at age 27 after being admitted to an Ann Arbor hospital for alcohol-related pancreatitis.

1974-Phil Spector is seriously burned in a mysterious car crash while en route from Los Angeles to Phoenix, Arizona, leading to extensive plastic surgery that furthers his reclusiveness.

1973-9-year-old Lars Ulrich goes to his first concert, seeing Deep Purple in Copenhagen. It makes quite an impact: He switches focus from tennis to music and forms Metallica when he moves to America. When Deep Purple enter the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016, Ulrich gives the induction speech.

1972-At the Toby Jug pub in London, David Bowie plays his first gig as Ziggy Stardust.

1972-T. Rex depart for their first American tour as headliners, riding the success of their hit single "Bang A Gong (Get It On)."

Carole King Releases Tapestry
1971-Carole King releases her seminal album Tapestry.

1968-Paul Mauriat's orchestral version of "Love Is Blue" hits #1 in America. An international hit recorded in several languages, the song finished fourth in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1967 with a version performed by Vicky Leandros.

Free Roach Clips To New Rolling Stone Subscribers
1968-Rolling Stone magazine offers free roach clips to new subscribers.

1968-The Beatles turn over operations of their fan club and American business affairs to their Apple Corps company in London.

1967-After seven years at Columbia, Aretha Franklin releases her first single on Atlantic Records, "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)." It becomes her first big hit, clearing a path to the throne of the Queen of Soul.

1966-The Beach Boys go to the San Diego Zoo, where they shoot the cover for Pet Sounds in the petting zoo area. In an item headlined "Animal Crackers," the San Diego Union reports that the group was banned from the zoo for unruly behavior.

1964-Beatlemania is in full swing following The Beatles' Ed Sullivan Show appearance the night before, with the group giving another press conference and many young men suddenly sporting Beatles haircuts.

1959-Country singer Lionel Cartwright is born in Gallipolis, Ohio, but is raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia.

1958- Elvis Presley started a five-week stint at No.1 on the US Singles chart with "Don't" / "I Beg of You."

1958-ABC's Mickey Mouse Club begins its "Annette" serial, solidifying the rising popularity of its young star, Annette Funicello.

1956- Little Richard recorded "Long Tall Sally," which topped the US R&B chart.

1954-The Glenn Miller Story, a biopic about the bandleader starring Jimmy Stewart, opens in theaters.

1949-Nigel Olsson, a drummer known for his work with Elton John, is born in Wallasey, Cheshire, England.

1943-Ral Donner, known for the 1961 hit "You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It)," is born in Norwood Park, Chicago.

1942-Ted Fio Rito and His Orchestra record "Rio Rita."

1942-RCA Victor presents Glenn Miller with a gold record for "Chattanooga Choo Choo." It's purely a promotional gimmick (the label is celebrating sales of over one million), but still the first time that a gold record is awarded. Other labels follow suit in handing out framed golden discs to their artists in celebration of the one million milestone, and in 1958 the RIAA makes it official, awarding gold records to singles and albums that sell over a million copies.

1940-Jimmy Merchant (of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers) is born in New York City.

1937-Roberta Flack is born in rural Black Mountain, North Carolina. She teaches music before releasing her first album in 1969, when she's 32. In the '70s, she lands three #1 hits: "Killing Me Softly With His Song," "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Feel Like Makin' Love."

1933-Don Wilson (rhythm guitarist for The Ventures) is born in Tacoma, Washington.

1929-Film score composer Jerry Goldsmith (Chinatown, Hoosiers) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1927-"Shepherd Of The Hills" becomes the first song to be performed on two Continents immediately after being written. The song was read down the phone at 5pm London time, and performed at the Alhambra at 8:40pm by Jack Hylton and his band. It was performed later that same night in New York.

1914-Renowned harmonica player Larry Adler is born in Baltimore, Maryland.

[Bikkie]

1864
Charles Heaphy earns Victoria Cross
Recommended for a Victoria Cross after rescuing a soldier under fire at Waiari, near Pirongia, Charles Heaphy was given the decoration in 1867.



In Music History

2024-Usher, at times shirtless and other times on roller skates, pulls off a Vegas-worthy halftime show at the Super Bowl between the 49ers and Chiefs. Guests include Alicia Keys, H.E.R., and of course, Lil Jon and Ludacris for "Yeah!." After the show, he heads to a Vegas wedding chapel and marries his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Goicoechea.

2013-Rick Huxley (bassist for The Dave Clark Five) dies at age 72 after a long struggle with emphysema.

Whitney Houston Dies
2012-Whitney Houston is found dead in the bathtub of her suite at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, where she was slated to perform at Clive Davis' annual Pre-Grammy party later that night.

2011-Ne-Yo plays a charming hitman on the "Smooth Criminal" episode of CSI: NY.

2011-Featuring footage from his 2010 tour, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never is released in theaters. It becomes the highest-grossing concert film of all time, earning $73 million at the box office.

2009-Estelle Bennett (of The Ronettes) dies of colon cancer at age 67.

2008-Amy Winehouse won big at the Grammys, taking home five awards.

2007-Two songs from Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds album earn Grammy Awards: "My Love" (with T.I.) wins Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and "SexyBack" is named Best Dance Recording.

2007-Dixie Chicks take home an impressive five awards at the Grammys. Taking the Long Way wins Album of the Year and Best Country Album, while the single "Not Ready To Make Nice" is awarded Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

2000-Diana Ross officially divorces her husband, Norwegian businessman Arne Naess.

2000-Near the concession area of an Isley Brothers concert in Los Angeles billed as the "Valentine's Super Love Jam," a 24-year-old man shoots three concert-goers and is shot by a police officer working the show. The assailant is killed but his victims survive.

1998-Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses is arrested at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, charged with threatening a security worker. He pleads guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace.

1989-Eazy-E's solo song "We Want Eazy" becomes his first hit to enter the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it debuts at #43.

1989-Former Laker girl Paula Abdul scores her first #1 hit in America with "Straight Up."

1989: New Order's "Technique" album topped the UK charts.

1986-On The A-Team episode "Cowboy George," Culture Club perform "Karma Chameleon" in a cowboy bar while Mr. T enjoys the music.

1985-The Smiths release their second album, Meat Is Murder. The title track is a vegetarian touchstone, with their animal rights activist lead singer, Morrissey, decrying how eating meat causes "death for no reason," and is therefore murder. In their native UK, the album goes to #1.

1983-Bob Seger's The Distance is certified Platinum.

1982-The Rolling Stones Let's Spend the Night Together, a concert film from their 1981 tour, opens in New York to miserable reviews.

1981-Kelly Rowland is born in Atlanta, Georgia. She becomes the first member of Destiny's Child to land a hit away from the group when "Dilemma," her 2002 duet with Nelly, goes to #1 in America.

1980-WKRP in Cincinnati, a TV series that takes place at a rock radio station, runs an episode devoted to the tragic events of December 3, 1979 when 11 fans were killed at a Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.

1979-Brandy (Brandy Norwood) is born in McComb, Mississippi.

1979-The TV movie Elvis, starring Kurt Russell as the singer, airs on ABC.

1978- Brotherhood of Man's "Figaro" became a UK number one hit.

1977-Linkin Park founder Mike Shinoda is born in Agoura Hills, California. His smooth vocal flow provides a counterbalance to Chester Bennington's screams, creating a dynamic tension that helps distinguish the band.

1977-Motown Productions debuts its first film, Scott Joplin, based on the life of the ragtime composer. Billy Dee Williams earns accolades for his performance as the "Maple Leaf Rag" mastermind, but the film is widely criticized for being too grim.

1974-Singer-songwriter D'Angelo is born Michael Eugene Archer in Richmond, Virginia. His first album, Brown Sugar, is released in 1995 when he's 21 and sets the template for neo-soul by using live instruments in hip-hop-style productions.

1967-The Turtles release "Happy Together."

1967-The Monkees' album More of the Monkees hits #1 in America.

1967-The Rolling Stones release their album Between The Buttons in America, with "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Ruby Tuesday" on the track list.

1966-Cher records "Bang Bang."

1965-Ringo Starr marries his first wife, Maureen Cox, in London's Caxton Hall Register Office, with manager Brian Epstein as best man. John Lennon and George Harrison are also in attendance, as well as the couple's parents and John's wife, Cynthia. (Paul is on vacation in Tunisia.) Afterwards, Ringo and Maureen head off to a honeymoon in Sussex, England.

1964-The Beatles play their first US concert, performing at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, DC. The setlist includes "I Saw Her Standing There," "All My Loving" and "Twist And Shout."

1963-At EMI Studios in London (later re-named Abbey Road), The Beatles record 10 songs in one day, nine of which are included on their first UK album, Please Please Me. Songs done at the session are: "There's A Place," "I Saw Her Standing There," "A Taste Of Honey," "Do You Want To Know A Secret," "Misery," "Hold Me Tight," "Anna (Go To Him)," "Boys," "Chains" and "Twist And Shout."

1962-Sheryl Crow is born in Kennett, Missouri. She works as an elementary school music teacher before landing a gig a backing vocalist on Michael Jackson's Bad World Tour in 1987.

1961-The front page headline in Melody Maker reads: £80,000 Lost On Pirate Juke Boxes. This is a report of a nationwide swoop on bars, cafés, restaurants, clubs, amusement arcades and public houses.

1957-Patsy Cline releases "Walking After Midnight."

1950-Red Foley's "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" hits #1 in America.

1947-Derek Shulman (lead vocalist for Gentle Giant) is born in Glasgow, Scotland.

1943-Blues singer Little Johnny Taylor is born in Arkansas.

1942-Soul singer Leon Haywood is born in Houston, Texas.

1942-R&B singer Otis Clay is born in Waxhaw, Mississippi.

1941-Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes is born in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro.

1938-Larry Clinton and His Orchestra record "Martha."

1938-Bobby "Boris" Pickett (of The Crypt-Kickers) is born in Somerville, Massachusetts.

1935-Gene Vincent is born Vincent Eugene Craddock in Norfolk, Virginia.

1914-Bluesman Josh White is born in Greenville, South Carolina.

1914-Matt Dennis is born in Seattle, Washington. Among many other tunes, he composes the pop standard "Everything Happens to Me," first recorded by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra featuring Frank Sinatra.

[Bikkie]

1909
SS Penguin wrecked in Cook Strait
The Picton-Wellington ferry SS Penguin struck rocks in Cook Strait and sank in heavy seas off a rugged, isolated coast. Only 30 of the 102 people on board survived.

1130 -Pope Innocent II is elected

1429 -Battle of the Herrings fought during Hundred Years' War when French and Scottish troops unsuccessfully attack English convoy (carrying barrels of herrings) near Rouvray

1502 -Muslims in Granada forced to convert to Catholicism

Execution of Jane Grey
1554- Queen of England for nine days, Lady Jane Grey aged about 17 is executed for treason under Mary I at the Tower of London

Third Voyage of James Cook
1777- Captain James Cook arrives at Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand, aboard HMS Resolution, on his 3rd trip to the Pacific



In Music History

2023-De La Soul rapper Trugoy the Dove (David Jolicoeur) dies at 54.

2023-Performing on a suspended platform and on a stage with 80 dancers, Rihanna is the halftime entertainment at Super Bowl LVII, where the Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35. After the performance she confirms she's pregnant with her second child.

2018-Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton announces he will no longer tour with the band due to Parkinson's disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2008. Andy Sneap takes his place.

2017-Al Jarreau dies at age 76. At the Grammy Awards that night, Pentatonix acknowledge his passing, calling him a "voice for the ages." Jarreau won seven Grammy Awards.

Adele Restarts George Michael Tribute At Grammys
2017-Adele opens the Grammy Awards with a performance of "Hello," which wins for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Later, she sings "Fastlove" in a tribute to George Michael, who passed away on Christmas day, 2016. Before she can finish the first chorus, she stops the song and starts over, saying, "I can't mess this up for him."

2016-Ween play the first of three reunion shows in Broomfield, Colorado. Originally, only two shows are scheduled, (for February 12 and 13), but the demand for tickets is so high during the pre-sale period that a third show is added on February 14. This marks the official return of Ween after breaking up nearly four years before.

2016-Kanye West drops "Famous," with the lyric: I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex Why? I made that bitch famous West claims that he got Taylor Swift's blessing before releasing the song, but she clearly doesn't expect it. Her spokesperson says she was never told the actual lyric, and takes issue with it.

2015-"Weird Al" Yankovic becomes the first-ever guest editor at MAD magazine when it is announced that he will be assisting with issue #533.

2015-Laugh-In announcer Gary Owens dies of complications from type 1 diabetes at age 80 in Encino, California.

2013-The second single from Soundgarden's album King Animal, "By Crooked Steps," is released. Its video is directed by Dave Grohl.

2009-At the 40th NAACP Image Awards, will.i.am's pro-Obama anthem "Yes We Can" wins in the Best Music Video and Best Song categories while Jennifer Hudson takes home three Awards, including Best New Artist.

2009-Fans at Paul Simon's concert at the Beacon Theater in New York City are treated to a surprise appearance by Art Garfunkel, who sings three songs with Simon.

2006-Beyoncé becomes the first woman to star in a #1 movie while having a #1 hit at the same time when The Pink Panther tops the box office as "Check On It" (used in the end credits) remains at the top of the chart. She's the third person to do it, following Prince with Purple Rain and "When Doves Cry," and Eminem with 8 Mile and "Lose Yourself."

2005-Country music singer/songwriter Sammi Smith dies from unconfirmed circumstances at age 61 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

2000-The singer Oliver ("Good Morning Starshine," "Jean") dies of cancer at age 54.

2000-D'Angelo's Voodoo replaces Santana's Supernatural as the #1 album in America. It stays for two weeks before Supernatural returns to #1.

2000-The singer Oliver ("Good Morning Starshine," "Jean") dies of cancer at age 54.

1997-David Bowie is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located outside the Hollywood Galaxy Theatre.

1997-Snoop Doggy Dogg and Sean "Puffy" Combs hold a press conference where they call for an end to the East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry that has claimed the life of Tupac Shakur. "Kids around the world are watching," Long Beach rapper Snoop says. "By calling for a truce we're giving them something to live for."

The detente fails to quell the violence: Less than a month later, The Notorious B.I.G. is killed in a shooting.

1992-Richard D. James releases Selected Ambient Works 85-92, under the alias Aphex Twin. It is James' first full-length album, and is a step away from his previous dance-focused work, containing lush ambient pads, soft acid-esque synth melodies, samples of conversations and distant techno percussion. The album contains some tracks started when James was only 14 years old.

1989- Tiny Tim declared himself a New York City mayoral candidate, although he did not win the election.

1981- Deborah Harry of Blondie announced she would be making a solo album.

1981-Riding the (permanent) wave of their previous album, Rush release Moving Pictures. Featuring "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight" and "YYZ," it becomes the best-selling album in the Rush discography. "The Camera Eye" is the last 10-minute-long song Rush ever record in the studio.

1977-Barbra Streisand's soundtrack album A Star Is Born hits #1 in the US. Her fourth album to top the tally - following People (1964), Stoney End (1971), and The Way We Were (1974) - it features the #1 hit "Evergreen."

1977- Pink Floyd released their tenth studio album, "Animals," which topped the charts in five countries.

1976-Sal Mineo, an actor who starred alongside James Dean in the movies Giant and Rebel Without a Cause, is murdered by a deranged assailant. Mineo had several hits as a singer including "Start Movin' (In My Direction)," which reached #9 US in 1957.

1974-The legendary rock club The Bottom Line opens in Greenwich Village, New York City.

1972-Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" hits #1 in the US. Eleven years later, Tina Turner revitalizes her career with a hit cover of the song.

1970-BBC's Top of the Pops broadcasts John Lennon's "Instant Karma!" performance clip, taped just the day before.

1970- John Lennon performed "Instant Karma!" on BBC's Top of The Pops, marking his return to the show after a hiatus.

1970-Jim Creeggan (bassist for Barenaked Ladies) is born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.

1968-John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas welcome daughter Chynna, their only child. She forms Wilson Phillips with Brian Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy.

1968-Jimi Hendrix's tour stops in his hometown of Seattle, Washington, where he sees his family for the first time in seven years. His father, Al, meets him at the airport.

Jagger And Richards Busted In Raid
1967-Police raid Keith Richards' Redlands estate, where they discover "various substances of a suspicious nature" and arrest him along with Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull. The whole thing is a setup.

1964-The Beatles conclude their triumphant first American visit with two 25-minute shows at Carnegie Hall. The shows aren't recorded due to a dispute with the American Federation of Musicians union.

1961-The Miracles' "Shop Around" is certified gold.

1959-Composer George Antheil dies of a heart attack at 58.

1958-The Monotones release "Book Of Love."

1958-Weather Report drummer Omar Hakim is born in New York City.

1956-"Screamin'" Jay Hawkins records "I Put A Spell On You."

1955-The McGuire Sisters' "Sincerely" hits #1 in America.

1952-Michael McDonald is born outside of St. Louis. As a solo artist, his hits include "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" and "Sweet Freedom," but his voice is also heard on songs he records with The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, as well as hundreds of other appearances as a backup singer.

1950-Steve Hackett (guitarist for Genesis) is born in Pimlico, London, England.

1949Stanley Knight (lead guitarist for Black Oak Arkansas) is born in Arkansas.

1946-Joe Schermie (bass player for Three Dog Night) is born Joseph Edward Schermetzler is born in Madison, Wisconsin.

1944-Country singer Moe Bandy is born in Meridian, Mississippi.

1942-Mildred Bailey records "More Than You Know."

1939-Ray Manzarek (of The Doors) is born in Chicago, Illinois.

1937-On the Avenue, a musical starring Dick Powell and Alice Faye, debuts in movie theaters and introduces the holiday classic "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm."

1935-Gene McDaniels is born in Kansas City, Kansas, but grows up in Omaha, Nebraska. Wrote Roberta Flack's "Feel Like Makin' Love."

1924-The "Experiment In Modern Music" concert takes place at Aeolian Hall in New York, where a sold out crowd checks out a relatively new music called Jazz. George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" is performed in public for the first time at the show with Gershwin performing on piano with the orchestra.

1923-Mel Powell, founding dean of the school of music at the California Institute of the Arts and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer of the 1990 concerto Duplicates, is born Melvin Epstein in The Bronx, New York City.

1915-Lorne Greene, a radio personality who becomes known for his role as Ben Cartwright on the long-running Western Bonanza, is born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

1914-Saxophonist Tex Beneke, who solos on the Glenn Miller Orchestra's "In The Mood," is born in Fort Worth, Texas.

1912-Billy Murray records "Alexander's Bag-Pipe Band."

1904-Ted Mack is born William Edward Maguiness in Greeley, Colorado. He takes over as host of the popular radio talent contest The Original Amateur Hour in 1948 when it makes the leap to television, where it runs until 1970.

[Bikkie]

John Whiteley with his wife, Mary Ann
1869
Killings at Pukearuhe
A Ngāti Maniapoto war party sacked the redoubt at Pukearuhe (White Cliffs) in northern Taranaki, killing military settlers, family members and the missionary John Whiteley.


Sergeant Murray Hudson
1974
New Zealand soldier's brave sacrifice
Sergeant Murray Hudson died attempting to save the life of another soldier during a live grenade training exercise at Waiōuru military camp.


Lance Cairns in one-day action against England, 1978
1983
Lance Cairns hits six sixes at Melbourne Cricket Ground
At 44 for 6 in reply to Australia’s 302, New Zealand was heading for an embarrassing defeat in the second final of the Benson & Hedges World Series Cup when Lance Cairns took guard with his bat, ‘Excalibur’.



In Music History

2022-Dr. Dre anchors the first hip-hop-heavy Super Bowl halftime show, performing with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent.

2019-In a New York Times story, seven female musicians accuse Ryan Adams of inappropriate and sometimes abusive behavior. His accusers include Phoebe Bridgers and his ex-wife, Mandy Moore. Adams' upcoming album release is cancelled and he's dropped from his label.

2016-All four members of the promising English group Viola Beach are killed, along with their manager, when their car crashes on a bridge near Stockholm. Coldplay pay tribute by covering their song "Boys That Sing" at the Glastonbury Festival.

2016-Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" replaces his song "Sorry" at #1 on the Hot 100. It's the third consecutive #1 single from his Purpose album ("What Do You Mean?" was the first), making it the first album by a male artist with three straight chart-toppers since Justin Timberlake's FutureSex / LoveSounds.

2011-Arcade Fire's The Suburbs scoops Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, beating Eminem's hotly tipped comeback, Recovery. Many folks have not heard of the Canadian band, prompting the internet meme, "Who Is Arcade Fire?" Esperanza Spalding surprisingly beats out Justin Bieber for Best New Artist, becoming the first jazz artist to win the award.

2010- Jason Mraz won two Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (Make It Mine) and Best Pop Collaboration (Lucky with Colbie Caillat),.

2005-50 Cent appears on The Simpsons in the episode "Pranksta Rap."

2005-Ray Charles, who died eight months earlier, wins five Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year for Genius Loves Company (beating out Green Day's American Idiot and Usher's Confessions). Also on the show, Wilco win Best Alternative Music Album for A Ghost Is Born, and Melissa Etheridge, bald from breast cancer treatments, performs an inspirational tribute to Janis Joplin.

2002-Country music great Waylon Jennings dies at age 64.

2001-Peter Frampton is recognized in the guitar community with the Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award.

2001-George Simon, a jazz writer who won a Grammy award in 1978 for his liner notes on the album Bing Crosby: A Legendary Performer, dies of pneumonia at age 88.

2000- Avant-garde opera POEtry, by Robert Wilson and Lou Reed, premiered in Hamburg, Germany

1998-Buddy Lee, a booking agent who worked with Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson, among others, dies of respiratory failure related to lung cancer.

1997-Michael Jackson's first child, a son named Prince, is born. The mother is his second wife, Debbie Rowe, who later relinquishes custody.

1996-Tupac Shakur's All Eyez on Me is released. The first rap double-album on a major label, it sells over 10 million copies in the United States.

Fugees Release The Score
1996-The Fugees release their second album, The Score. It's a landmark, topping the charts around the world and pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. It's also their last album, as they disband soon after.

1996- British boy band Take That announced their disbandment, marking a major moment in 1990s pop music.

1996-After three albums and seven UK #1 singles, the boy band Take That announce their breakup. They return to action in 2005.

RuPaul Is First Drag Queen On Hot 100
1993-RuPaul becomes the first drag queen to make the Hot 100 when "Supermodel (You Better Work)" enters the chart at #91. It rises to #45 in April.

1988-Michael Jackson buys a ranch in Santa Ynez, California, which he renames "Neverland."

1987-Metallica conclude their breakthrough - yet tragic - Damage Inc. tour at Frolundaborg in Gothenburg, Sweden. They drew huge crowds throughout the tour but lost bass player Cliff Burton, who was killed when their tour bus slid off the road during an earlier stop in Sweden.

Marvin Gaye Popularizes The Expressive Anthem
1983-Marvin Gaye performs a very memorable national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, doing a sultry version with a beat.

1982-The 300-pound marble slab marking the grave of Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant is stolen from a cemetery in Orange Park, Florida. Police find it two weeks later in a dry river bed.

1975-Jefferson Starship records "Miracles."

1974-Robbie Williams is born in Stoke-on-Trent, England. After a run of UK hits with the boy band Take That he becomes the breakout star of the group, starting with his 1997 solo album Life Thru A Lens, which includes his classic song "Angels."

1972-Led Zeppelin is forced to cancel a gig in Singapore when local officials, seeing their long hair, refuse to let them off the plane.

1971-The Osmonds' "One Bad Apple" hits #1 in America for the first of five weeks.

1970-Black Sabbath release their self-titled debut album, which not coincidentally, comes out on Friday the 13th. To add mystique to the band's image, new manager Patrick Meehan asks the band to stop giving interviews. The plan works, and through word of mouth, the album sell over 5,000 copies in the first week. The first single, "Evil Woman," doesn't chart, but the album reaches #8 in the UK.

1969-The Doors' "Touch Me" is certified gold.

1967-The Beatles release "Strawberry Fields Forever" as a single in the US, with "Penny Lane" on the flip side.

1967-Dolly Parton releases her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, boasting the Top 20 hits "Dumb Blonde" and "Something Fishy." The album catches the attention of country veteran Porter Wagoner, who invites Dolly to appear on his popular television show, marking the beginning of a fruitful partnership.

1966-Freedom Williams (of C+C Music Factory) is born Frederick Williams in Brooklyn, New York.

1966-The Rolling Stones appear in color on US TV for the first time when they make their third Ed Sullivan Show appearance.

1965-The Rolling Stones release their third American studio album, The Rolling Stones, Now!, including the hit "Heart Of Stone."

1961-Henry Rollins (frontman for Black Flag) is born Henry Garfield in Washington, DC.

1961-Les Warner (drummer for The Cult) is born in London, England.

1961-Lawrence Welk's "Calcutta" hits #1 for the first of two weeks.

1960- Frank Sinatra launched his own record label, Reprise Records, giving artists greater creative control and later signing acts like Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, and The Beach Boys.

1957-Tony Butler (bassist for Big Country) is born in Shepherd's Bush, London, England.

1957-Filming is completed on the UK's first rock and roll movie, Rock You Sinners.

1956-Peter Hook (bassist for New Order) is born Peter Woodhead in Broughton, Salford, England.

1954-Guitar Slim's "The Things That I Used To Do" hits #1 R&B.

1952-Ed Gagliardi (original bass player for Foreigner) is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1951-Singer/actor David Naughton is born in West Hartford, Connecticut.

1950-Peter Gabriel (original lead singer for Genesis) is born in Chobham, Surrey, England.

1945-Soul singer King Floyd, known for the 1970 hit "Groove Me," is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1945-Roy Dyke (drummer for Ashton, Gardner & Dyke) is born in Liverpool, England.

1944-Rebop Kwaku Baah (percussionist for Traffic, Wings) is born in Konongo, Ghana.

1944-Broadway/film actress Stockard Channing, who plays Betty Rizzo in Grease (1978), is born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard in New York City.

1942-Peter Tork (of The Monkees) is born Peter Halsten Thorkelson in Washington, D.C.

1940-Earl "Fatha" Hines and His Orchestra record "Boogie Woogie on the St. Louis Blues."

1930-Dorothy McGuire of The McGuire Sisters is born in Middletown, Ohio.

1927-Jim McReynolds (of the bluegrass duo Jim and Jesse) is born in Coeburn, Virginia.

1923-Gene Ames (of The Ames Brothers) is born in Malden, Massachusetts.

1920-Radio and opera singer Eileen Farrell is born in Willimantic, Connecticut.

1920-Songwriter Boudleaux Bryant is born in Shellman, Georgia. Co-wrote hit songs with wife Felice Bryant, including "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and "Bye Bye Love" for The Everly Brothers.

1919-Tennessee Ernie Ford is born in Bristol, Tennessee.

1914-ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, is formed in New York City.

1883-German composer Richard Wagner ("The Ride Of The Valkyries") dies at age 69.

[Bikkie]

1915
Māori soldiers sail to war
Imperial policy initially prevented 'native peoples' fighting in a war between European powers. In February 1915, however, a 500-strong Maori Contingent left Wellington for Egypt.


Crowds on Te Papa’s opening day
1998
Te Papa museum opens
New Zealand’s new national museum, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, was officially opened on Wellington’s waterfront after a decade of planning and construction.

( I was there, delivering linen to the Icon restaurant, when I was working for Layton's Linen Hire )



In Music History

2025-Saturday Night Live celebrates their 50th season with a Radio City Music Hall concert stocked with some of their most memorable musical guests, including Cher, Eddie Vedder, Arcade Fire, Bonnie Raitt, Lady Gaga and Brandi Carlile. One memorable moment is Post Malone teaming with the living members of Nirvana to play "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

2024-The biopic Bob Marley: One Love, produced by Bob's son Ziggy Marley, opens in theaters. It gets plenty of love at the box office, going to #1 its first week of release.

2019-Kanye West hires Kenny G to play his sultry sax in a room full of roses for his wife, Kim Kardashian, as a Valentines' Day surprise. They end up collaborating, with Kenny G playing on Kanye's Jesus Is King track "Use This Gospel."

2015-Lady Gaga gets engaged to actor Taylor Kinney. She confirms the news two days later by posting a photo of the heart-shaped diamond ring on Instagram with the caption, "He gave me his heart on Valentine's Day, and I said YES!" A year later, they break off the engagement.

2014-With their music in legal limbo, De La Soul give away free downloads of their first six albums to anyone who signed up on their website. Their catalog isn't available digitally because of rights issues with the samples. "We're in the Library of Congress, but we're not on iTunes," group member Posdnuos says, referring to their debut album 3 Feet High And Rising.

2012-Dory Previn, a singer-songwriter who wrote many songs with her second husband André Previn, dies at 86.

2010-Blues musician Lil' Dave Thompson dies in a car accident at age 40.

2009-Jazz drummer Louie Bellson dies at age 84 of Parkinson's disease and complications from a broken hip.

2008-Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher marries Nicole Appleton of the girl group All Saints.

2006-The Veronicas' debut studio album, The Secret Life of..., is released in the US.

2006-English pop singer Lynden David Hall dies at age 40 of complications from a stem cell treatment he received to treat Hodgkin's lymphoma.

2006-Willie Nelson issues the single "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other."

2004-After nine weeks at #1 in the US, "Hey Ya" gives way to another OutKast song, "The Way You Move," which has been #2 the previous eight weeks, a record for most weeks at #2 before claiming the top spot.

2003-The movie Daredevil is released, featuring two songs by a new band called Evanescence: "Bring Me To Life" and "My Immortal." Both songs later appear on the group's debut album, Fallen, and become hits.

2002-Sweet drummer Mick Tucker dies of leukemia at age 54.

2001-Prince launches the NPG Music Club, one of the first music subscription services. The club acts as a virtual hub for the Prince faithful, with a thriving community, online access to his music, VIP passes to concerts and other exclusives. It runs until 2006, when Prince shuts it down, saying it "has gone as far as it can go."

1999-The Deftones, on the final stop of their tour opening for Black Sabbath, find that their truck has been stolen from the parking lot of the Holiday Inn in Dearborn, Michigan. Taken are all of the band's backline equipment and instruments, including several of Chi Chings' Precision Fender Bass guitars, and Stephen Carpenter's custom-made guitars and racks.

1999-The Deftones, on the final stop of their tour opening for Black Sabbath, find that their truck has been stolen from the parking lot of the Holiday Inn in Dearborn, Michigan. Taken are all of the band's backline equipment and instruments, including several of Chi Chings' Precision Fender Bass guitars, and Stephen Carpenter's custom-made guitars and racks.

1999-Elton John appears on the "I'm with Cupid" episode of The Simpsons, where he does a re-worked version of "Your Song."

1998-Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds is named Entertainer of the Year at the 29th NAACP Image Awards.

1998-Apropos for Valentine's Day, Usher's "Nice & Slow" goes to #1 in the US. It's the first of his nine chart-toppers.

1998-Madonna performs at New York nightclub the Roxy, making her first club performance in over 10 years.

1997-Country artist Ty England and wife Shanna welcome their third child, Levi Wyatt.

1996-Prince, 37, marries the 22-year-old model/belly dancer Mayte Garcia at a ceremony in Minneapolis. White doves are released when they exchange vows - no word on if they were crying. The marriage is annulled three years later, and Garcia takes up with Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe.

1994-The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia marries Deborah Koons.

1992-Lead singer Vince Neil, who had been pursuing IndyCar racing, is booted from Mötley Crüe. "Race car driving has become a priority in Neil's life," the band's management says in a statement. "His band mates felt he didn't share their determination and passion for music." Neil returns to the fold in 1997.

Wayne's World Brings Back "Bohemian Rhapsody"
1992-Thanks to Alice Cooper's appearance in Wayne's World, we learn that "Milwaukee" is Algonquin for "the good land." We also get a fresh blast of "Bohemian Rhapsody."

1991-Boyz II Men release their debut album, CooleyHighharmony, with Michael Bivins of Bell Biv DeVoe as executive producer. Bivins' former group, New Edition, inspired the Boyz' name with their 1988 track "Boys To Men."

1991-Karol G is born in Medellin, Colombia. After earning acclaim in Latin America, the reggaeton pop singer becomes an international sensation when her Mañana Será Bonito is the first Spanish-language album to debut at #1 on the genre-spanning Billboard 200 chart.

1990-The Rolling Stones begin their first-ever tour of Japan at Tokyo's Korakuen Dome.

1989-Vincent Crane (organist for Atomic Rooster) dies of an intentional overdose of painkillers at age 45.

1987-KTWV in Los Angeles switches from Rock to Smooth Jazz, becoming the first radio station to adopt that format. Smooth Jazz stations - heavy on Kenny G, David Sanborn, and David Lanz - soon pop up all over the country, offering a relaxing choice for at-work listening.

1987-Bon Jovi's working-class anthem "Livin' On A Prayer" hits #1 in the US, where it stays for four weeks. The funky distorted sound in the intro is a talkbox hooked up to Richie Sambora's guitar. Peter Frampton popularized the device on his 1976 album Frampton Comes Alive.

1986-Frank Zappa guest stars on the TV series Miami Vice in the episode "Payback."

1985- Whitney Houston released her self-titled debut album on this day, which went on to become one of the top-selling albums of all time.

1984: Britain's Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean famously dominated ice dancing at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, performing to Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" in their free dance routine.

1984-Elton John marries studio assistant Renate Blauel in Sydney, Australia, shocking many of his fans and associates by choosing a woman as his life partner. Attendees include Olivia Newton-John and Rod Stewart. The couple split in 1987 and divorce a year later.

1981-The Funky 4 + 1 become the first hip-hop group to perform on national TV when they do "That's The Joint" on Saturday Night Live. Debbie Harry of Blondie, an early proponent of rap music, is the host.

1980-Lou Reed marries Sylvia Morales in New York City's Greenwich Village.

1978-Married songwriters Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge appear on The Muppet Show to perform "Song I Like to Sing" from their first album of duets, Full Moon.

1977-The B-52s perform their first live gig, a Valentine's Day party in their hometown of Athens, Georgia.

1976-After singing about "The valentines I never knew" in her song "At Seventeen," Janis Ian gets hundreds of Valentine's Day cards from fans.

1974-At the Forum in Los Angeles, Ringo Starr, Neil Young and Warren Beatty are in attendance for the last stop on Bob Dylan's tour with The Band.

1974-Rolling Stone reports that David Bowie has been asked by a gay liberation group to compose a gay national anthem, an offer he declines.

1974-Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille (Captain & Tennille) are married in Virginia City, Nevada. Love keeps them together until 2014, when they divorce after nearly 40 years of marriage.

1973-David Bowie collapses at the end of a Ziggy Stardust performance at Madison Square Garden, claiming "total exhaustion."

1972-The '50s tribute musical Grease opens off-Broadway at New York City's Eden Theatre, featuring Barry Bostwick and Adrienne Barbeau. The play is an instant hit, moving to Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre for a record 3,388 performances, and, not incidentally, spawning one of the most popular movies of all time.

1972-Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty is born to American parents in West Germany.

1972- John Lennon and Yoko Ono co-hosted "The Mike Douglas Show" for an entire week, bringing counterculture discussions and performances to mainstream television.

1972-Blaming burnout, Steppenwolf break up for the first time, saying, "We were locked into an image and style of music and there was nothing for us to look forward to." The group, which released six albums from 1968-1971, get back together in 1974.

1970- The Who recorded their live album "Live at Leeds" at the University of Leeds, often considered one of the greatest live rock albums ever.

1970-On what some consider the first day of disco, DJ David Paul Mancuso hosts the "Love Saves The Day" party at his apartment in New York City. Later branded "The Loft," his parties are a place for dancing and uninhibited self-expression, a precursor to Studio 54 and similar nightclubs.

1970-Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" hits #1 in America.

1970-Billboard Magazine reports that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is "Mounting Total War Against Tape Pirating of Prerecorded Music."

1967-Aretha Franklin recorded her rendition of Otis Redding's "Respect" at Atlantic Records in New York City, which became a massive hit and Franklin's signature song.

1966-Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds Of Silence" is certified gold.

1964-The Dave Clark Five release "Bits And Pieces."

1961-The Platters sue Mercury Records for breach of contract in Chicago, citing the record label's refusal to pay royalties for songs on which leader Tony Williams does not, in fact, sing lead.

1958-CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite tells viewers that the government of Iran has banned rock and roll for being unhealthy and anti-Islamic. The "unhealthy" claim is backed by Iranian doctors who warn of hip damage due to "extreme gyrations."

1957-Jazz great Lionel Hampton debuts "King David," his only symphony, at New York's Town Hall.

1953-Teresa Brewer's "Till I Waltz Again with You" hits #1 in America.

1951-Simple Minds drummer Kenny Hyslop is born in Helensburgh, Scotland.

1950-Heart guitarist Roger Fisher is born.

1947-Tim Buckley is born in Washington, D.C., but spends much of his childhood in Amsterdam, New York, and Bell Gardens, California.

1944-Denny Zager (of Zager & Evans) is born in Wymore, Nebraska.

1943-Saxophone player Maceo Parker is born in Kinston, North Carolina. He becomes an integral part of James Brown's band, and also plays with Prince.

1943-Folk singer Eric Andersen is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but grows up in Snyder, New York.

1939-Country singer Razzy Bailey is born in Alabama.

1937-Bluesman Magic Sam (Samuel Maghett) is born in Mississippi.

1934-Keyboard player Merl Saunders is born in San Mateo, California.

1931-Ted Lewis' "Just A Gigolo" hits #1 in America.

1931-Phyllis McGuire of The McGuire Sisters is born in Middletown, Ohio.

1847-A saxophone school is created in Paris, France. It is set up at "Gymnase Musical," a military band school.

[Bikkie]

1882
First frozen meat shipment leaves New Zealand
New Zealand’s first successful shipment of frozen meat to Britain in 1882 had a huge impact on the colony, paving the way for the trade in frozen meat and dairy products that became the cornerstone of New Zealand’s 20th-century economy.




In Music History

2019-The superhero series The Umbrella Academy, based on a comic by former My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, premieres to positive reviews on Netflix. The show, starring Ellen Page, also features Mary J. Blige as an assassin.

Taylor Swift Fires Back At The Grammys
2016-In her Grammy acceptance speech for Album of the Year, Taylor Swift warns of "people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame." This is in response to Kanye West, who rapped about Swift, "I made that bitch famous" in his song "Famous."

2016-Prince protégé Vanity dies at age 57 after years of health problems.

2011-Ke$ha, with two #1 hits under her glitter-spangled belt ("TiK ToK" and "We R Who We R"), launches her first headline tour, the Get $leazy Tour, in Portland, Oregon. The tour establishes her as a top live act, with a vibe both tacky and decadent.

2011-A stunned Laura Marling accepts the Brit Award for Best British Female at the O2 Arena in London. In an interview later that year Marling says she was "terrified" at the awards ceremony, clarifying that she's "been around people for whom [winning a Brit] has changed things and it is uncomfortable to watch. I'm not built for that."

2006-The gravesite of AC/DC singer Bon Scott in Fremantle Cemetery in Western Australia is classified with a heritage listing.

2006-Anna Marly, composer of "Chant des Partisans," dies at age 88.

2006-Kaiser Chiefs take home three trophies to dominate the BRIT Awards, held at London's Earls Court.

2006-Thanks to download sales, Weezer's "Buddy Holly" is certified Gold (500,000 copies) 12 years after it was released. It wasn't sold as a single in America so fans would have to buy the album to get it.

2005-French singer Pierre Bachelet dies of lung cancer at age 60.

2005-The Norah Jones album Come Away With Me is certified Diamond for sales of over 10 million in America. A mellow, jazzy set, it's an outlier on the list of Diamond-certified albums, which are dominated by pop, rock and country.

2004 - Usher's Chart Dominance: Usher released "Yeah!" featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, which became a massive hit and dominated the charts for months.

2003-With war in Iraq imminent, millions march for peace around the world, including System Of A Down, who shoot the video for their song "Boom" at the protests with Michael Moore directing.

2003-Good Charlotte's "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" peaks at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest they would get on the chart.

2001-George Harrison enters the cyber age with an online chat on MSN Live.

2000 - Santana's Grammy Success: Santana won eight Grammy Awards for his album "Supernatural," tying the record for the most Grammys won in a single night.

1998-Backstreet Boys appear on the TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch in "The Band Episode."

1998 - Elton John's Knighthood: Elton John was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to music and charity, becoming Sir Elton John.

1998-Fans of Japanese rock act Glay cause the Tokyo area phone system to break down as they try to reserve tickets for an upcoming concert by the band. Chaos ensues at the Nagano Winter Olympics main pressroom as long distance lines go down during the ski-jumping event.

1995-Megan Thee Stallion is born Megan Pete in San Antonio, Texas. She earns the nickname "Thee Stallion" in high school, a tribute to her size and shape.

1995-Megan Thee Stallion is born Megan Pete in San Antonio, Texas. She earns the nickname "Thee Stallion" in high school, a tribute to her size and shape.

1995-The Los Angeles, California, heavy metal radio station KNAC goes off the air and is replaced by the Spanish radio station KBUE on the same channel - 105.5FM. The station signs off at approximately 1:59PM after playing Metallica's "Fade to Black." Three years, later KNAC goes back on the air, this time on the internet at KNAC.com.

1991-Rod Stewart's ex-girlfriend, supermodel Kelly Emberg, files a $25 million palimony suit against the singer in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Ben & Jerry's Debuts Cherry Garcia
1987-Ben and Jerry's introduces a new flavor: Cherry Garcia, named after the Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia.

1987 - Bon Jovi's Iconic Hit: Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the band's most recognizable songs.

1986-The UK band Sade hit #1 in America with their second album, Promise, led by the single "The Sweetest Taboo." Led by frontwoman Sade Adu, their elegant, understated sound finds an audience looking for an alternative to MTV-powered pop music. It's the only album to hit the top spot in 1986 by an act that isn't American.

1984-Ethel Merman, one of the top singers in Broadway musicals, dies of brain cancer at age 76.

1984-Blues guitarist Gary Clark, Jr. is born in Austin, Texas.

1982-The Tennessee General Assembly votes the bluegrass tune "Rocky Top," originally recorded by The Osborne Brothers and made popular by Lynn Anderson, the fifth official state song. It was written by celebrated husband-and-wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.

1981-Mike Bloomfield, a renowned guitarist with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and The Electric Flag, is found dead in his car under mysterious circumstances. Al Kooper, who played with him on many Bob Dylan sessions, surmises that Bloomfield overdosed and his drug dealer drove him to a secluded spot to be found later.

1979-RCA Records starts handling distribution for A&M Records, which was the largest independent record company before the deal.

1979-Barry Manilow wins his first and only Grammy Award when "Copacabana (At The Copa)" is named Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 21st Annual Grammy Awards.

1979-Donna Summer's "Last Dance" wins two Grammys: Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song.

saturday Night Fever, Billy Joel Dominate Grammys
1979-Saturday Night Fever and Billy Joel are big winners at The Grammys, with the soundtrack getting Album of the Year and "Just The Way You Are" taking Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

1977-Sid Vicious joins The Sex Pistols.

1977-The Best Of George Harrison is certified gold.

1976-Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd is born in Van Nuys, California.

1975-Performing "People Gotta Move," Gino Vannelli becomes the first white singer to perform on Soul Train, beating Elton John by a few months. The first white musician to play the show was guitarist Dennis Coffey with his instrumental hit "Scorpio" in 1972.

1975-Rush release Fly by Night. It is their second album, following 1974's Rush, but is the first with new drummer/lyricist Neil Peart. Partially due to Peart's influence, this album veers from the sound of the band's debut and moves closer to the progressive styling that eventually makes Rush a legend of the genre.

Linda Ronstadt Breaks Through With #1 Album And Single
1975-Linda Ronstadt finally breaks through when her album Heart Like a Wheel and single "You're No Good" both hit #1 in America, establishing her as one of the biggest stars of the '70s. It took a while: none of her first four solo albums charted higher than #45, no single higher than #25.

1974-Tomi Petteri Putaansuu, better known as Mr. Lordi, the lead vocalist of Lordi, is born in Rovaniemi, Finland.

1974-Deep Purple release Burn, their first album with the Mark III lineup of the band, featuring David Coverdale as lead singer.

1972-The US government's new anti-piracy laws are enacted, a response to widespread bootlegging of major artists.

1971-The Who debut a new rock opera called Lifehouse at the Young Vic Theatre in London. The project is shelved after a short run of shows, but some of the songs, including "Bab O' Riley," "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Behind Blue Eyes, become Who standards after being included on the album Who's Next.

1970-After a Sly & the Family Stone concert runs hours late and causes over a thousand dollars in damages, the Daughters of the American Revolution impose a ban against any further rock concerts at the venue, Washington D.C.'s Constitution Hall.

1969-Sly & the Family Stone land their first #1 hit when "Everyday People" tops the Hot 100 for the first of four weeks. The song's message: we're all essentially the same, no matter what we look like. Of the seven members in the group, two are white and five are black.

Rolling Stone Explains Groupie Culture
1969-Rolling Stone's front cover features an article on "groupies" - introducing a new term to the popular lexicon.

1968-John Lennon and George Harrison of The Beatles depart for India to study with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Later joined by Paul and Ringo, they write some songs for the White Album during the retreat.

1968-Blues musician Little Walter dies at age 37 in his sleep, presumably from coronary thrombosis.

1967-The first anti-bootlegging recording laws are enacted.

1967-Music students at Chicago's DePaul University form a seven-piece rock ensemble called The Big Thing. Later, they would change their name to Chicago Transit Authority, and then, simply, Chicago.

1965-The Beatles release "Eight Days a Week." The title was originally going to be used for their movie that became Help!

1965 - Nat King Cole's Passing: The legendary jazz singer and pianist Nat King Cole died at the age of 45 due to lung cancer. He was known for his smooth voice and significant contributions to music, including hits like "Unforgettable".

1964 - The Beatles' Breakthrough: The Beatles reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with "I Want to Hold Your Hand," marking the beginning of the British Invasion in America.

1964-Sam Cooke announces a major reduction in his touring schedule, made so that he can concentrate on the day-to-day activities of his two new record labels, Sar and Derby.

1961-The Marcels record "Blue Moon."

1961-Jackie Wilson is shot in Manhattan. The following issue of Melody Maker carries the front page headline Girl Fan Shoots Jackie Wilson, but controversy over the incident persists in spite of Wilson's claim that this is what really happened.

1960-Mikey Craig (bassist for Culture Club) is born in England.

1959-Ali Campbell (lead singer of UB40) is born in Birmingham, England, to Scottish folk singer Ian Campbell.

1958-ABC debuts a new show hosted by Dick Clark, hoping to duplicate the success of American Bandstand. The first guests on The Dick Clark Show include Connie Francis, Pat Boone and Jerry Lee Lewis.

1954-Big Joe Turner records one of the first rock songs, "Shake, Rattle And Roll," at Atlantic Records studios in New York.

1951-Melissa Manchester is born in the Bronx, New York.

1947-David Brown (bassist for Santana) is born in Daly City, California.

1945-John Helliwell (saxophonist for Supertramp) is born in Todmorden, Yorkshire, England.

1944-Mick Avory (drummer for The Kinks) is born in Surrey, England.

1941-Duke Ellington records "Take the A Train."

1941-Motown songwriter Brian Holland is born in Detroit, Michigan.

1939-Pop singer Alvin Cash is born in St. Louis, Missouri.

1928-"Among My Souvenirs" is the top song in America according to Variety.

1918-Country singer Hank Locklin ("Please Help Me, I'm Falling", "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On") is born in McLellan, Florida.

1905-Harold Arlen is born Hyman Arluck in Buffalo, New York. A prolific composer, he writes "Over The Rainbow" with lyricist Yip Harburg.

1888-Frederick Lawrence Wright, founder of Melody Maker, is born at 23 Upper Conduit Street, Leicester.

[1/32 man]

I should have dropped a line about the fourteenth being the third anniversary of cyclone Gabrielle.
This event directly affected me and mine not to mention many others whose homes, possessions and lives were hugely impacted.

I still see evidence of mother nature's handiwork and i still have flashbacks of some of the horrors that occurred.

Strangely we currently have a heavy rain warning???