On This Day In History

[Bikkie]

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


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



In Music History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1990-The Weeknd is born Abel Tesfaye in Toronto.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1972-Rick Nelson begins his first British tour.

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

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

1971-Aretha Franklin records "Spanish Harlem."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1952-James Ingram is born in Akron, Ohio.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Bikkie]

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

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

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

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

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

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



In Music History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1982-Jazz great Thelonious Monk dies at age 64.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1974-Country singer Bryan White is born in Oklahoma.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Bikkie]

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


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


In Music History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Bikkie]

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


In Music History

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

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

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

2017-Jazz guitarist Larry Coryell dies at age 73.

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

2008-Jazz musician Teo Macero dies at age 82.

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

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

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

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

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

2001-French singer Charles Trenet dies at age 87.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1958-The Miracles release "Got a Job."

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

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

1956-The Platters record "Magic Touch."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Bikkie]

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

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




In Music History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

[Piper]

1879- Kaitangata mining disaster:
On the morning of 21 February an
explosion rocked the coal mine at
Kaitangata South Otago.

[Bikkie]

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




In Music History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1974-James Blunt is born in Tidworth, England.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Bikkie]

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

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



In Music History

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

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

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

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

2007-Rockabilly singer Donnie Brooks dies at age 71.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1997-Jazz drummer Tony Williams dies at age 51.

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

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

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

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

1993-Little Richard receives a Lifetime Achievement Grammy award.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1978-The Police sign with A&M Records.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1962-Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton is born San Francisco.

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

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

1955-Howard Jones is born in Southampton, England.

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

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

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

1944-Johnny Winter is born in Beaumont, Texas.

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

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

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

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