On This Day In History

[Bikkie]

1984
Muldoon calls snap election
Prime Minister Robert Muldoon surprised many by announcing a ‘snap’ election to be held in exactly one month’s time.



In Music History

2020-BTS draw about 750,000 viewers (in 107 countries) to their Bang Bang Con livestream concert, earning an estimated $20 million in ticket sales, far more than what a traditional concert could earn. It proves that livestream shows, which have mostly relied on donations, can be immensely profitable as ticketed events.

2018-At the end of his set at the World Cup opening ceremonies in Moscow, a petulant Robbie Williams flips off the camera.More

2017-The annual Bridge School benefit concert is cancelled after Neil Young begs off. The concerts, benefiting the school that treated Young's son Ben and others with disabilities, started in 1986.

2017-The National Music Publishers Association gives Yoko Ono the Centennial Award for song of the century and adds her name to the credits of the award-winning song, "Imagine." John Lennon took the sole credit, but later admitted he got the idea from Yoko's book Grapefruit, where she wrote things like, "Imagine 1000 suns in the sky at the same time."

2012-Drake and Chris Brown are involved in a fight at a New York City nightclub, with Brown accusing Drake of throwing a bottle at him. They had beef over Rihanna, whom they both dated.

2009-Bob Bogle (lead guitarist, bassist for The Ventures) dies of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 75.

2007-Chris Tomlin's cover of "Indescribable" is used as the official wake-up call for NASA astronaut Patrick Forrester while on the Space Shuttle mission STS-117.

2006-Rufus Wainwright, son of folk singer Loudon Wainwright III, recreates the whole of Judy Garland's legendary 1961 Carnegie Hall concert at the famous institution in order to mark the show's 35th anniversary.

2005-Backstreet Boys stray from their traditional pop fare with their rock-leaning comeback album, Never Gone. It debuts at #3 in America, sells over 10 million copies worldwide...and is slayed by critics.

2003-Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers is awarded a Member of the British Empire medal by Queen Elizabeth in London.

2003-"Bring Me To Life," the debut single from Evanescence, hits #1 in the UK and stays for four weeks. The song peaks at #5 in America.

2002-Moby's "Extreme Ways" plays during the end credits of the action thriller The Bourne Identity. The 18 track goes on to close out every installment in the long-running franchise.

2002-Cher starts her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour. Planned for 59 dates, it ends up at 325, bringing in 260 million dollars. It's billed as her final tour, though she ends up returning to music years later.

1996-Mathew Fletcher, drummer for Heavenly, commits suicide at age 26 just before the release of the band's fourth and final album, Operation Heavenly.

1996-Beatles producer George Martin is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

1995-Irish blues rocker Rory Gallagher dies of a staphylococcal infection following a liver transplant at age 47.

1994-Noted film composer Henry Mancini dies of pancreatic cancer at age 70.

1989-Pete de Freitas (drummer for Echo And The Bunnymen) dies in a motorcycle accident en-route to Liverpool from London at age 27.

1989-Carole King gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1986-Patti LaBelle lands her first solo #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "On My Own," a duet with ex-Doobie Brother Michael McDonald. It holds the top spot for three weeks and also goes to #1 on the R&B chart.

1980-Billy Joel's Glass Houses is the #1 album in America for the first of six consecutive weeks.

1979-Little Feat announce their breakup; guitarist Lowell George dies of a heart attack just two weeks later.

1975-America's "Sister Golden Hair" hits #1 in the US. The song is produced by George Martin and contains a guitar riff borrowed from George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord."

1974-David Bowie's Diamond Dogs tour begins in Montreal. As part of the elaborate stage show, a giant diamond opens up to reveal Bowie.

1972-Actor Warren Beatty organizes his fifth benefit concert for doomed US Presidential candidate George McGovern at Madison Square Garden, featuring, among others, Simon & Garfunkel and Peter, Paul and Mary.

1971-Frank Sinatra announces his retirement from show business, only to return a year and a half later with the comeback album Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back.

1971-"Kiss the Rain" singer Billie Myers is born in Coventry, West Midlands, England.

1970-Eric Clapton's new band is introduced as "Derek and the Dominos" when they take the stage at the Lyceum in London. They tell the promoter they are "The Dynamics," but he convinces them to add the "Derek," which is a nickname for Clapton. His mangled name interpretation sticks.

1970-Blood, Sweat & Tears begins a tour of Romania, Poland, and Yugoslavia on behalf of the US State Department. Working as government ambassadors under the Nixon administration puts the band in bad standing with the protest movement they were part of when they played Woodstock.

1970-The Grateful Dead release their fourth album, Workingman's Dead. With more compact songs like "Uncle John's Band" and "Casey Jones," it reaches a wider audience than their previous albums.

1970-A billboard taking up an entire city block to promote Grand Funk Railroad goes up in New York City's Times Square. It costs Capitol Records about $100,000 but pays off when their Closer To Home album sells over 2 million copies and they sell out Shea Stadium the next summer.

1969-Blues singer Wynonie Harris, known for ribald tunes like "I Like My Baby's Pudding" (1950), dies of esophageal cancer at age 53.

1968-The Jeff Beck Group, with lead singer Rod Stewart, make their US concert debut, opening for the Grateful Dead at the Fillmore East in New York City. Stewart has stage fright, which is cured when he takes some swigs of rum from a bottle he shares with guitarist Ron Wood.

1967-At Olympic Sound Studios in London, The Beatles start working on "All You Need Is Love," written specifically for a global satellite broadcast. The simple, repetitive chorus makes it a great fit for the international audience.

1967-The Monkees record "Daydream Believer."

1966-Deeming its "butcher cover" in poor taste, Capitol Records recalls the new Beatles album, Yesterday and Today, which is scheduled for release the next day and has already been sent to stores.

1965-The Beatles log a productive session at Abbey Road studios, with Paul McCartney laying down vocals and acoustic guitar for "Yesterday" (a string section is overdubbed later), and the group completing the songs "I've Just Seen a Face" and "I'm Down."

1963-Chris DeGarmo (lead guitarist for Queensrÿche) is born in Wenatchee, Washington.

1961-Culture Club lead singer Boy George is born George Alan O'Dowd in Eltham, London, England. He starts wearing makeup and women's clothes in secondary school, a look he adapts with Culture Club to provide a striking visual presence that gets lots of attention on MTV. The band has a run of hits in the early '80s that includes "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?," "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and "Karma Chameleon."

1961-After a performance at the Majestic Theatre in Newcastle, England, Gene Vincent is mobbed by admirers who accidentally push him down a flight of stairs, where he is knocked out.

1961-Elvis Presley's 7th movie, Wild In The Country, premieres in his hometown of Memphis.

1958-Nick Van Eede (of Cutting Crew) is born in Cuckfield, West Sussex, England.

1957-Ava Gardner divorces Frank Sinatra.

1953-Elvis Presley graduates from Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee.

1949-Jim Lea (multi-instrumentalist of Slade) is born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England.

1949-Yes drummer Alan White is born in Ferryhill, County Durham, England.

1947-Barry Melton (original lead guitarist for Country Joe & The Fish, Dinosaurs) is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1945-Rod Argent (keyboardist for The Zombies, founder of Argent) is born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England.

1936-Renaldo "Obie" Benson (bass vocalist of The Four Tops) is born in Detroit, Michigan.

1931-Sax player Junior Walker (of Junior Walker & the All-Stars) is born in Blytheville, Arkansas.

1909-Burl Ives is born in Jasper County, Illinois.

1905-Jazz banjoist Nappy Lamare is born Joseph Hilton Lamare in New Orleans, Louisian





Featured Events

2008-Pearl Jam and My Morning Jacket bond, a tardy Kanye West riles the crowd and calls organizers "squid brains," and MGMT dance like hippies at Bonnaroo 2008.More

2002-Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

B.I.G. Tribute "I'll Be Missing You" Hits #1
1997-Puff Daddy's "I'll Be Missing You," a tribute to The Notorious B.I.G., hits #1 in America, where it stays for 11 weeks, dominating the summer of 1997.More

1995-Diane Sawyer conducts a live interview with Michael Jackson and his wife Lisa Marie Presley on the ABC news program Primetime Live. Topics include the validity of their marriage, Jackson's surgeries, and if he's a Scientologist.More

1990-Four days after being arrested for performing obscene songs at a Florida nightclub, the rap group 2 Live Crew performs at the Ozone Club outside of Atlanta. Authorities had warned the group that they would be arrested if they performed their dirty songs, so the rappers encourage the crowd to sing the obscene lyrics for them, resulting in about 500 people singing lines like "that's the way we like to f--k" as police officers look on. No arrests are made, and the group gets even more publicity and a bump in sales for the album they released a year earlier.

ELP Have A Mean Armadillo On Cover Of Second Album Tarkus
1971-Emerson, Lake & Palmer release their second album, Tarkus. The creature on the cover is a weaponized armadillo.More

1966-Workers at a London railway station notice a large package wiggling, so they open it to discover 12-year-old Carol Dryden, a Beatles fan trying to mail herself to the group.

1961-Patsy Cline gets in a nasty car accident in Nashville, when she is thrown through the windshield. She is hospitalized for about a month, during which time she is visited by the woman who will become her protégé: Loretta Lynn.




Key Historical Events

1946- Nat King Cole recorded "The Christmas Song" for the first time, a classic that remains a holiday staple

1953- Elvis Presley graduated from L.C. Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee, marking the early life milestone of the future King of Rock and Roll

1961- Patsy Cline was hospitalized after a serious car accident; her single "I Fall to Pieces" eventually topped the Billboard country chart during her recovery

1964- Ringo Starr rejoined the Beatles in Melbourne, Australia, after recovering from tonsillitis

1965- Paul McCartney recorded the song "Yesterday", which would become one of the most covered songs in music history

1967- The Monkees recorded "Daydream Believer", and the Beatles began recording "All You Need Is Love", both becoming international hits

1969- Mick Taylor was introduced as the new guitarist for The Rolling Stones, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on David Frost’s British TV show

1971- Emerson, Lake & Palmer released their second studio album Tarkus, topping charts in the UK and Italy

1975- The band America scored their second US Billboard Hot 100 number one with "Sister Golden Hair"

1980- Billy Joel’s album Glass Houses began a six-week run atop the Billboard 200, and Peter Gabriel topped the UK Albums chart with his third studio album

1986- Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald’s duet "On My Own" started a three-week stint at number one in the US

1997- Sean “Diddy” Combs and Faith Evans’ "I’ll Be Missing You" began an 11-week run at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, a tribute to The Notorious B.I.G.

2019- Columbia Records released Bruce Springsteen’s 19th studio album Western Stars



Notable Birthdays

1971- Billie Myers, known for her 1997 hit "Kiss the Rain", was born in Coventry, England

1980: Mark Pellizzer, founding member of Magic!, was born in Toronto, Ontario

1984- Siobhan Donaghy, founding member of the Sugababes, was born in London

1991- Jessica “Jesy” Nelson, member of Little Mix, was born in London



Other Highlights

1970- Grand Funk Railroad spent $100,000 on a Times Square billboard to promote Closer to Home, and Derek and the Dominoes made their live debut in London

1979- The No Nukes concert at the Hollywood Bowl featured Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and Stephen Stills

1980- Frank Sinatra’s "Theme From New York, New York" reached #32 on the charts

1987- Madonna began her Who’s That Girl World Tour in Osaka, Japan, which became the highest-grossing tour at the time

[Bikkie]

1935
Lovelock wins ‘Mile of the Century’
The Ivy League Princeton University hosted an annual elite mile race during the 1930s. New Zealand medical student Jack Lovelock, who had set a world record there in 1933, was invited to return in 1935 to run in what became known as the ‘Mile of the Century’.

1959
Chinese gooseberry becomes kiwifruit
The prominent produce company Turners and Growers announced that it would from now on export Chinese gooseberries under the name 'kiwifruit'. First grown here in 1906, kiwifruit are now cultivated worldwide, with New Zealand-grown fruit marketed as 'Zespri'.



In Music History

2024-110,905 fans see George Strait perform at Kyle Field, the football stadium on the campus of Texas A&M, setting a record for largest paid crowd at a US non-festival concert. The previous record holder was Grateful Dead, who drew 107,019 to their 1977 show in Englishtown, New Jersey. Strait's record doesn't last long: Zach Bryan breaks it in 2025 when he headlines the first concert ever held at Michigan Stadium (the "Big House"), the largest stadium in America.

2017-Shania Twain releases "Life's About To Get Good," her first single in five years.

2014-American Top 40 host (and voice of Shaggy on Scooby Doo) Casey Kasem dies at age 82.

2013-Roger LaVern (keyboardist for The Tornados) dies at age 75.

2012-The conservative radio and TV personality Glenn Beck announces plans for launching a competitor to the popular TV series Glee, which revolves around a high school glee club with many musical numbers. Beck, incensed at the show's liberal portrayal of issues such as homosexuality and bullying, tells a Faith & Freedom Coalition conference in Washington that the left "won't know what hit them" when he launches his own conservative version of the show. The show never materializes.

2008-Lionel Richie is given a TV Land Icon Award by the cable network.

2007-Ferlin Huskey undergoes leg surgery in a Springfield, Missouri, hospital to improve his circulation.

2005-Christopher Nolan's Batman origin story Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale as the caped crusader, opens in US theaters. It marks the first collaboration between the director and film composer Hans Zimmer, who continue to work together on the rest of The Dark Knight trilogy, as well as the sci-fi films Inception (2010) and Interstellar (2014), and the war movie Dunkirk (2017).

1999-Peso Pluma, whose music combines corridos and hip-hop, is born Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija in Zapopan, Mexico. His stage name means "featherweight" in English, a reference to his slight build.

1996-Ella Fitzgerald dies of complications from diabetes at age 79.

1996-Aurora is born Aurora Aksnes in Bergen, Norway.

Nelson Finally Release Their Second Album
1995-Five years after their successful debut After the Rain, Nelson release their second album, Because They Can, which tanks.More

1994-The Disney film The Lion King hits theaters. A runaway hit, the movie takes in over $300 million in 1994, second only to Forrest Gump. The soundtrack goes Diamond, meaning over 10 million copies sold - a record for the soundtrack to an animated film.

1991-MC Hammer kicks off his Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em world tour in Louisville, Kentucky. About 70 people, who perform various duties on stage, are in the entourage. Rolling Stone reports that Hammer is a taskmaster, fining dancers for missing steps and insisting that everyone go directly to their hotel rooms after shows.

1991-Paula Abdul hits #1 in America with the ballad "Rush, Rush," her fifth chart-topper. A young Keanu Reeves is in the video.

1990-At Lake City Concert Hall, in Seattle, Washington, bassist Ben Shepherd plays his first show with Soundgarden.

1989-The Offspring's self-titled debut album is released only on vinyl. A CD and cassette reissue are eventually released in 1995.

1988-"If You Wanna Be Happy" singer Jimmy Soul dies of a heart attack at age 45 after years of drug use takes its toll.

1981-Billy Martin (guitarist/keyboardist for Good Charlotte) is born in Annapolis, Maryland.

Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures
1979-Unknown Pleasures, the debut long-player from British post-punk band Joy Division, is released. Although it does not chart, it becomes hugely influential and is widely critically acclaimed as one of the defining albums of the post-punk era.More

1977-Former 5th Dimension singers Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. host a summer TV variety series on CBS. They are the first African American married couple to host a network television series.

1976-Dryden Mitchell (frontman for Alien Ant Farm) is born in Redondo Beach, California.

1969-Ice Cube is born O'Shea Jackson in South Central Los Angeles. He makes his mark in the pioneering rap group N.W.A before launching a solo career and becoming a movie star, first in Boyz N The Hood and later in the Friday and Barbershop movies.

1966-Rob Mitchell (drummer for Sixpence None the Richer) is born.

1966-Michael Britt (lead guitarist for Lonestar) is born in Fort Worth, Texas.

1963-Scott Rockenfield (drummer for Queensrÿche) is born in Seattle, Washington.

1956-Bernie Shaw (lead vocalist for Uriah Heep) is born in Victoria, British Columbia.

1954-Country singer Terri Gibbs is born in Miami, Florida, but raised in Grovetown, Georgia. Known for the hit 1980 single "Somebody's Knockin'."

1951-Steve Walsh (singer, keyboardist for Kansas, Streets) is born in St Joseph, Missouri.

1949-Russell Hitchcock, lead singer of Air Supply, is born in Melbourne, Australia. The group has a string of soft-rock hits in the early '80s that includes "The One That You Love" and "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All."

1946-Janet Lennon (of The Lennon Sisters) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1946-Noddy Holder (lead vocalist, guitarist of Slade) is born Neville John Holder in Walsall, Staffordshire, England.

1943-Johnny Hallyday, who becomes one of the biggest music stars in France, is born in Paris.

1941-Nilsson is born Harry Edward Nilsson III in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York.

1937-Waylon Jennings is born in Littlefield, Texas.

1929-Nigel Pickering (rhythm guitarist for Spanky and Our Gang) is born in Pontiac, Michigan.

1910-Songwriter/orchestra leader David Rose is born in London, England. Under the pseudonym Ray Llewellyn, he'll write music for many television shows, including Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza.

The Washington Post Inspires Famous March
1889-John Philip Sousa leads the Marine Corps Band in a performance of "The Washington Post" at an awards ceremony held by the eponymous newspaper. The march, written especially for the occasion, becomes a worldwide sensation and earns Sousa the title of March King.More

1843-Romantic era composer Edvard Grieg is born in Bergen, Norway.




Featured Events

2017-Jay-Z becomes the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

2016-Jimmy Page takes the stand in a trial where he is accused of stealing part of the song "Taurus" for the intro to "Stairway To Heaven." Led Zeppelin played on the same bills with the band Spirit, who performed "Taurus" in their sets, but Page says he never heard that song before writing "Stairway." The jury rules in favor of Led Zeppelin.

Santana Breaks Hiatus With Supernatural Album
1999-After a seven-year recording hiatus, Santana release the album Supernatural, which goes to #1 thanks to hit singles like "Smooth," "Maria Maria," and "Put Your Lights On." It's their first chart-topping album in 28 years.

Beastie Boys Stage Massive Concert To Free Tibet
1996-The Beastie Boys host the first Tibetan Freedom Concert, with performers that include Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins and John Lee Hooker. About 100,000 attend the two shows, raising money for the Milarepa Fund.More

Nirvana Release Bleach
1989-Nirvana's debut album, Bleach, is released, with a cover tune as its lead single.

1986-At Giants Stadium in New Jersey, The Police headline the last concert on the Conspiracy of Hope tour, which benefits Amnesty International. They have plans to record an album, but scrap them after drummer Stewart Copeland is injured in a polo match. The trio does not tour again until 2007.

1967-Peter Green leaves John Mayall's Bluesbreakers to form Fleetwood Mac. He hires Mick Fleetwood, but it takes John McVie four months to leave The Bluesbreakers and join the band named after him.

[Bikkie]

1923
Baby-farmer Daniel Cooper hanged
A generation after the hanging of the infamous Minnie Dean, the murder trial of Daniel and Martha Cooper revealed that ‘baby farming’ and illegal abortion were still regarded as solutions to the problem of unwanted children in New Zealand.


1971
Polynesian Panther Party founded
The Polynesian Panther Party was founded in Auckland by six young Pacific Islanders: Paul Dapp, Will ’Ilolahia, Vaughan Sanft, Fred Schmidt, Nooroa Teavae and Eddie Williams. The group included Samoans, Tongans, Cook Islanders, and a few Māori.



In Music History

2023-Re-creating a scene from the "All The Small Things" video, Kourtney Kardashian announces her pregnancy with blink-182 drummer Travis Barker by holding up a sign reading "Travis I'm Pregnant" at the band's concert in Los Angeles.

2022-Eight years after signing a "cessation of touring agreement," Mötley Crüe kick off a co-headlining tour with Def Leppard in Atlanta.

2018-The Carters (Jay-Z and Beyoncé) release their first single, "Apes--t," with an opulent video shot at the Louvre in Paris.More

2017-Bob Seger, one of the last major holdouts of the digital age, makes his catalog available for streaming and download for the first time. His beef was in the paltry payouts for these services. For much of the 2000s he earned a lot more selling physical copies of his albums, but as CD players disappeared, so did that revenue.

2014-Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony divorce. They married in 2004 and welcomed twins Maximilian and Emme in 2008.

2007-Muse become the first band to sell out the rebuilt Wembley Stadium in London, when about 90,000 fans see them perform.

2007-61-year-old Rod Stewart marries his third wife, 35-year-old model Penny Lancaster, on board the yacht Lady Ann Magee in Portofino, Italy.

2006-The White Stripes win a lawsuit brought on by Ghetto Recorders studio owner Jim Diamond. Diamond claimed he produced the band's first two albums and that the band owed him royalties for his work. In reality, Jack White was the sole producer of those records and Diamond wasn't entitled to any more money as the band had already given him credit as engineer.

2004-The three surviving original members of the New York Dolls perform together for the first time since 1975 at the first of two shows at London Royal Festival Hall. The concerts are spearheaded by The Smiths' frontman, Morrissey, who was once the president of the Dolls' UK fan club. The band continues to record and perform in various incarnations after the reunion.

2001-Cardigans singer Nina Persson marries songwriter/author Nathan Larson.

1999-Phil Collins gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1997-John Wolters (drummer for Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show) dies of cancer at age 52.

1994-Kristen Pfaff (bassist for Hole) dies of acute opiate intoxication at age 27.

1993-The US Postal Service issues a booklet of commemorative rock and roll stamps featuring Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Bill Haley, Ritchie Valens, Clyde McPhatter, and Dinah Washington.

1990-The Swedish pop duo Roxette earn their third chart-topper when their breakup ballad "It Must Have Been Love" from the Pretty Woman soundtrack hits #1.

1972-David Bowie unveils his landmark album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. His breakthrough LP, it sells over 7 million copies and is hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time.

1970-Blues guitar pioneer Lonnie Johnson dies of a stroke at 76.

1969-MC Ren (of N.W.A) is born Lorenzo Jerald Patterson in Compton, California.

1965-At Columbia Studios in New York City, Bob Dylan finishes recording "Like A Rolling Stone," a song about a socialite who falls from grace. The Hammond organ comes courtesy of Al Kooper, who later forms Blood, Sweat & Tears.

1962-Gary U.S. Bonds appears on US TV for the first time, performing his hit "Quarter To Three" on American Bandstand.

1956-Gogi Grant's "The Wayward Wind" hits #1 in America, where it stays for eight weeks.

1956-Bill Doggett records "Honky Tonk."

1954-Garry Roberts (lead guitarist for The Boomtown Rats) is born in Dublin, Ireland.

1952-Gino Vannelli is born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

1950-Soul singer James Smith (of The Stylistics) is born in New York City.

1949-Peppy Castro (guitarist, vocalist for Blues Magoos) is born.

1946-Iain Matthews (singer for Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort) is born Iain Matthew McDonald in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England.

1942-Edward Levert (lead vocalist of The O'Jays) is born in Birmingham, Alabama, but will be raised in Canton, Ohio.

1941-Lamont Dozier, member of the famed Motown songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, is born in Detroit, Michigan.

1939-Billy "Crash" Craddock, rockabilly/country singer of the '70s known for hits like "Rub It In" and "Broken Down In Tiny Pieces," is born in Greensboro, North Carolina.

1934-Carl "Little Caesar" Burnett (of Little Caesar & the Romans) is born.

1792-Francis Johnson, an African American musician and composer during the Antebellum era, is born in Martinique in the West Indies.





Featured Events

2010-Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax play on the same bill, marking the first time the "Big Four" of thrash metal do a show together.More

2002-A remixed version of Elvis Presley's 1968 single "A Little Less Conversation" hits #1 in the UK, released as part of a successful plan by his estate to claim the UK record for most #1 hits on the tally from The Beatles.

The Verve Release Hit Single, But Success Is Bittersweet
1997-In the UK, The Verve release "Bitter Sweet Symphony," which lives up to it's title: the song is a huge hit, but Mick Jagger and Keith Richards end up getting credits and royalties.More

1980-The movie The Blues Brothers, adapted from John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's classic SNL skit, premieres in Chicago. A love letter of sorts to '60s R&B and soul, it will help re-establish the careers of its musical co-stars, including James Brown, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin.

Grease Opens In Theaters
1978-The movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, opens in US theaters, becoming the smash hit of the year.More

Trout Mask Replica Released
1969-Experimental avant-garde/free-jazz artist Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, releases Trout Mask Replica, a polyrhythmic, polytonal collection of noise that is either an unlistenable mess or a work of genius.More

1967-The first Monterey International Pop festival begins at the County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California. It's the first of many big Rock festivals, with The Who, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Animals among those performing. Many consider it the beginning of the "Summer of Love."



Key Album Releases and Milestones

1972- David Bowie released his influential glam-rock album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, introducing his alter ego Ziggy Stardust and featuring classics like “Starman” and “Suffragette City”

1997- Radiohead released their critically acclaimed album OK Computer in the UK, marking a turning point in alternative rock

1978- The film adaptation of Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, premiered, bringing the Broadway musical to a wider audience

1979- Donna Summer’s Bad Girls reached number one on the US Billboard 200, while Electric Light Orchestra’s Discovery topped the UK charts



Historic Performances and Festivals

1967- The Monterey Pop Festival began in California, a three-day event that set the standard for future music festivals, featuring performances by Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, and Ravi Shankar

1989-The Glastonbury Festival opened in Pilton, England, with headliners including Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, and Suzanne Vega, alongside international acts like Fela Kuti and Pixies

1996- The inaugural Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco drew over 100,000 attendees, raising awareness and funds for Tibetan independence



Notable Singles and Chart Achievements

956- Gogi Grant’s “The Wayward Wind” hit number one on the US Singles chart for six consecutive weeks

1965- Bob Dylan completed recording “Like a Rolling Stone,” a song that would become a defining anthem of his generation

1962-The Isley Brothers released the enduring hit “Twist and Shout”

1967- Pink Floyd released their psychedelic pop single “See Emily Play”

1973- Suzi Quatro topped the UK Singles chart with “Can the Can,” also achieving international success

1979- Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell” reached number one in the UK and multiple other countries



Births and Deaths

1858-Composer Eugene Ysaye was born, later recognized for his contributions to violin music

1982- James Honeyman-Scott, guitarist for The Pretenders, died at age 25 from a cocaine-induced heart failure

1970- Blues and jazz musician Lonnie Johnson passed away at 71, noted for pioneering the electrically amplified violin



Other Notable Events

1965- Bob Dylan recorded “Like a Rolling Stone” at Columbia Recording Studios in New York

1972- The New York Jazz Museum opened, highlighting the city’s rich jazz heritage

1976- The TV show The Jacksons began airing on CBS

1992- The U.S. Postal Service released a set of stamps honoring music legends including Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, and Otis Redding

[Bikkie]

1579 – Sir Francis Drake proclaims England's sovereignty over "Nova Albion" (now San Francisco).

1631 – Empress Mumtaz Mahal dies in childbirth. Her husband, Shah Jahan I, then spends over 20 years building her tomb, the Taj Mahal.

1775 – The Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill results in a costly victory for the British, who suffer heavy losses.

1837 – Charles Goodyear obtains his first rubber patent.

1843 – Four Māori and 22 Europeans die in Wairau Valley, near Blenheim, in the first violent clash between Māori and settlers since the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.

1885 – The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, arrives in New York Harbour in 350 pieces packed in more than 200 cases.

1940 – The Soviet Union’s Red Army invades Latvia leading to its formal annexation.

1944 – Iceland becomes an independent republic after a referendum on disengaging from Danish rule.

1953 – The Soviet Union orders an armoured division of its troops into East Berlin to crush a rebellion by East German workers and antigovernment protesters.

1967 – China successfully tests its first hydrogen bomb.

1972 – Five men are arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex, an office-hotel-apartment group of buildings in Washington.

1982 – General Leopoldo Galtieri is forced to resign as president after Argentina's defeat in the Falklands War.

1991 – South Africa's parliament repeals four laws constituting the legal framework of apartheid.

1994 – OJ Simpson is arrested and charged with the June 12 double-murder of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

2008 – Hundreds of same-sex couples get married across California on the first full day that gay marriage becomes legal in the state.

2015 – Nine people are shot to death in a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina; suspect Dylann Roof is arrested the following morning.

2017 – Mistrial declared in the trial of US actor Bill Cosby for aggravated indecent assault, after jurors fail to reach a verdict.

2021 – Zambia’s first president Kenneth Kaunda, who led the campaign to end British colonial rule, dies at 97.


Birthdays

Sir Harold Gillies, NZ plastic surgery pioneer (1882-1960); Igor Stravinsky, Russian-born composer (1882-1971); Allen Curnow, NZ poet (1911-2001); Ken Loach, UK director (1936-); Barry Manilow, US musician (1943-); Lee Tamahori, NZ film director (1950-); Trevor Mallard, NZ politician (1954-); Venus Williams, US tennis player (1980-); Vivienne Gapes, NZ Paralympic skier (1959-); Kendrick Lamar, US rapper/producer (1987-); KJ Apa, NZ actor (1997-).



In Music History

2016-Tom DeLonge reveals his true reason for leaving blink-182: to investigate UFOs. In an interview with Mic, the "Aliens Exist" singer claims the truth is out there: "There's been hundreds and hundreds of thousands of eyewitness accounts. Trace evidence that's been analyzed by scientists across the world. Events have happened on the ground. It's all around us. I know of stuff I can't talk about right now."

2016-Red Hot Chili Peppers release The Getaway, their first album since 2011 and their first since 1991 without Rick Rubin producing - Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton is the producer.

2016-Prince Be of P.M. Dawn dies of kidney disease at age 46.

2008-The Offspring release Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace - their first album in nearly five years.

Katy Perry Gives Up Gospel For Pop
2008
Katy Perry's major-label debut album, One of the Boys, is released, featuring the hit single "I Kissed a Girl." It's not her first album: In 2001 she released a gospel album under her real name, Katy Hudson.

2006-Ron Wood of The Rolling Stones enters rehab to kick his drinking habit, but recovers in time to join the band on their latest world tour a month later.

2006-Rolf Harris is honored with a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II.

2004-T.I. shoots a promotional video from Fulton County Jail, where he has been incarcerated for two months on a parole violation. A jail supervisor is fired over the video, which features guards and other inmates as extras.

2002-U2 guitarist The Edge gets married for the second time, this time to Morleigh Steinberg, the belly dancer on their 1992-1993 Zoo TV tour.

1999-Suffering from depression, Screaming Lord Sutch commits suicide at age 58. The singer, who also founded the UK political party Official Monster Raving Loony Party, worked with several artists, including Keith Moon, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck.

1997-Switchfoot's debut album, The Legend of Chin, is released under the independent label Re:think Records.

Blink-182 Release Dude Ranch
1997-Blink-182, a pop-punk trio from San Diego, release their major-label debut, Dude Ranch. The album boasts their first rock-radio hit, "Dammit," a breakup tune that blows out bassist Mark Hoppus' vocal chords.More

1995-Rod Stewart sets an attendance record at Wembley Stadium in London when 83,000 fans attend his concert. The record holds until 2009, when U2 draws 88,000 on their 360 tour.

1989-Pop singer Simone Battle (of G.R.L.) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1987-Rod Stewart becomes the proud parent of his fourth child, daughter Ruby, from his girlfriend, model Kelly Emberg.

1987-Kendrick Lamar is born in Compton, California. At 8 years old, he watches Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre film their "California Love" video in his neighborhood and decides he wants to be a rapper.

1986-Longtime radio personality Kate Smith dies of respiratory arrest at age 79 after years of struggling with diabetic complications.

1985-The famously reclusive Bob Dylan opens up on the syndicated radio show Rockline, taking calls from fans.

1981-At Earls Court in London, Pink Floyd play the last of 31 performances of The Wall, a unique stage show where a giant wall is erected (and torn down) as the band plays the album in its entirety. It's Roger Waters' last concert with the band, which breaks up in 1983 and carries on without him a few years later.

1980-Led Zeppelin begin what will be their last tour with a concert in Dortmund, Germany.

1978-Andy Gibb's "Shadow Dancing," which he wrote with his brothers, the Bee Gees, hits #1 in America.

1977-At the Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas, Judas Priest play their first show in America, opening for REO Speedwagon. The British metal band is looking to make headway in the US, where they're released their album Sin After Sin; they get a better pairing at the end of the tour when they open two shows for Led Zeppelin.

1977-Steve Winwood releases his debut solo album, Steve Winwood.

1973-Dolly Parton records "I Will Always Love You," a song written about her mentor, Porter Wagoner.

1972-The Spinners, recently signed to Atlantic after a decade on Motown, record at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia for the first time with producer Thom Bell. The session is very productive, yielding "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love," "I'll Be Around," and "How Could I Let You Get Away."

1972-"Jesus Music" (later known as Christian contemporary) takes center stage at Billy Graham's Explo '72 in Dallas, where acts like Larry Norman and Love Song perform along with Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, and Andrae Crouch. Graham calls it the "Christian Woodstock."

1972-The Rolling Stones album Exile On Main Street hits #1 in America.

1969-Kevin "KT" Thornton (of Color Me Badd) is born.

1969-Elvis Presley releases "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard."

1968-Ohio Express' "Yummy Yummy Yummy" is certified gold.

1967-Barbra Streisand sings for an estimated 135,000 fans at a concert in New York's Central Park. The show later airs on CBS as a TV special with the soundtrack album A Happening In Central Park.

1967-Liberty Records runs an ad in the British music magazine New Musical Express that reads: "Liberty wants talent. Artists/composers/singers/musicians to form a new group." Among the thousands of applicants are lyricist Bernie Taupin and musician Elton John. The label teams them up, resulting in one of the greatest songwriting duos in rock history.

1967-Moby Grape release all five singles from their debut album: "Changes," "Sitting By The Window," "8:05," "Omaha," and "Hey Grandma."

1966-Paul McCartney buys the farm in Kintyre, Scotland, that inspires his 1977 megahit ballad "Mull Of Kintyre."

1966-Peter Green joins John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.

1964-Jay & the Americans record "Come A Little Bit Closer."

1964-Elvis Presley's 15th movie, Viva Las Vegas, co-starring Ann-Margret, opens nationally.

1959-Liberace wins his libel case against the Daily Mirror at the High Court in London, and says afterwards "I cried all the way to the bank." The paper published an article claiming the pianist was homosexual.

1954-The UK music newspaper Record Mirror goes to press for the first time.

1954-Danny Cedrone, guitarist featured on Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around The Clock," dies at age 33 after falling down stairs and breaking his neck.

1947-Keyboard player Gregg Rolie, a founding member of both Santana and Journey, is born in Seattle, Washington. He handles a lot of the vocals for Santana and is also Journey's lead singer for their first three albums until Steve Perry joins for their fourth.

1947-Paul Young, singer with Sad Café and Mike + the Mechanics, is born in Manchester, England. Not to be confused with the Paul Young who sang "Everytime You Go Away."

1945-Eric McCredie (bassist for Middle of the Road) is born in Partick, Glasgow, Scotland.

1944-Chris Spedding is born Peter Robinson in Staveley, Derbyshire, England. A renowned session guitarist, he's recorded with the likes of Elton John, Paul McCartney, Brian Eno, and Art Garfunkel.

1943-After planning to return to his hometown and resume his career as a barber, Perry Como is signed to RCA Records.

Barry Manilow Is Born
1943-Barry Manilow is born Barry Alan Pincus in Brooklyn, New York. Despite never wanting to be an entertainer, he becomes one of the best-selling artists in the world as a famous soft-rock balladeer.

1942-Norman Kuhlke (drummer for The Swinging Blue Jeans) is born in Liverpool, England.

1940-Bass player Chuck Rainey is born Charles Walter Rainey III in Cleveland, Ohio.

1939-Dave Alldred (drummer for The Rhythm Orchids, Dickie Doo & the Don'ts) is born.

1933-Elvis' parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, are married.

1930-Electric guitarist Cliff Gallup (of Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps) is born in Norfolk, Virginia.

1910-Country singer Red Foley, known for the 1951 gospel hit "Peace in the Valley," is born Clyde Julian Foley in Blue Lick, Kentucky.

1902-Composer Sammy Fain is born Samuel E. Feinberg in New York City. Known for classic songs like "Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella," "I'll Be Seeing You," and "That Old Feeling."

1882-Composer Igor Stravinsky is born in Saint Petersburg, Russia.





Featured Events

2014-Sam Smith releases his debut album, In the Lonely Hour, in the US.

2008-With Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne becomes the first artist since 50 Cent in 2005 to sell more than 1 million copies of an album in a single week. It goes on to sell 3 million.

Shakira Lands First #1 With Hip-Shaking Single
2006-Shakira lands her first #1 hit on the Hot 100 when her single "Hips Don't Lie," featuring Wyclef Jean, reaches the top of the tally. It also breaks the record for the most-played pop song in a single week when it's aired on American radio 9,637 times.More

2000-Eighteen months after Billboard starts factoring airplay into their Hot 100 chart, "Try Again" by Aaliyah becomes the first song to hit the top spot based on airplay alone, as the song is not available for purchase as a single.

Fans Riot At Ozzfest When Ozzy Doesn't Show
1997-When Ozzy's voice gives out before the Ozzfest date in Columbus, Ohio, he doesn't appear but the show goes on without him. Fans, who aren't told until later that he won't be there, don't take the news well and trash the venue.

1994-Megadeth is kicked off their tour with Aerosmith after Dave Mustaine is heard in an interview saying that his band should be the headliners. Jackyl and 4 Non Blondes open the remaining dates on the US tour.

1994-With the United States hosting the World Cup, the opening ceremonies are held at Soldier Field in Chicago. In one of the production numbers, Diana Ross sings "I'm Coming Out" while she takes a penalty kick. She misses, but the goal splits open anyway and she runs through to complete the bit.More

1972-Grateful Dead keyboard player and founding member Ron "Pigpen" McKernan plays his last show with the band at a Hollywood Bowl concert. Health problems force him to stop touring, and he dies in March 1973 at age 27.



Key Album and Single Milestones

1971- Carole King’s album Tapestry began a record-breaking 15-week run at the top of the US album charts. The album, featuring hits like It’s Too Late, I Feel the Earth Move, and You’ve Got a Friend, became one of the best-selling albums of all time and was later added to the National Recording Registry in 2003

1976- Blondie released their debut single X Offender, marking the start of their influential New Wave career

1978-John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John’s duet You’re the One That I Want from Grease began a nine-week run at No.1 on the UK pop chart and topped charts in multiple countries

1978- Andy Gibb’s Shadow Dancing became the first of his three consecutive US No.1 singles, following I Just Want to Be Your Everything and (Love Is) Thicker Than Water

2022- Kate Bush’s 1985 single Running Up That Hill returned to the charts after featuring in Stranger Things, reaching No.1 in the UK and topping charts globally, breaking records for the longest time between No.1 singles in UK chart history



Notable Performances and Events

1967- Barbra Streisand performed A Happening in Central Park in New York City

1969- The musical revue Oh! Calcutta! opened off-Broadway at the Eden Theatre, NYC, noted for its controversial nude performances

1983- The Glastonbury Festival opened in Pilton, England, featuring UB40, Melanie, Curtis Mayfield, and other notable performers

1995- Pete Townshend’s rock musical The Who’s Tommy closed at St. James Theater, NYC, after 899 performances, winning five Tony Awards and a Grammy for the cast recording

Historical Births and Deaths

1954- Guitarist Donato “Danny” Cedrone, known for his work on Rock Around the Clock, died at age 33

1818- Composer Charles François Gounod was born

1882- Composer Igor Stravinsky was born

1902- Composer Sammy Fain was born

Other Significant Events

1965- The Beatles finished recording Paul McCartney’s Yesterday, which became one of the most covered songs in music history

1965- Elvis Presley topped the UK Singles chart with Crying in the Chapel

1972- The Rolling Stones’ album Exile on Main St. reached No.1 in the US and several other countries

1980- Bruce Springsteen released his fifth studio album The River, achieving top-five positions in eight countries

[Bikkie]

1932
Long-distance walker Esther James reaches Bluff
The Aucklander, a well-connected former model, had left Spirits Bay in the Far North on 3 December to walk the length of the country to promote New Zealand-made goods during the Depression. She had government patronage and support from the Manufacturers’ Federation.



In Music History

2024-Justin Timberlake is arrested for DWI after a night out in the village of Sag Harbor, New York. He reportedly tells the arresting officer, "This is going to ruin the tour," which quickly becomes a meme. Timberlake pleads guilty to a lesser charge of driving while impaired, and in 2026 police bodycam footage is released, showing that the arresting officer - just 23 years old - had no idea who Timberlake was.

2020-Singer Vera Lynn, who became the musical embodiment of Britain's fighting spirit during World War II, dies at 103.

2018-The 20-year-old rapper XXXTentacion (Jahseh Onfroy) is shot and killed while leaving a car dealership in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

2014-Johnny Mann - of The Johnny Mann Singers who recorded with Johnny Burnette, The Crickets, and Eddie Cochran - dies of heart failure at age 85.

2012-At a Radiohead concert in a park in Toronto, metal rigging over a stage collapses one hour before show time. Various technicians were setting up the stage equipment when the incident occurred, injuring some and killing one drum technician, Scott Johnson, who was pinned under the rubble.

2011-In Bristow, Virgina, Rascal Flatts kick off their "Flatts Fest" tour, with karaoke, carnival games, mini golf and other entertainment in the hours before the show. As a tie-in with their song "Why Wait," there's also a wedding chapel.

2011-Leslie West of Mountain has his right leg amputated below the knee at a Biloxi, Mississippi, hospital the day after performing at the Hard Rock Cafe in the city. West later says, "when I play 'Mississippi Queen' now, I think about Jesus Christ."

2011-Amy Winehouse, fresh out of rehab, shows up an hour late for a concert in Belgrade, Serbia, stumbles around on stage and can barely sing. The rest of the tour is cancelled.

2009-Hindustani classical musician Ali Akbar Khan dies at age 87 from renal failure.

2007-Doo-wop singer Hank Medress (of The Tokens) dies of lung cancer at age 68.

2002-Billy Joel checks into an alcohol rehabilitation center in Connecticut for a ten-day stay.

The Experience Music Project Opens In Seattle
2000
The Experience Music Project, a museum including permanent exhibitions on Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana, opens in Seattle.

1995-Louise Dean (singer for Shiva) dies in a hit-and-run accident at age 24. Shiva's single "Freedom" peaks at #18 on the UK charts shortly after.

1993-Lollapalooza 1993 kicks off at Thunderbird Stadium, in Vancouver, BC. The main stage acts include the headliner, Primus, as well as Alice in Chains, Dinosaur Jr., Fishbone, Arrested Development, Front 242, Babes in Toyland (first half), Tool (second half), and Rage Against the Machine.

1992-Peter Allen, best remembered for his 1972 hit, "I Still Call Australia Home," which soon made its way into commercials for Qantas Airlines, dies at his home in Sydney, struck down with an AIDS-related throat cancer. He was 48 years old.

1988-Josh Dun, the drummer in the duo Twenty One Pilots, is born in Columbus, Ohio. Known for his unorthodox patterns, he's laconic off the stage but lets loose when performing, often going shirtless and doing backflips.

1987-Bruce Springsteen separates from his wife, actress Julianne Phillips.

1985-Weird Al Yankovic's Dare To Be Stupid, featuring the Devo-inspired title track, makes history as the first album of comedic music ever released on compact disc.

1977-Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, the bass player and drummer (respectively) of Talking Heads, get married. It sticks, and in 2002 they become the first married couple inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when the band is inducted.

1976-ABBA perform for Sweden's king on the eve of his wedding.

1976-Blake Shelton is born in Ada, Oklahoma.

1975-Rapper Silkk The Shocker, brother of Master P, is born Vyshonne King Miller in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1974-Rare Earth's drummer Peter Hoorelbeke is arrested after tossing his drumsticks into a concert crowd.

1971-Nathan Morris (of Boyz II Men) is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1963-Darren "Dizzy" Reed (keyboardist of Guns N' Roses) is born in Hinsdale, Illinois.

1961-Alison Moyet is born Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet in Billericay, Essex, England. After singing in blues bands, she teams with Vince Clarke to form Yazoo, which has hits with "Only You" and "Situation." In 1984 she puts out her first solo album, Alf, which goes to #1 in the UK.

1961-Would-be riders of the Hudson Belle, a popular excursion boat that travels up and down the Hudson River, break into a stampede after learning that some of them are holding fraudulent tickets. The next day, a young Bob Dylan hears about the story and writes "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues."

1944-Pop singer Sandy Posey, known for the 1966 hit "Single Girl," is born in Jasper, Alabama.

1942-Carl Radle (bass player for Derek and the Dominos) is born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

1942-Paul McCartney is born James Paul McCartney in Allerton, Liverpool, England. McCartney's father and great-grandfather also were named James, although his dad was informally known as Jim. When Paul's father was younger, he'd led a local jazz band, and could play piano and the trumpet. Jim McCartney passed down his love for music to his son.





Featured Events

2011-Clarence Clemons, saxophone player in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, dies at age 69 after suffering a stroke. He is replaced in the band by his nephew, Jake Clemons.

Kazaa User Found Guilty In Landmark Music Sharing Case
2009-Jammie Thomas-Rasset, a 32-year-old woman from Minnesota, is found guilty of illegal sharing of music files via the Internet and is ordered to pay $1.92 million, $80,000 per song.More

2006-Paul McCartney turns 64. He's older, but doesn't seem to be losing his hair. McCartney started writing "When I'm 64" when he was 15.

1999-A judge dismisses a case brought against Prince in 1994 claiming he stole the idea for his symbol-shaped guitar. In the opinion, the judge writes: "Defendant may as well have had this protracted litigation in mind when he lyrically asked: 'Why do we scream at each other. This is what it sounds like. When doves cry.'"

1978-Grace Slick takes the stage with Jefferson Starship at the Lorelei Festival in Hamburg, Germany, in a state of drunkenness. After she taunts the crowd with comments about Nazis and World War II, the crowd riots, destroying much of their equipment. Slick does not return to the band until 1983.

1977-Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" goes to #1 on the Hot 100, the group's only song to top that chart.



Key Historical Events

1821- Carl Maria von Weber's opera Der Freischutz premiered at the Schauspielhaus in Berlin, marking a significant moment in early Romantic opera history

1948-Columbia Records introduced the 33⅓ RPM vinyl LP, revolutionizing music consumption by allowing entire albums on a single disc. The first release was Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in e minor, conducted by Bruno Walter

1967- The Monterey International Pop Festival concluded in California, featuring the first major U.S. appearances of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, and Otis Redding

1976- ABBA performed Dancing Queen for Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and his future wife Silvia Sommerlath during a royal celebration

1977- Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, their only chart-topping single in the U.S., while The Beatles’ live album The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl also hit No.1 in the UK

1978- President Jimmy Carter hosted the first White House Jazz Festival, featuring jazz legends like Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, and McCoy Tyner

1982- The Glastonbury Festival opened in Pilton, England, headlined by Van Morrison and Jackson Browne, with performances by Osibisa, Steel Pulse, and Thompson Twins

1991- Bryan Adams released the single "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", which became Billboard’s Song of the Year

2010- Eminem released his seventh studio album Recovery, which became the best-selling album worldwide that year



Notable Births and Deaths

1757- Composer Ignaz Joseph Pleyel was born

1905- Composer Eduard Tubin was born

1992- Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen passed away at age 48

Recent notable deaths: Vera Lynn, the iconic "Forces' Sweetheart," died at 103, and Jamaican guitarist Hux Brown passed away at 75



Other Highlights1993- The traveling music festival Lollapalooza opened, featuring acts like Alice in Chains, Tool, and Rage Against the Machine

1985- Weird Al Yankovic released his comedy album Dare to Be Stupid, including parodies like Eat It and Like a Surgeon

1988- Timelords’ novelty song Doctorin’ the Tardis topped the UK charts, while Rick Astley’s Together Forever reached No.1 in the U.S.

1996- Beck released his fourth album Odelay, a landmark in alternative music