This Week in Pop Culture History
September 24 - September 30
September 24
“60 Minutes,” the oldest and longest-running newsmagazine on primetime television, debuted on September 24, 1968, on CBS. The show, created by TV news producer Don Hewitt (who helmed it until 2004), stood out from other news programs of its time because of its unique style of reporter-centered investigation. It’s the only news program to be the most-watched show on TV, a feat it’s accomplished on five occasions. In 2003, TV Guide named “60 Minutes” the sixth greatest show in TV history.
September 25
One of the most outstanding, highlight reel basketball plays in the history of the sport happened at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia on September 25, 2000, in a game between the United States and France when Team USA guard Vince Carter (star of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors at the time) jumped over 7-foot 2-inch French center Frederic Weis in what would become known in France as “le dunk de la mort” (the dunk of death!). The play was the definition of the term “posterized” and would propel the Americans to a 106-94 win over France in the preliminary round of the tournament. The two teams would match up again in the Gold Medal game on October 1, 2000, which the U.S.A. would win 85-75. Weis had been drafted in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks but would never play a game in the league – perhaps too scared to be posterized by Carter and his ilk on a nightly basis?
“60 Minutes,” the oldest and longest-running newsmagazine on primetime television, debuted on September 24, 1968, on CBS. The show, created by TV news producer Don Hewitt (who helmed it until 2004), stood out from other news programs of its time because of its unique style of reporter-centered investigation. It’s the only news program to be the most-watched show on TV, a feat it’s accomplished on five occasions. In 2003, TV Guide named “60 Minutes” the sixth greatest show in TV history.
September 25
One of the most outstanding, highlight reel basketball plays in the history of the sport happened at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia on September 25, 2000, in a game between the United States and France when Team USA guard Vince Carter (star of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors at the time) jumped over 7-foot 2-inch French center Frederic Weis in what would become known in France as “le dunk de la mort” (the dunk of death!). The play was the definition of the term “posterized” and would propel the Americans to a 106-94 win over France in the preliminary round of the tournament. The two teams would match up again in the Gold Medal game on October 1, 2000, which the U.S.A. would win 85-75. Weis had been drafted in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks but would never play a game in the league – perhaps too scared to be posterized by Carter and his ilk on a nightly basis?
September 26
In one of the most competitive and heated Ryder Cup matches in the history of the golf tournament between the United States and Europe, the U.S.A. squad conducted a huge comeback on the final day of the tournament after trailing 10-6 heading into the singles matches on September 26, 1999, at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. The U.S. would come out hot and take the lead by winning the first six matches of the singles round with Tom Lehman, Hal Sutton, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Tiger Woods and David Duval all coming out victorious. The event o would come down to the match between Jose Maria Olazabal for Team Europe and Justin Leonard for Team USA with Leonard coming back from being down by four holes with just seven to play to halve the match and secure the half-point the U.S.A. needed to win. The crowd went into a frenzy and its reactions, as well as the reactions of the U.S.A. players and family members, as well as an NBC cameraman covering the event stepping in Olazabal’s putt line, were heavily criticized by many, especially in Europe, and seen as a breach of golfing etiquette.
September 27
Phil Spector, one of the most legendary and important producers in the history of pop music, was indicted by a jury for the February 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson at his estate in Alhambra, Calif. on September 27, 2004. Spector’s creation of the “Wall of Sound,” a production style geared to exploit the possibilities of studio recording to create an unusually dense orchestral aesthetic that would come across well on radios and jukeboxes, revolutionized modern pop music and would inspire artists and records for decades to come. Despite being a music visionary, Spector was abusive and experienced bouts of rage that may have been aided by mental illness. This culminated with the murder of Clarkson on February 3, 2003. Spector’s murder trial wouldn’t begin until March of 2007 and would be declared a mistrial on September 26 of that year because of a hung jury. Spector’s retrial began on October 20, 2008, and on April 13, 2009, the jury found Spector guilty of murder. Spector would be sentenced to 19 years to life in prison. He died at 81 on January 16, 2021, from complications of COVID-19.
September 28
Boston Red Sox all-star slugger Ted Williams ended the Major League Baseball season with a .406 batting average on September 28, 1941, making him the last player in MLB history (to this date) to hit .400 or higher in a season. Williams had finished September 27 with a batting average of .3995, which would’ve been rounded up to .400, but despite having a doubleheader scheduled against the Philadelphia Athletics on the final day of the season Williams opted to play in both games. He went 6-for-8 in those games upping that average to the final .406. He was the first .400 hitter in a season since Bill Terry in 1931. Despite leading the league in average, home runs, runs scored, walks, on-base percentage slugging percentage lost the American League Most Valuable Player award to the lovable Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees.
September 29
New York Giants all-star center fielder Willie Mays makes what’s often considered the greatest catch in the history of Major League Baseball in game one of the World Series on September 29, 1954, when he makes a running, over-the-shoulder snag on an estimated 420-foot (yes, the dimensions at the Polo Grounds were ludicrous!) blast by Cleveland Indians first baseman Vic Wertz. Some estimate Wertz’s drive may have been as far as 460 feet when Mays made the play that would become simply known as, “The Catch.” The hit would’ve been a home run in most ballparks even at that time, which would’ve given Cleveland a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning. The Giants would go on to win game one of the series 5-2 in extra innings. Wertz had four hits in the game for Cleveland, despite his furthest drive being his only out. The Giants would win the World Series in a four-game sweep.
September 30
James Dean, already an American acting star and cultural icon at just 24, is killed in a car crash in Cholame, Calif. on September 30, 1955. Dean had just acquired a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, known as “Little Bastard,” for his racing passion and was encouraged to drive it from Los Angeles to Salinas, Calif. to break it in before an upcoming race in Salinas. At approximately 5:45 p.m. on September 30, Dean was driving westbound on U.S. Route 466 near Cholame when a 23-year-old driving a 1950 Ford Tudor traveling east made a left turn onto Highway 41 headed north ahead of the upcoming Porsche driven by Dean. Unable to stop in time, Dean slammed into the side of the Ford, sending his Porsche across the pavement onto the side of the road. Dean’s passenger, a mechanic Rolf Wutherich, was thrown from the vehicle suffering jaw, hip and femur injuries. Dean had suffered a broken neck on impact and likely died instantaneously. Later findings show he had not been speeding at the time of the accident. At the time of his death, Dean had only had one film starring role in director Elia Kazan’s “East of Eden.” His second film “Rebel without a Cause” would be released less than a month after his death. His third and final starring role would be in “Giant,” released in 1956. He was posthumously nominated for an Oscar for his performance in “East of Eden.”
September 17 - September 23
September 17
The Doors made their first and only appearance on the popular variety series “The Ed Sullivan Show” on September 17, 1967, to perform their hit “Light My Fire.” Shortly before airtime, a producer for the show approached the band and informed them they would need to change a lyric in their song from: “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher” to “Girl, we couldn’t get much better” fearing that the original line might be construed as a reference to drugs. Instead of making the lyric change, The Door frontman Jim Morrison sang the original line. According to edsullivan.com, the show’s producers told the band: “Mr. Sullivan wanted you for six more shows, but you’ll never work ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ again.” Morrison reportedly replied: “Hey, man. We just did the Sullivan show.”
The Doors made their first and only appearance on the popular variety series “The Ed Sullivan Show” on September 17, 1967, to perform their hit “Light My Fire.” Shortly before airtime, a producer for the show approached the band and informed them they would need to change a lyric in their song from: “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher” to “Girl, we couldn’t get much better” fearing that the original line might be construed as a reference to drugs. Instead of making the lyric change, The Door frontman Jim Morrison sang the original line. According to edsullivan.com, the show’s producers told the band: “Mr. Sullivan wanted you for six more shows, but you’ll never work ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ again.” Morrison reportedly replied: “Hey, man. We just did the Sullivan show.”
September 18
Jimi Hendrix was found unresponsive in his girlfriend Monika Dannemann’s apartment at the Samarkand Hotel in London on the morning of September 18, 1970. Hendrix was taken to a local hospital where attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at age 27 at 12:45 p.m. The post-mortem examination concluded Hendrix aspirated on his own vomit and died of asphyxia due to barbiturate and alcohol intoxication. Hendrix was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. His legacy as one of the most talented electric guitarists in pop and rock music remains and Rolling Stone magazine has ranked him as the greatest guitarist of all time.
September 19
“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” premiered on CBS on September 19, 1970, starring Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards, a single woman who moves to Minneapolis, Minn. to become associate producer of the local 6 p.m. news. The show, created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns, is considered an important moment in the era of feminism with a central female character neither married nor dependent on a man for her success, a rarity for American television at the time. The series would win 29 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series three consecutive years (1975-1977). Moore would win four Emmys for her performance in the series. Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Ted Knight, Cloris Leachman and Betty White would also win Emmys for their performances on the show.
September 20
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” a spinoff of the popular Dick Wolf-produced crime procedural “Law & Order,” premiered on NBC on September 20, 1999. The series followed the style of the original loosely basing some of its storylines off real crimes that received media attention but with ‘SVU’ focused on sexually-based offenses. The series featured Olivia Benson and Christopher Meloni in the lead roles as detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler. When the series began its 21st season in 2019 it surpassed “Gunsmoke” (1955-1975) as the longest-running primetime drama series in television history. As of this writing, ‘SVU’ has aired 24 seasons and 538 episodes.
September 21
“Monday Night Football,” the creation of ABC Sports President Roone Arledge, debuted on September 21, 1970, with a game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, which the Browns won 31-21. It wouldn’t take long for ‘MNF’ to become a pop culture phenomenon bringing the action of the NFL to primetime with the flamboyant and contentious broadcasting booth of Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith with Cosell and Meredith often bumping heads. In 2006, ‘MNF’ moved from ABC to ESPN, where it still airs to this day. Now in its 54th season, ‘MNF’ has broadcast more than 700 NFL games.
September 22
Billy Porter became the first openly gay actor to win a Primetime Emmy Award for lead actors in a drama series when he won for the FX series “Pose” on September 22, 2019. Porter played “Pray” Tell, emcee of the ball culture, an LGBTQ subculture in the African-American and Latino communities of New York City in the ‘80s.
September 23
With the Detroit Tigers' 100th win of the Major League Baseball season on September 23, 1984, Tigers manager Sparky Anderson became the first baseball manager to win 100 games in a season in both the American and National Leagues. Anderson led the Cincinnati Reds to three 100-win seasons in the ‘70s, including back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and 1976. He would lead the Tigers to the World Series title in ’84 with a 104-58 record in the regular season. This feat would also make him the first manager in baseball history to win titles in both leagues (Tony La Russa has been the only manager to do it since). Anderson’s 2,194 wins are the sixth most in MLB history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
September 10 - September 16
September 10
Nirvana released the single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on September 10, 1991, forever changing the popular music world by bringing a whole new meaning to “alternative” and adding a new word to the musical lexicon, “grunge.” The Seattle-based band featured Kurt Cobain on vocals and guitar, Krist Novoselic on bass and Dave Grohl on drums. The band released an independent debut album Bleach in 1989 but after signing to the label DGC Records in 1991 they had an unexpected mainstream hit with “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” a song described as an anthem for the apathy of Generation X. The success of the single helped Nirvana’s second album Nevermind become a smash.
September 11
Ty Cobb’s Major League Baseball record for most career hits with 4,191 (although that number has shrunk by three since 1985 due to corrected errors) seemed like one of the potentially unbreakable baseball records. Hank Aaron had come the closest but he retired more than 400 hits shy of Cobb’s record. However, on September 10, 1985, Cincinnati Reds player-manager Pete Rose would become the game’s new “Hit King” with career hit number 4,190, a single to left-center field at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium off San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Show. Rose would finish his career following the 1986 season with 4,256 hits.
September 12
The music world was saddened by the death of Johnny Cash, one of the few country music artists able to appeal across genres, from complications of diabetes at age 71 on September 11, 2003. Cash’s death came less than four months after the death of his wife June Carter Cash at age 73 in mid-May. His death also came midst another late-career resurgence thanks to his fantastic cover of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt” and the devastatingly emotional music video, which was a hit both on CMT and MTV, on his 2022 album American IV: The Man Comes Around. Cash had been inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the most influential musicians of all time.
September 13
When Taylor Swift won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video for “You Belong with Me” she was interrupted mid-acceptance speech by hip-hop star Kanye West who walked upon the stage, took the microphone from Swift and exclaimed that Beyonce had been robbed of the honor for her video “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It). West exclaimed: “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!” Swift looked shocked on stage as the live audience booed West’s interruption. West handed the mic back to Swift, flipped the middle finger to the audience and walked off stage. Later in the telecast when Beyonce won Video of the Year for ‘Single Ladies’ she invited Swift back to the stage to finish her speech. West was condemned for his antics as high as the oval office with President Barack Obama notably calling him a “jackass.” It wouldn’t be the last time West would interrupt a live acceptance speech at an award show in favor of Beyonce, as he would do so again at the 2015 Grammy Awards when Beck’s Morning Phase won Album of the Year over Beyonce’s self-titled album.
September 14
Madonna stole the spotlight at the first-ever MTV Video Music Awards ceremony on September 14, 1984, with a performance of her hit “Like a Virgin” in a white wedding gown while writhing on the floor of the stage for a portion of it. The Cars may have won the first ever Video of the Year honor for “You Might Think” and Herbie Hancock and Michael Jackson won five and three awards respectively, but it was the performance by Madonna that left the audience both watching in the auditorium and from home breathless. It was the moment that marked she would be a superstar.
September 15
The National Hockey League’s all-time leading goal scorer at the time with 544 career goals, Maurice Richard would announce his retirement from the league on September 15, 1960. Richard, who played his entire career (1942-1960) with the Montreal Canadiens, had been the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1947, played in 13 NHL All-Star Games and became the first player in the league to score 50 goals in a season in the 1944-45 season. Richard won eight Stanley Cup championships with the Canadiens, including a record five straight from 1956-1960. Upon his retirement, the Canadiens retired his No. 9 jersey and he would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame one year later in 1961. Richard would die at age 78 on May 27, 2000.
September 16
“Frasier,” a spinoff of the hit NBC sitcom “Cheers” featuring the character of Frasier Crane as played by Kelsey Grammer, premiered on NBC on September 16, 1993. The series sees Frasier return to his hometown of Seattle from Boston to begin a career as a radio psychiatrist and reconnect with his father Martin (John Mahoney), a retired police officer, and his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce), a fellow psychiatrist. The series would go on to win a record 37 Primetime Emmy Awards for a comedy series, including Outstanding Comedy Series a record five-straight years from 1994-1998. This award tally would make “Frasier” the most successful spinoff in television history. It ran for 11 seasons before coming to an end in 2004.
Nirvana released the single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on September 10, 1991, forever changing the popular music world by bringing a whole new meaning to “alternative” and adding a new word to the musical lexicon, “grunge.” The Seattle-based band featured Kurt Cobain on vocals and guitar, Krist Novoselic on bass and Dave Grohl on drums. The band released an independent debut album Bleach in 1989 but after signing to the label DGC Records in 1991 they had an unexpected mainstream hit with “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” a song described as an anthem for the apathy of Generation X. The success of the single helped Nirvana’s second album Nevermind become a smash.
September 11
Ty Cobb’s Major League Baseball record for most career hits with 4,191 (although that number has shrunk by three since 1985 due to corrected errors) seemed like one of the potentially unbreakable baseball records. Hank Aaron had come the closest but he retired more than 400 hits shy of Cobb’s record. However, on September 10, 1985, Cincinnati Reds player-manager Pete Rose would become the game’s new “Hit King” with career hit number 4,190, a single to left-center field at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium off San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Show. Rose would finish his career following the 1986 season with 4,256 hits.
September 12
The music world was saddened by the death of Johnny Cash, one of the few country music artists able to appeal across genres, from complications of diabetes at age 71 on September 11, 2003. Cash’s death came less than four months after the death of his wife June Carter Cash at age 73 in mid-May. His death also came midst another late-career resurgence thanks to his fantastic cover of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt” and the devastatingly emotional music video, which was a hit both on CMT and MTV, on his 2022 album American IV: The Man Comes Around. Cash had been inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the most influential musicians of all time.
September 13
When Taylor Swift won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video for “You Belong with Me” she was interrupted mid-acceptance speech by hip-hop star Kanye West who walked upon the stage, took the microphone from Swift and exclaimed that Beyonce had been robbed of the honor for her video “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It). West exclaimed: “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!” Swift looked shocked on stage as the live audience booed West’s interruption. West handed the mic back to Swift, flipped the middle finger to the audience and walked off stage. Later in the telecast when Beyonce won Video of the Year for ‘Single Ladies’ she invited Swift back to the stage to finish her speech. West was condemned for his antics as high as the oval office with President Barack Obama notably calling him a “jackass.” It wouldn’t be the last time West would interrupt a live acceptance speech at an award show in favor of Beyonce, as he would do so again at the 2015 Grammy Awards when Beck’s Morning Phase won Album of the Year over Beyonce’s self-titled album.
September 14
Madonna stole the spotlight at the first-ever MTV Video Music Awards ceremony on September 14, 1984, with a performance of her hit “Like a Virgin” in a white wedding gown while writhing on the floor of the stage for a portion of it. The Cars may have won the first ever Video of the Year honor for “You Might Think” and Herbie Hancock and Michael Jackson won five and three awards respectively, but it was the performance by Madonna that left the audience both watching in the auditorium and from home breathless. It was the moment that marked she would be a superstar.
September 15
The National Hockey League’s all-time leading goal scorer at the time with 544 career goals, Maurice Richard would announce his retirement from the league on September 15, 1960. Richard, who played his entire career (1942-1960) with the Montreal Canadiens, had been the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1947, played in 13 NHL All-Star Games and became the first player in the league to score 50 goals in a season in the 1944-45 season. Richard won eight Stanley Cup championships with the Canadiens, including a record five straight from 1956-1960. Upon his retirement, the Canadiens retired his No. 9 jersey and he would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame one year later in 1961. Richard would die at age 78 on May 27, 2000.
September 16
“Frasier,” a spinoff of the hit NBC sitcom “Cheers” featuring the character of Frasier Crane as played by Kelsey Grammer, premiered on NBC on September 16, 1993. The series sees Frasier return to his hometown of Seattle from Boston to begin a career as a radio psychiatrist and reconnect with his father Martin (John Mahoney), a retired police officer, and his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce), a fellow psychiatrist. The series would go on to win a record 37 Primetime Emmy Awards for a comedy series, including Outstanding Comedy Series a record five-straight years from 1994-1998. This award tally would make “Frasier” the most successful spinoff in television history. It ran for 11 seasons before coming to an end in 2004.
September 3 - September 9
September 3
The inaugural competition of the United States National Championship of men’s tennis wraps up at the Newport Casino in Newport, R.I. on September 3, 1881, when Richard Sears of Boston defeats William E. Glyn of England 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 to be crowned the first-ever champion of the U.S. Open. Only United States National Lawn Tennis Association members were eligible to participate in the first U.S. Open, which included 24 players in the men’s singles tournament. Sears would go on to win the first seven U.S. Open tournaments before retiring on top of the game. The U.S. Open is the second oldest tennis major with Wimbledon having begun in 1877, though there have been more U.S. Open tournaments due to Wimbledon having to be canceled because of World War I, World War II and the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
September 4
Kelly Clarkson was crowned as the first “American Idol” champion on the Fox reality singing competition program when fans across America dialed her in as the winner over Justin Guarini on September 4, 2002. Clarkson would go on to be one of the most successful “American Idol” winners with over 25 million albums sold worldwide to this date, three No. 1 singles (including her ‘Idol’ winning song “A Moment Like This”) and three Grammy Awards, which included becoming the first solo female to win Best Pop Vocal Album twice. She’s also gone on to a successful second career as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime talk show “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” which has seen her win three consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host.
September 5
In the darkest moment in modern Olympic history, 11 Israeli athletes were taken hostage and later killed by the Palestinian Black September terrorist group at the Munich Summer Games on September 5, 1972. Eight Black September members infiltrated the Olympic Village where the athletes of all countries were staying, broke into the building housing the Israeli Olympic athletes, killed two members on site and then held nine others hostage. The terrorist group demanded the release of 234 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails. The German officials concocted a plan to rescue the nine hostages at a military airport some 15 miles from the Olympic Village under the guise of letting the terrorist fly to safety in Cairo, Egypt. The German authorities failed miserably in their rescue attempt and by 12:04 a.m., nearly 20 hours after the Black September attack had begun, all nine Israeli hostages had been murdered. All in all, 17 people died from the beginning to the end of the attack: six Israeli coaches or officials (Moshe Weinberg, Yakov Springer, Yossef Gutfreund, Kehat Shorr, Andre Spitzer and Amitzur Shapira), five Israeli athletes (Yossef Romano, Ze’ev Friedman, David Berger, Eliezer Halfin and Mark Slavin), one West Germany police officer and five of the eight Black September terrorists. ABC’s Jim McKay, lead host for the American broadcast of the games, covered the event for 14 hours without a break and was the first to break the news to American audiences: “When I was a kid my father used to say, ‘Our greatest hopes and our worst fear are seldom realized.’ Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They have now said there were 11 hostages; two were killed in their room yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight. They’re all gone.” Willi Daume, president of the Munich organizing committee for the games, initially sought to cancel the remainder of the games which were in their second and final week. International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage stated: “The Games must go on, and we must continue our efforts to keep them clean, pure and honest.” The decision was endorsed by the Israeli government. A few nations and athletes backed out of the games in sympathy with the fallen Israelis.
September 6
Elton John performed a reworked version of his 1973 classic “Candle in the Wind” paying tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales at her funeral in Westminster Abbey in London on September 6, 1997. Princess Diana had died in a car accident on August 31. It would be the only time Elton John would perform the “Candle in the Wind 1997” (also known as “Goodbye England’s Rose”) version live. Elton John had asked his lyricist Bernie Taupin to help rework their tribute to the late actress Marilyn Monroe into one for Princess Diana after being contacted by business magnate Richard Branson to do so; Elton John believed Branson had been contacted by the Spencer (Diana’s) Family. Elton John recorded the single at Townhouse Studios in London immediately after the funeral. The song was released as a single on September 13 with proceeds going to Princess Diana’s charities. The song would go to No. 1 in the U.K., U.S. and many other countries. It would win Elton John a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards.
September 7
The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) premiered on September 7, 1979. The 24/7 sports programming cable network was founded by Bill Rasmussen, Scott Rasmussen and Ed Eagan and debuted with an episode of “SportsCenter,” which would go on to become its longest-running and still active sports news program, co-hosted by George Grande and Lee Leonard. The network, headquartered in tiny Bristol, Conn., was broadcast to 1.4 million cable subscribers on day one. The network would grow over the years with marquee events like the early rounds of the NCAA Division I men’s college basketball tournament and the NFL Draft but in its early years would broadcast anything and everything that could be classified as sport. The network would truly turn into a sports broadcasting juggernaut in the ‘90s and has never turned back.
September 8
Director Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic “Psycho” premiered nationwide on September 8, 1960, shocking the world with its subject matter, which included the death of its lead actress midway through the film. “Psycho” starred Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, a bank secretary who absconds with $40,000 and flees Los Angeles before arriving late at night at the Bates Motel, run by a peculiar man named Norman Bates (played by Anthony Perkins). Things get a bit, well psychotic, from that point. “Psycho” was a marketing sensation with Hitchcock having theaters refuse admittance to anybody after the film began so as to not ruin the surprise. “Psycho” was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Director for Hitchcock and Best Actress for Leigh.
September 9
iTunes users across the United States were irate to find out they had music by Irish rockers U2 on their phones on September 9, 2014, when the band’s latest album Songs of Innocence popped up in their music libraries for free but without seeking permission. The album automatically uploaded to 500 million iTunes users many of whom were confused by the addition, while others were perturbed by the audacity of both the band and Apple.
The inaugural competition of the United States National Championship of men’s tennis wraps up at the Newport Casino in Newport, R.I. on September 3, 1881, when Richard Sears of Boston defeats William E. Glyn of England 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 to be crowned the first-ever champion of the U.S. Open. Only United States National Lawn Tennis Association members were eligible to participate in the first U.S. Open, which included 24 players in the men’s singles tournament. Sears would go on to win the first seven U.S. Open tournaments before retiring on top of the game. The U.S. Open is the second oldest tennis major with Wimbledon having begun in 1877, though there have been more U.S. Open tournaments due to Wimbledon having to be canceled because of World War I, World War II and the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
September 4
Kelly Clarkson was crowned as the first “American Idol” champion on the Fox reality singing competition program when fans across America dialed her in as the winner over Justin Guarini on September 4, 2002. Clarkson would go on to be one of the most successful “American Idol” winners with over 25 million albums sold worldwide to this date, three No. 1 singles (including her ‘Idol’ winning song “A Moment Like This”) and three Grammy Awards, which included becoming the first solo female to win Best Pop Vocal Album twice. She’s also gone on to a successful second career as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime talk show “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” which has seen her win three consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host.
September 5
In the darkest moment in modern Olympic history, 11 Israeli athletes were taken hostage and later killed by the Palestinian Black September terrorist group at the Munich Summer Games on September 5, 1972. Eight Black September members infiltrated the Olympic Village where the athletes of all countries were staying, broke into the building housing the Israeli Olympic athletes, killed two members on site and then held nine others hostage. The terrorist group demanded the release of 234 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails. The German officials concocted a plan to rescue the nine hostages at a military airport some 15 miles from the Olympic Village under the guise of letting the terrorist fly to safety in Cairo, Egypt. The German authorities failed miserably in their rescue attempt and by 12:04 a.m., nearly 20 hours after the Black September attack had begun, all nine Israeli hostages had been murdered. All in all, 17 people died from the beginning to the end of the attack: six Israeli coaches or officials (Moshe Weinberg, Yakov Springer, Yossef Gutfreund, Kehat Shorr, Andre Spitzer and Amitzur Shapira), five Israeli athletes (Yossef Romano, Ze’ev Friedman, David Berger, Eliezer Halfin and Mark Slavin), one West Germany police officer and five of the eight Black September terrorists. ABC’s Jim McKay, lead host for the American broadcast of the games, covered the event for 14 hours without a break and was the first to break the news to American audiences: “When I was a kid my father used to say, ‘Our greatest hopes and our worst fear are seldom realized.’ Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They have now said there were 11 hostages; two were killed in their room yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight. They’re all gone.” Willi Daume, president of the Munich organizing committee for the games, initially sought to cancel the remainder of the games which were in their second and final week. International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage stated: “The Games must go on, and we must continue our efforts to keep them clean, pure and honest.” The decision was endorsed by the Israeli government. A few nations and athletes backed out of the games in sympathy with the fallen Israelis.
September 6
Elton John performed a reworked version of his 1973 classic “Candle in the Wind” paying tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales at her funeral in Westminster Abbey in London on September 6, 1997. Princess Diana had died in a car accident on August 31. It would be the only time Elton John would perform the “Candle in the Wind 1997” (also known as “Goodbye England’s Rose”) version live. Elton John had asked his lyricist Bernie Taupin to help rework their tribute to the late actress Marilyn Monroe into one for Princess Diana after being contacted by business magnate Richard Branson to do so; Elton John believed Branson had been contacted by the Spencer (Diana’s) Family. Elton John recorded the single at Townhouse Studios in London immediately after the funeral. The song was released as a single on September 13 with proceeds going to Princess Diana’s charities. The song would go to No. 1 in the U.K., U.S. and many other countries. It would win Elton John a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards.
September 7
The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) premiered on September 7, 1979. The 24/7 sports programming cable network was founded by Bill Rasmussen, Scott Rasmussen and Ed Eagan and debuted with an episode of “SportsCenter,” which would go on to become its longest-running and still active sports news program, co-hosted by George Grande and Lee Leonard. The network, headquartered in tiny Bristol, Conn., was broadcast to 1.4 million cable subscribers on day one. The network would grow over the years with marquee events like the early rounds of the NCAA Division I men’s college basketball tournament and the NFL Draft but in its early years would broadcast anything and everything that could be classified as sport. The network would truly turn into a sports broadcasting juggernaut in the ‘90s and has never turned back.
September 8
Director Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic “Psycho” premiered nationwide on September 8, 1960, shocking the world with its subject matter, which included the death of its lead actress midway through the film. “Psycho” starred Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, a bank secretary who absconds with $40,000 and flees Los Angeles before arriving late at night at the Bates Motel, run by a peculiar man named Norman Bates (played by Anthony Perkins). Things get a bit, well psychotic, from that point. “Psycho” was a marketing sensation with Hitchcock having theaters refuse admittance to anybody after the film began so as to not ruin the surprise. “Psycho” was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Director for Hitchcock and Best Actress for Leigh.
September 9
iTunes users across the United States were irate to find out they had music by Irish rockers U2 on their phones on September 9, 2014, when the band’s latest album Songs of Innocence popped up in their music libraries for free but without seeking permission. The album automatically uploaded to 500 million iTunes users many of whom were confused by the addition, while others were perturbed by the audacity of both the band and Apple.
August 27 - September 2
August 27
Walt Disney’s live-action musical “Mary Poppins,” starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, premieres nationwide on August 27, 1964. It’s the first film role for Andrews who was already a star on Broadway and would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for the performance. “Mary Poppins” would win five Oscars in total, including the coveted Best Picture honor.
August 28
In one of the most memorable moments in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera share a kiss during the opening performance of the show while performing a medley of “Like a Virgin” and “Hollywood” on August 28, 2003, which the director of the telecast nearly misses because they’re more interested in Justin Timberlake’s reaction to it from the audience.
August 29
The series finale of ABC’s crime drama “The Fugitive” airs on August 29, 1967, drawing 78 million viewers making it the most-watched episode of television at the time (it’s only since been passed by the “M*A*S*H” series finale and the “Who Done It” episode of “Dallas”). The 78 million viewers tuned in to see if Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) would finally seek justice for the murder of his wife.
August 30
The inaugural season of the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) wraps up on August 30, 1997, with the Houston Comets defeating the New York Liberty for the first-ever WNBA championship. The Comets, led by future Pro Basketball Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson, defeated the Liberty 65-51 in the title game behind Cooper’s 25 points. Cooper was named the Finals MVP and had been named the league’s first MVP earlier in the week. The Comets would win championships in the first four WNBA seasons becoming the league’s first dynasty. The franchise would fold in 2008.
August 31
In one of the most “minor-league” moments in the history of minor-league baseball, Williamsport Bills catcher Dave Bresnahan attempted to lure an opposing baserunner off of third base using a potato he had carved to look like a baseball on August 31, 1987. During the fifth inning of a game against the Reading Phillies in the final weekend of the AA-Eastern League season, Bresnahan, who had stashed the potato in his backup catcher’s mitt in the dugout, informed the umpire he needed to switch mitts. He returned with the potato and when the pitch was made, Bresnahan threw the spud into left field over his third baseman’s head to entice Rick Lundblade, the baserunner, to break for home, where he was tagged out with the real baseball. When the umpires realized the “ball” thrown into left field was a potato they ruled Lundblade safe – Bresnahan thought they would just send him back to third base and eject him from the ballgame. Bresnahan was removed from the game immediately by his manager Orlando Gomez, who also fined him $50. He was released from the organization the following day – he had known before trying to pull off “The Great Potato Incident” that he was probably done with professional baseball anyway. Bresnahan went on to become a successful real estate mogul in Arizona.
September 1
The Pittsburgh Pirates became the first franchise in Major League Baseball to start an entire lineup of players of color on September 1, 1971, in a 10-7 win against the Philadelphia Phillies. Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh penciled in a lineup of Rennie Stennett, Gene Clines, Roberto Clemente (future Hall of Famer), Willie Stargell (future Hall of Famer), Manny Sanguillen, Dave Cash, Al Oliver, Jackie Hernandez and Dock Ellis on that day. Murtaugh said of his lineup: “When it comes to making out the lineup I’m colorblind and my athletes know it.” The Pirates would dominate the National League in 1971 and would go on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series at the season’s end.
September 2
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had been established in 1983 and had been inducting artists since 1986 but hadn’t had a physical location until opening a building designed by architect I.M. Pei in Cleveland, Ohio on September 2, 1995, with a star-studded opening ceremony performance that included then and future Hall of Famers like Bob Dylan, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Al Green, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen and more.
Walt Disney’s live-action musical “Mary Poppins,” starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, premieres nationwide on August 27, 1964. It’s the first film role for Andrews who was already a star on Broadway and would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for the performance. “Mary Poppins” would win five Oscars in total, including the coveted Best Picture honor.
August 28
In one of the most memorable moments in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera share a kiss during the opening performance of the show while performing a medley of “Like a Virgin” and “Hollywood” on August 28, 2003, which the director of the telecast nearly misses because they’re more interested in Justin Timberlake’s reaction to it from the audience.
August 29
The series finale of ABC’s crime drama “The Fugitive” airs on August 29, 1967, drawing 78 million viewers making it the most-watched episode of television at the time (it’s only since been passed by the “M*A*S*H” series finale and the “Who Done It” episode of “Dallas”). The 78 million viewers tuned in to see if Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) would finally seek justice for the murder of his wife.
August 30
The inaugural season of the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) wraps up on August 30, 1997, with the Houston Comets defeating the New York Liberty for the first-ever WNBA championship. The Comets, led by future Pro Basketball Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson, defeated the Liberty 65-51 in the title game behind Cooper’s 25 points. Cooper was named the Finals MVP and had been named the league’s first MVP earlier in the week. The Comets would win championships in the first four WNBA seasons becoming the league’s first dynasty. The franchise would fold in 2008.
August 31
In one of the most “minor-league” moments in the history of minor-league baseball, Williamsport Bills catcher Dave Bresnahan attempted to lure an opposing baserunner off of third base using a potato he had carved to look like a baseball on August 31, 1987. During the fifth inning of a game against the Reading Phillies in the final weekend of the AA-Eastern League season, Bresnahan, who had stashed the potato in his backup catcher’s mitt in the dugout, informed the umpire he needed to switch mitts. He returned with the potato and when the pitch was made, Bresnahan threw the spud into left field over his third baseman’s head to entice Rick Lundblade, the baserunner, to break for home, where he was tagged out with the real baseball. When the umpires realized the “ball” thrown into left field was a potato they ruled Lundblade safe – Bresnahan thought they would just send him back to third base and eject him from the ballgame. Bresnahan was removed from the game immediately by his manager Orlando Gomez, who also fined him $50. He was released from the organization the following day – he had known before trying to pull off “The Great Potato Incident” that he was probably done with professional baseball anyway. Bresnahan went on to become a successful real estate mogul in Arizona.
September 1
The Pittsburgh Pirates became the first franchise in Major League Baseball to start an entire lineup of players of color on September 1, 1971, in a 10-7 win against the Philadelphia Phillies. Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh penciled in a lineup of Rennie Stennett, Gene Clines, Roberto Clemente (future Hall of Famer), Willie Stargell (future Hall of Famer), Manny Sanguillen, Dave Cash, Al Oliver, Jackie Hernandez and Dock Ellis on that day. Murtaugh said of his lineup: “When it comes to making out the lineup I’m colorblind and my athletes know it.” The Pirates would dominate the National League in 1971 and would go on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series at the season’s end.
September 2
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had been established in 1983 and had been inducting artists since 1986 but hadn’t had a physical location until opening a building designed by architect I.M. Pei in Cleveland, Ohio on September 2, 1995, with a star-studded opening ceremony performance that included then and future Hall of Famers like Bob Dylan, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Al Green, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen and more.
August 20 - August 26
August 20
Tiger Woods became the first golfer to win three major tournaments in the same year since Ben Hogan in 1953 when he defeated Bob May in a three-hole playoff to win his second consecutive PGA Championship on August 20, 2000, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. Earlier in the year, Woods won the U.S. Open in dominating fashion at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. and The Open Championship at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. Woods would go on to win the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. in April of 2001 to complete what is known as the “Tiger Slam,” winning all four golf majors in the span of a year.
August 21
American folk singer Barry McGuire releases “Eve of a Destruction,” written by P.F. Sloan, on August 21, 1965, and references numerous issues facing the United States and the world at the time including the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the threat of nuclear war and more. It would top the Billboard Hot 100 chart a month later becoming one of the most serious No. 1 hits in American music history. The tide of popular music was turning and important, worldwide themes and topics would become more prevalent in all genres of music – though rarely with as much success as “Eve of Destruction.”
Tiger Woods became the first golfer to win three major tournaments in the same year since Ben Hogan in 1953 when he defeated Bob May in a three-hole playoff to win his second consecutive PGA Championship on August 20, 2000, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. Earlier in the year, Woods won the U.S. Open in dominating fashion at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. and The Open Championship at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. Woods would go on to win the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. in April of 2001 to complete what is known as the “Tiger Slam,” winning all four golf majors in the span of a year.
August 21
American folk singer Barry McGuire releases “Eve of a Destruction,” written by P.F. Sloan, on August 21, 1965, and references numerous issues facing the United States and the world at the time including the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the threat of nuclear war and more. It would top the Billboard Hot 100 chart a month later becoming one of the most serious No. 1 hits in American music history. The tide of popular music was turning and important, worldwide themes and topics would become more prevalent in all genres of music – though rarely with as much success as “Eve of Destruction.”
August 22
The Texas Rangers set a Major League Baseball record when they score 30 runs in a game against the Baltimore Orioles on August 22, 2007. Amazingly, the Orioles held the Rangers scoreless through the first three innings of the game before the onslaught began with a five-run fourth inning. The Rangers would score nine runs in the sixth inning, 10 runs in the eighth and six in the ninth inning. Rangers outfielder David Murphy would go five-for-seven in the game with five runs scored. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and infielder Ramon Vazquez would each drive in seven runs during the game. The Rangers recorded 29 hits during the 30-3 win.
August 23
On August 23, 1993, while testifying in court against his former bandmate Steven Adler, who was suing Guns N’ Roses for firing him in 1990, Duff McKagan (the band’s bassist) was asked by Adler’s attorney to explain “the spaghetti incident,” with “spaghetti” allegedly being Adler’s code word for his stash of drugs. The band found the phrase so humorous they would name their next album The Spaghetti Incident, released in November of 1993. It would be the band’s worst-selling album.
August 24
Ray Caldwell, who had been released by the Boston Red Sox a month earlier, makes his debut on the mound for the Cleveland Indians against the Philadelphia Athletics on August 24, 1919, at League Park in Cleveland in front of around 20,000 fans. Caldwell is on top of his game that day with his devastating spitball carving up Athletics hitters. He’s only allowed four hits and a walk through eight and two-thirds innings and just needs one more out for a complete game shutout. Before the beginning of the ninth inning, a cloud had rolled in from off Lake Erie and it had begun to rain. After the first two outs of the inning, the wind began to blow heavily. Just as Caldwell gets set to pitch to what he hoped to be the final batter of the game a flash of lightning comes down from the sky, sending the Indians infielders diving for safety. A few seconds after the bolt struck the players looked around the field and noticed Caldwell sprawled out on his back with his arms spread out wide and he was unconscious. Caldwell’s chest was reportedly smoldering from the bolt strike and the first person to reach his body is jolted by electricity when he attempts to revive him. His teammates and those in attendance at the game believe Caldwell has been killed. Then the 31-year-old begins to groan, he crawls to his knees and then stands up. His teammates offer to walk him off the field and get him to a local hospital. But Caldwell knows he still has one out left to get in the game. He talks his manager (and teammate) Tris Speaker into letting him finish the game. Caldwell only needs one more pitch to finish off the game. Caldwell simply told the Cleveland Plain Dealer: “Felt like somebody came up with a board and hit me on top of the head and knocked me down.”
August 25
Lauryn Hill, of the hip-hop group The Fugees, releases her solo debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on August 25, 1998. The album is a mixture of many genres of music including R&B, hip hop, soul and reggae, and contains Hill’s first (and to this date only) Billboard No. 1 hit in “Doo Wop (That Thing),” which was the first hip hop song by a soloist to debut at No. 1. The album won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, making it the first Album of the Year winner to feature hip hop. In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as the 10th greatest album of all time.
August 26
Magician Harry Houdini would pull off one of the greatest tricks and feats in his career and in the history of magic when he escaped from handcuffs and chains underwater at San Francisco’s Aquatic Park on August 26, 1907. Houdini had his hands handcuffed behind his back and more than 75 pounds of ball and chain locked to his body when he jumped into the San Francisco Bay. Houdini managed to escape his shackles in 57 seconds.
August 13 - August 19
August 13
In perhaps the greatest single day in Olympic history, American swimmer Michael Phelps won two gold medals in world record time at the Beijing Summer Olympics on August 13, 2008. Phelps’ gold medal in the 200m butterfly event was the tenth of his Olympic career, surpassing U.S. track star Carl Lewis, Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi and Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina for the most in Olympic history. About an hour later Phelps would add to his tally with his second gold of the day in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay. Phelps retired after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games with 23 gold medals.
August 14
Paul McCartney had advised his friend and fellow music superstar Michael Jackson to invest in publishing. But it seems the former Beatle didn’t realize how seriously his friend would take the advice. Jackson would make the winning bid of $47.5 million for the rights to over 250 John Lennon-Paul McCartney-written Beatles songs owned by ATV Publishing on August 14, 1985. McCartney, who had been offered the catalog in 1981 for $40 million, didn’t pursue the catalog because he didn’t want to be the sole owner of The Beatles’ songs. The deal would prove very profitable for Jackson but killed the friendship between Jackson and McCartney, which had seen the hit duet “The Girl Is Mine” three years prior. A decade after purchasing the catalog, Jackson would sell 50 percent to Sony for $95 million. In 2016, seven years after Jackson’s death Sony Music took full control of the catalog agreeing to pay the late performer's estate $750 million. The Beatles catalog is now estimated to be worth more than $1 billion.
August 15
“The Wizard of Oz,” the fantasy movie based on the L. Frank Baum book, premieres at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood on August 15, 1939. The film, directed by Victor Fleming (with the help of others), featured teenager Judy Garland in the lead role of Dorothy, a Kansan who’s whisked away, along with her Cairn terrier Toto, to the fantasy-land of Oz, where she meets a Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and has to fend off the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys. “The Wizard of Oz” would be nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film would win for its beautiful original song “Over the Rainbow,” written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg and for its original score composed by Herbert Stothart. “The Wizard of Oz” has become one of the essential American classic films and was ranked as the 10th greatest American movie ever by the American Film Institute.
August 16
The music world is shocked on August 16, 1977, by the death of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Elvis Presley. Presley was just 42 years old. Presley was scheduled for an evening flight to Portland, Maine to begin a tour on the evening of August 16 when he was found unresponsive on his bathroom floor at his home in Graceland in Memphis, Tenn. Attempts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. President Jimmy Carter issues a statement saying Presley had “permanently changed the face of American popular culture.” Presley’s cause of death was cardiac arrest exacerbated by amphetamine use.
August 17
In one of those “what are the percentages of this happening?” moments, Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Richie Ashburn hits the most unusual “double” in baseball history. The odds of catching a foul ball at a Major League Baseball game are about 1 in 835, according to the website Foul Ballz. But what about the odds of being struck by foul balls twice in the same at-bat? That’s exactly what happened to spectator Alice Roth at a Philadelphia Phillies game at Connie Mack Stadium on August 17, 1957, during an at-bat by future Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn. Roth was struck in the nose by a foul ball off the bat of Ashburn. The Phillies staff rushed to her aid, put her on a stretcher and covered her nose as somebody led her grandsons, Preston and Tom, 10 and 7 years old, out of the stadium as they tried to get Roth to a local hospital. As she was being carried away, Ashburn was still at bat when he hit another foul ball in the direction of Roth being led off on a stretcher, this time striking her in the leg. She suffered a broken nose. Ashburn would go to the hospital several times to visit with Roth until she went home. He never missed sending her a Christmas card or birthday card until she passed away in 1987. Later that month, the Phillies tried to make good on the unfortunate accident for Roth and her grandsons, allowing the kids to watch the Phillies take batting practice from the home dugout and allowing the family to watch the ballgame from the press box.
August 18
Jimi Hendrix closes out the Woodstock music festival on the morning of August 18, 1969, with a memorable set that would partially be shared with the world when the “Woodstock” documentary came out a year later. Hendrix, the festival’s headliner, was supposed to end the multiple-day event the previous night but delays due to weather pushed him to 9 a.m. after many had already left the grounds (reportedly about half of those who attended were still in attendance for the set). Hendrix performed more than an hour-long set that included his hits “Fire,” “Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” “Purple Haze” and a memorable rendition of “Star Spangled Banner.”
In perhaps the greatest single day in Olympic history, American swimmer Michael Phelps won two gold medals in world record time at the Beijing Summer Olympics on August 13, 2008. Phelps’ gold medal in the 200m butterfly event was the tenth of his Olympic career, surpassing U.S. track star Carl Lewis, Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi and Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina for the most in Olympic history. About an hour later Phelps would add to his tally with his second gold of the day in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay. Phelps retired after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games with 23 gold medals.
August 14
Paul McCartney had advised his friend and fellow music superstar Michael Jackson to invest in publishing. But it seems the former Beatle didn’t realize how seriously his friend would take the advice. Jackson would make the winning bid of $47.5 million for the rights to over 250 John Lennon-Paul McCartney-written Beatles songs owned by ATV Publishing on August 14, 1985. McCartney, who had been offered the catalog in 1981 for $40 million, didn’t pursue the catalog because he didn’t want to be the sole owner of The Beatles’ songs. The deal would prove very profitable for Jackson but killed the friendship between Jackson and McCartney, which had seen the hit duet “The Girl Is Mine” three years prior. A decade after purchasing the catalog, Jackson would sell 50 percent to Sony for $95 million. In 2016, seven years after Jackson’s death Sony Music took full control of the catalog agreeing to pay the late performer's estate $750 million. The Beatles catalog is now estimated to be worth more than $1 billion.
August 15
“The Wizard of Oz,” the fantasy movie based on the L. Frank Baum book, premieres at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood on August 15, 1939. The film, directed by Victor Fleming (with the help of others), featured teenager Judy Garland in the lead role of Dorothy, a Kansan who’s whisked away, along with her Cairn terrier Toto, to the fantasy-land of Oz, where she meets a Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and has to fend off the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys. “The Wizard of Oz” would be nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film would win for its beautiful original song “Over the Rainbow,” written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg and for its original score composed by Herbert Stothart. “The Wizard of Oz” has become one of the essential American classic films and was ranked as the 10th greatest American movie ever by the American Film Institute.
August 16
The music world is shocked on August 16, 1977, by the death of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Elvis Presley. Presley was just 42 years old. Presley was scheduled for an evening flight to Portland, Maine to begin a tour on the evening of August 16 when he was found unresponsive on his bathroom floor at his home in Graceland in Memphis, Tenn. Attempts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. President Jimmy Carter issues a statement saying Presley had “permanently changed the face of American popular culture.” Presley’s cause of death was cardiac arrest exacerbated by amphetamine use.
August 17
In one of those “what are the percentages of this happening?” moments, Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Richie Ashburn hits the most unusual “double” in baseball history. The odds of catching a foul ball at a Major League Baseball game are about 1 in 835, according to the website Foul Ballz. But what about the odds of being struck by foul balls twice in the same at-bat? That’s exactly what happened to spectator Alice Roth at a Philadelphia Phillies game at Connie Mack Stadium on August 17, 1957, during an at-bat by future Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn. Roth was struck in the nose by a foul ball off the bat of Ashburn. The Phillies staff rushed to her aid, put her on a stretcher and covered her nose as somebody led her grandsons, Preston and Tom, 10 and 7 years old, out of the stadium as they tried to get Roth to a local hospital. As she was being carried away, Ashburn was still at bat when he hit another foul ball in the direction of Roth being led off on a stretcher, this time striking her in the leg. She suffered a broken nose. Ashburn would go to the hospital several times to visit with Roth until she went home. He never missed sending her a Christmas card or birthday card until she passed away in 1987. Later that month, the Phillies tried to make good on the unfortunate accident for Roth and her grandsons, allowing the kids to watch the Phillies take batting practice from the home dugout and allowing the family to watch the ballgame from the press box.
August 18
Jimi Hendrix closes out the Woodstock music festival on the morning of August 18, 1969, with a memorable set that would partially be shared with the world when the “Woodstock” documentary came out a year later. Hendrix, the festival’s headliner, was supposed to end the multiple-day event the previous night but delays due to weather pushed him to 9 a.m. after many had already left the grounds (reportedly about half of those who attended were still in attendance for the set). Hendrix performed more than an hour-long set that included his hits “Fire,” “Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” “Purple Haze” and a memorable rendition of “Star Spangled Banner.”
August 19
“The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow becomes the first rap single certified Gold on August 19, 1980. The song, released two months prior, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 87. Kurtis Blow had been performing live at block parties as an MC and breakdancer and the song was created as a tribute to the breakdancers of the South Bronx and Harlem around that time. Kurtis Blow told Songfacts.com: “I wanted to do a tribute song with many breaks so that the breakers could get down and do their thing. When we danced during the breaks of a song, that was our time to go off – to do our best moves.” While “The Breaks” was the first rap single certified Gold it almost certainly wouldn’t have been if the independent label Sugar Hill Records had sent The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” released a year earlier, to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for certification.
August 6 - August 12
August 6
Chubby Checker performs his cover of Hank Ballard’s “The Twist” on television for the first time on August 6, 1960, during an episode of “Dick Clark’s Saturday Night Beechnut Show.” Propelled by this performance, Checker’s version of “The Twist” would rocket to No. 1 on the Billboard chart and start a huge dance craze across the country. The song would re-chart again in 1962 becoming the first and to this date only song to ever hit No. 1 twice in different years. Checker would follow “The Twist” up again with the top-10 hit “Let’s Twist Again” in 1961.
Chubby Checker performs his cover of Hank Ballard’s “The Twist” on television for the first time on August 6, 1960, during an episode of “Dick Clark’s Saturday Night Beechnut Show.” Propelled by this performance, Checker’s version of “The Twist” would rocket to No. 1 on the Billboard chart and start a huge dance craze across the country. The song would re-chart again in 1962 becoming the first and to this date only song to ever hit No. 1 twice in different years. Checker would follow “The Twist” up again with the top-10 hit “Let’s Twist Again” in 1961.
August 7
Jim Furyk cards the lowest round in the history of the PGA Tour when he scores a 12-under par 58 in the final round of the Travelers Championship at TPC-River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. on August 7, 2016. At that time only six sub-60 rounds had ever been carded on the PGA Tour. Remarkably one of the six had been Furyk himself at the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Field, Ill. in 2013. This means Furyk is the only golfer on the tour to shoot under-60 twice.
August 8
In what was certainly a surprise to no one, the “Dream Team,” the first American Olympic Basketball squad to feature professional NBA Players, completed its gold medal run winning in dominant fashion over Croatia 117-85 at the Barcelona Olympics on August 8, 1992. The “Dream Team” featured 11 future Pro Basketball Hall of Famers: Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton. Jordan was the only star to start all eight games of the Olympic tournament. Barkley led the team in scoring, Malone and Ewing in rebounding and Pippen in assists.
August 9
Jesse Owens finished his 1936 Berlin Olympics dominance in gold-winning fashion winning his fourth gold medal of the games as part of the American 4 x 100m relay team. Owens had previously won gold medals at the games in the 100m, 200m and long jump. Most importantly, Owens won these golds in front of a seething Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, disproving in real-time Hitler’s theory of white supremacy with the stand-out athlete at the games being an African-American. On the first day of the Berlin Games eight days prior, Hitler had only congratulated the German winners of events. International Olympic Committee president Henri de Baillet-Latour insisted that Hitler greet every medalist or none and Hitler being the little bitch he was opted to skip all further medal presentations seemingly knowing what was to come ahead at the games. Owens was the first American to win four track & field golds in a single Olympics in the history of the event.
August 10
“Sunset Boulevard,” one of the finest film noirs in film history, premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on August 10, 1950. The film, directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, starred William Holden as struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis, and resurrected the career of silent film star Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, also a former silent film star dreaming of making a triumphant return to the big screen. “Sunset Boulevard” was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Wilder, Best Actor for Holden and Best Actress for Swanson. None of those were winners, but it did take home three statues for Best Writing, Best Art-Set Decoration and Best Original Score. In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked “Sunset Boulevard” as the 16th greatest American film ever made.
August 11
The birth of hip hop is officially dated back to August 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc DJ’d a dance party in the Bronx, N.Y. and a friend of his Coke La Rock MC’d over the extended instrumental breaks laying down the blueprint for what would become rap and hip hop. DJ Kool Herc would extend the instrumental by breaking – setting one record up on a dual turntable to the beginning of the break for a switch once the break on the first record came to an end – and by scratching the records. This allowed for extended periods of “break dancing” and time for a rap.
August 12
The Major League Baseball Players Association goes on strike on August 12, 1994, in objection to the MLB team owners’ proposal to institute a salary cap in Major League Baseball. The strike would wipe out the remainder of the 1994 season and mark the first time since 1904 in which there would be no World Series. The prolonged strike advanced into the beginning of the 1995 season, which would be cut short by 18 games. The strike would lead to much disillusionment among the game’s fan base with some fans taking years to return to the sport and to this date some former fans say they’ve never watched a game since.
Jim Furyk cards the lowest round in the history of the PGA Tour when he scores a 12-under par 58 in the final round of the Travelers Championship at TPC-River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. on August 7, 2016. At that time only six sub-60 rounds had ever been carded on the PGA Tour. Remarkably one of the six had been Furyk himself at the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Field, Ill. in 2013. This means Furyk is the only golfer on the tour to shoot under-60 twice.
August 8
In what was certainly a surprise to no one, the “Dream Team,” the first American Olympic Basketball squad to feature professional NBA Players, completed its gold medal run winning in dominant fashion over Croatia 117-85 at the Barcelona Olympics on August 8, 1992. The “Dream Team” featured 11 future Pro Basketball Hall of Famers: Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton. Jordan was the only star to start all eight games of the Olympic tournament. Barkley led the team in scoring, Malone and Ewing in rebounding and Pippen in assists.
August 9
Jesse Owens finished his 1936 Berlin Olympics dominance in gold-winning fashion winning his fourth gold medal of the games as part of the American 4 x 100m relay team. Owens had previously won gold medals at the games in the 100m, 200m and long jump. Most importantly, Owens won these golds in front of a seething Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, disproving in real-time Hitler’s theory of white supremacy with the stand-out athlete at the games being an African-American. On the first day of the Berlin Games eight days prior, Hitler had only congratulated the German winners of events. International Olympic Committee president Henri de Baillet-Latour insisted that Hitler greet every medalist or none and Hitler being the little bitch he was opted to skip all further medal presentations seemingly knowing what was to come ahead at the games. Owens was the first American to win four track & field golds in a single Olympics in the history of the event.
August 10
“Sunset Boulevard,” one of the finest film noirs in film history, premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on August 10, 1950. The film, directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, starred William Holden as struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis, and resurrected the career of silent film star Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, also a former silent film star dreaming of making a triumphant return to the big screen. “Sunset Boulevard” was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Wilder, Best Actor for Holden and Best Actress for Swanson. None of those were winners, but it did take home three statues for Best Writing, Best Art-Set Decoration and Best Original Score. In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked “Sunset Boulevard” as the 16th greatest American film ever made.
August 11
The birth of hip hop is officially dated back to August 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc DJ’d a dance party in the Bronx, N.Y. and a friend of his Coke La Rock MC’d over the extended instrumental breaks laying down the blueprint for what would become rap and hip hop. DJ Kool Herc would extend the instrumental by breaking – setting one record up on a dual turntable to the beginning of the break for a switch once the break on the first record came to an end – and by scratching the records. This allowed for extended periods of “break dancing” and time for a rap.
August 12
The Major League Baseball Players Association goes on strike on August 12, 1994, in objection to the MLB team owners’ proposal to institute a salary cap in Major League Baseball. The strike would wipe out the remainder of the 1994 season and mark the first time since 1904 in which there would be no World Series. The prolonged strike advanced into the beginning of the 1995 season, which would be cut short by 18 games. The strike would lead to much disillusionment among the game’s fan base with some fans taking years to return to the sport and to this date some former fans say they’ve never watched a game since.
July 30 - August 5
July 30
Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay on July 30, 1930, to win the first-ever FIFA World Cup of soccer/football. FIFA had chosen Uruguay as the first host nation of the event after the country had retained its football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam and because the nation was celebrating the centenary of its first constitution. The first men’s World Cup featured 13 nations. Uruguay would win the World Cup again in 1950 in Brazil. The inaugural World Cup would mark the first of six World Cup events in which the host nation would win it all.
July 31
Country music Jim Reeves is killed when he crashes his private plane while flying over Brentwood, Tenn. in the midst of a thunderstorm on July 31, 1964. He was 40. His manager and pianist in his backing band, Dean Manuel, also perished in the crash. Known as “Gentleman Jim,” for his smooth vocals, Reeves had No. 1 country hits in the ‘50s and early ‘60s with “Mexican Joe,” “Bimbo,” “Four Walls,” “Billy Bayou” and “He’ll Have to Go.” Reeves would amazingly score six more No. 1s following his death with: “I Guess I’m Crazy,” “This Is It,” “Is It Really Over?,” “Distant Drums,” “Blue Side of Lonesome” and “I Won’t Come In While He’s There” (which came 2 ½ years after his death). Reeves was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1967.
August 1
MTV (Music Television) debuts at 12:01 a.m. on August 1, 1981, in the United States as the first-ever cable television network dedicated to airing non-stop music videos. The first music video aired on the network is aptly The Buggles' song “Video Killed the Radio Star.” MTV would become a huge pop culture touchstone throughout the ‘80s and into the mid-‘90s, but by the turn of the century had transitioned more toward reality TV programming, which is basically all it programs these days.
August 2
Director Norman Jewison’s crime-drama “In the Heat of the Night,” which would go on to win the coveted Best Picture honor at the Academy Awards, premieres in New York on August 2, 1967. The film, based on John Ball’s 1965 novel of the same name, stars Sidney Poitier as big city detective Virgil Tibbs, who’s visiting family in Mississippi where he becomes embroiled in a murder case, first as a suspect and later as help to the local police chief Bill Gillespie, played by Rod Steiger. The film would win four other Oscars in addition to Best Picture, including Best Actor for Steiger. It was ranked as the 75th greatest American movie of all time by the American Film Institute in 2007.
August 3
On August 3, 1921, Major League Baseball’s first commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis hands out a lifetime ban to the eight Chicago White Sox players – Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Chick Gandil, Buck Weaver, Happy Felsch, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg and Lefty Williams – deemed to have been involved in the controversial “Black Sox Scandal” of throwing the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money from a gambling syndicate run by Arnold Rothstein. The lifetime bans were handed out to the players despite the fact that a Chicago jury had acquitted them in a 1921 trial.
August 4
Billboard magazine publishes its Billboard Hot 100 chart for the very first time on August 4, 1958. Ricky Nelson has the first No. 1 in the history of the chart with “Poor Little Fool,” an easy-listening heartbreak tune written by Sharon Sheeley when she was only 15 years old about a short-lived relationship with Don Everly of The Everly Brothers duo. The Billboard Hot 100 has been the predominant chart for hitmakers ever since and has had 1,151 No. 1s, as of July 30, 2023.
August 5
Actress Marilyn Monroe is found dead from a barbiturate overdose at the age of 36 in Los Angeles on August 5, 1962. It’s presumed she had died sometime between 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. the night before. Monroe, whose blonde bombshell good looks, made her potentially the most familiar face in America and around the world starred in movies like “All About Eve,” “Gentleman Prefer Blondes,” “The Seven Year Itch” and “Some Like It Hot.” She also had high-profile marriages to baseball player Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller, as long as a rumored relationship with President John F. Kennedy, which has led to rumors and suspicions surrounding her death.
Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay on July 30, 1930, to win the first-ever FIFA World Cup of soccer/football. FIFA had chosen Uruguay as the first host nation of the event after the country had retained its football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam and because the nation was celebrating the centenary of its first constitution. The first men’s World Cup featured 13 nations. Uruguay would win the World Cup again in 1950 in Brazil. The inaugural World Cup would mark the first of six World Cup events in which the host nation would win it all.
July 31
Country music Jim Reeves is killed when he crashes his private plane while flying over Brentwood, Tenn. in the midst of a thunderstorm on July 31, 1964. He was 40. His manager and pianist in his backing band, Dean Manuel, also perished in the crash. Known as “Gentleman Jim,” for his smooth vocals, Reeves had No. 1 country hits in the ‘50s and early ‘60s with “Mexican Joe,” “Bimbo,” “Four Walls,” “Billy Bayou” and “He’ll Have to Go.” Reeves would amazingly score six more No. 1s following his death with: “I Guess I’m Crazy,” “This Is It,” “Is It Really Over?,” “Distant Drums,” “Blue Side of Lonesome” and “I Won’t Come In While He’s There” (which came 2 ½ years after his death). Reeves was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1967.
August 1
MTV (Music Television) debuts at 12:01 a.m. on August 1, 1981, in the United States as the first-ever cable television network dedicated to airing non-stop music videos. The first music video aired on the network is aptly The Buggles' song “Video Killed the Radio Star.” MTV would become a huge pop culture touchstone throughout the ‘80s and into the mid-‘90s, but by the turn of the century had transitioned more toward reality TV programming, which is basically all it programs these days.
August 2
Director Norman Jewison’s crime-drama “In the Heat of the Night,” which would go on to win the coveted Best Picture honor at the Academy Awards, premieres in New York on August 2, 1967. The film, based on John Ball’s 1965 novel of the same name, stars Sidney Poitier as big city detective Virgil Tibbs, who’s visiting family in Mississippi where he becomes embroiled in a murder case, first as a suspect and later as help to the local police chief Bill Gillespie, played by Rod Steiger. The film would win four other Oscars in addition to Best Picture, including Best Actor for Steiger. It was ranked as the 75th greatest American movie of all time by the American Film Institute in 2007.
August 3
On August 3, 1921, Major League Baseball’s first commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis hands out a lifetime ban to the eight Chicago White Sox players – Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Chick Gandil, Buck Weaver, Happy Felsch, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg and Lefty Williams – deemed to have been involved in the controversial “Black Sox Scandal” of throwing the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money from a gambling syndicate run by Arnold Rothstein. The lifetime bans were handed out to the players despite the fact that a Chicago jury had acquitted them in a 1921 trial.
August 4
Billboard magazine publishes its Billboard Hot 100 chart for the very first time on August 4, 1958. Ricky Nelson has the first No. 1 in the history of the chart with “Poor Little Fool,” an easy-listening heartbreak tune written by Sharon Sheeley when she was only 15 years old about a short-lived relationship with Don Everly of The Everly Brothers duo. The Billboard Hot 100 has been the predominant chart for hitmakers ever since and has had 1,151 No. 1s, as of July 30, 2023.
August 5
Actress Marilyn Monroe is found dead from a barbiturate overdose at the age of 36 in Los Angeles on August 5, 1962. It’s presumed she had died sometime between 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. the night before. Monroe, whose blonde bombshell good looks, made her potentially the most familiar face in America and around the world starred in movies like “All About Eve,” “Gentleman Prefer Blondes,” “The Seven Year Itch” and “Some Like It Hot.” She also had high-profile marriages to baseball player Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller, as long as a rumored relationship with President John F. Kennedy, which has led to rumors and suspicions surrounding her death.
July 23 - July 29
July 23
Vanessa Williams, Miss New York beauty pageant contestant who was crowned the first-ever African American Miss America winner in September of 1983, resigns her title on July 23, 1984, after nude photos of her are published in Penthouse magazine. The photos published by the magazine were unauthorized but Williams was pressured to relinquish her historic title and the runner-up Suzette Charles (Miss New Jersey) was crowned in her place. On September 13, 2015, Miss America CEO Sam Haskell issues an apology to Williams for what happened to her in 1984. The controversy ultimately didn’t harm Williams’ career (she would even sing a hit song in a Disney movie!) as she would go on to become a multi-time Emmy Award nominee for acting and Grammy Award nominee for singing.
July 24
The infamous “Pine Tar Game” is played on July 24, 1983, between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. With the Royals trailing 4-3 in the top of the ninth inning, future Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Yankees reliever (and future Hall of Famer) Goose Gossage. Yankees manager Billy Martin approached the umpires after the home run to inspect Brett’s bat, which he had noticed had a large amount of pine tar on it. The umpires ruled the amount of pine tar on Brett’s bat exceeded the allowed rule and ruled Brett out, the third out of the inning leading to the Yankees supposedly winning 4-3. Upon being ruled out by home plate umpire Tim McClelland, Brett sprung from the Royals’ dugout in a full sprint toward the umpires. Brett had to be physically restrained by his manager Dick Howser, several of his teammates and umpire crew chief Joe Brinkman. The Royals protested the game. Four days later, American League President Lee MacPhail ruled in favor of the Royals stating, the spirit of restriction of pine tar on bats was not out of fear of an unfair advantage, merely the economics of keeping balls from being discolored and discontinued. MacPhail ruled Brett had not violated the spirit of the rule. MacPhail restored Brett’s homer to give the Royals a 4-3 lead and ordered the game resumed with two outs in the top of the ninth. He would retroactively eject Brett from the remainder of the game due to his outburst against McClelland. The game would resume on August 18, 1983. In a symbolic protest of his owner, Martin played his best starting pitcher Ron Guidry in center field and first baseman Don Mattingly at second base in an effort to make a mockery of the situation. The Royals would win the game 4-3.
July 25
“Controversy” strikes the Newport Folk Festival on July 25, 1965, when musician Bob Dylan shocks the folkie world and crowd by plugging in his guitar for an electric set that included new songs “Maggie’s Farm” and “Like a Rolling Stone.” It was a moment that marked a change in Dylan’s music career from folk star to rock star. The sound of the electric music led to both boos and cheers from the Newport crowd, but it’s the boos that stand out in pop culture lore. History has seen a dispute as to whether the crowd was truly angry about Dylan “plugging in” or the poor sound quality and short duration of the set, as musician Al Kooper contends. Over the years some of the myths of the performance include iconic folk singer Pete Seeger attempting to cut the power cord with an axe (it never happened), which likely stems from a backstage quote from him that day: “Get that distortion out of his voice … it’s terrible. If I had an axe, I’d chop the microphone cable right now.”
July 26
Montreal Expos pitcher Mark Gardner sees the performance of his life turn into a loss on July 26, 1991, against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Gardner pitched a no-hitter through nine innings against the Dodgers that day but his Expos teammates couldn’t muster a single run in the game off Dodgers ace Orel Hershiser and reliever Kevin Gross and the game went to extra innings tied at zero. Expos manager Tom Runnells sent Gardner back out to the mound for the tenth innings but he was met with a single by Lenny Harris to break up the no-hitter. Future Hall of Fame first baseman Eddie Murray would then single off Gardner and Gardner was removed in favor of reliever Jeff Fassero. Fassero would immediately give up a hit to Dodgers right fielder Darryl Strawberry and the Dodgers walked off with a 1-0 win. Incredibly, Expos pitcher Dennis Martinez would pitch the 13th perfect game in Major League Baseball history two days later against the Dodgers becoming the first Latin American pitcher in league history to do so.
July 27
Bugs Bunny, one of the most iconic characters in the history of cartoons, officially makes his Warner Bros. debut in director Tex Avery’s comedy short “A Wild Hare” on July 27, 1940. In the short (potentially the most famous of any Looney Tunes short), Bugs Bunny, voiced by Mel Blanc, outsmarts hunter Elmer Fudd who’s hunting for him. While “A Wild Hare” was the official debut of the Bugs Bunny name, the character had appeared in previous shorts dating back to 1938’s “Porky’s Hare Hunt” as an unnamed rabbit. Animators Bob Givens, Chuck Jones and Robert McKinnon are credited with defining Bugs Bunny’s design.
July 28
“On the Waterfront,” directed by Elia Kazan and featuring a star-studded cast of Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint (in her film debut), Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden and Rod Steiger, premiered on July 28, 1954. The film, which would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1955, is the story of Brando’s Terry Malloy, a former prize fighter boxer who is coerced into helping with what turns into a murder, and the consequences of the action. The film would also garner Brando his first Best Actor Oscar, as well as six other Oscars including Best Director for Kazan and Best Supporting Actress for Saint. The American Film Institute has ranked “On the Waterfront” as the eighth greatest American film of all time.
July 29
Cass Elliott, one of the singers of the hit ‘60s pop group The Mamas and the Papas, dies of a heart attack in London on July 29, 1974, at just 32. Elliott was instrumental in the group’s hits like “California Dreamin’,” “Monday, Monday” and “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” and recorded five solo albums to lesser success following the band’s dissolution in 1968. She was posthumously inducted with The Mamas and the Papas into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Though her cause of death was a heart attack, one of pop culture’s most frequent myths is that Elliott died from choking on a ham sandwich, which began almost immediately following her death after her manager Allan Carr erroneously assumed such after seeing a half-eaten ham sandwich on the nightstand by where she died.
Vanessa Williams, Miss New York beauty pageant contestant who was crowned the first-ever African American Miss America winner in September of 1983, resigns her title on July 23, 1984, after nude photos of her are published in Penthouse magazine. The photos published by the magazine were unauthorized but Williams was pressured to relinquish her historic title and the runner-up Suzette Charles (Miss New Jersey) was crowned in her place. On September 13, 2015, Miss America CEO Sam Haskell issues an apology to Williams for what happened to her in 1984. The controversy ultimately didn’t harm Williams’ career (she would even sing a hit song in a Disney movie!) as she would go on to become a multi-time Emmy Award nominee for acting and Grammy Award nominee for singing.
July 24
The infamous “Pine Tar Game” is played on July 24, 1983, between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. With the Royals trailing 4-3 in the top of the ninth inning, future Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Yankees reliever (and future Hall of Famer) Goose Gossage. Yankees manager Billy Martin approached the umpires after the home run to inspect Brett’s bat, which he had noticed had a large amount of pine tar on it. The umpires ruled the amount of pine tar on Brett’s bat exceeded the allowed rule and ruled Brett out, the third out of the inning leading to the Yankees supposedly winning 4-3. Upon being ruled out by home plate umpire Tim McClelland, Brett sprung from the Royals’ dugout in a full sprint toward the umpires. Brett had to be physically restrained by his manager Dick Howser, several of his teammates and umpire crew chief Joe Brinkman. The Royals protested the game. Four days later, American League President Lee MacPhail ruled in favor of the Royals stating, the spirit of restriction of pine tar on bats was not out of fear of an unfair advantage, merely the economics of keeping balls from being discolored and discontinued. MacPhail ruled Brett had not violated the spirit of the rule. MacPhail restored Brett’s homer to give the Royals a 4-3 lead and ordered the game resumed with two outs in the top of the ninth. He would retroactively eject Brett from the remainder of the game due to his outburst against McClelland. The game would resume on August 18, 1983. In a symbolic protest of his owner, Martin played his best starting pitcher Ron Guidry in center field and first baseman Don Mattingly at second base in an effort to make a mockery of the situation. The Royals would win the game 4-3.
July 25
“Controversy” strikes the Newport Folk Festival on July 25, 1965, when musician Bob Dylan shocks the folkie world and crowd by plugging in his guitar for an electric set that included new songs “Maggie’s Farm” and “Like a Rolling Stone.” It was a moment that marked a change in Dylan’s music career from folk star to rock star. The sound of the electric music led to both boos and cheers from the Newport crowd, but it’s the boos that stand out in pop culture lore. History has seen a dispute as to whether the crowd was truly angry about Dylan “plugging in” or the poor sound quality and short duration of the set, as musician Al Kooper contends. Over the years some of the myths of the performance include iconic folk singer Pete Seeger attempting to cut the power cord with an axe (it never happened), which likely stems from a backstage quote from him that day: “Get that distortion out of his voice … it’s terrible. If I had an axe, I’d chop the microphone cable right now.”
July 26
Montreal Expos pitcher Mark Gardner sees the performance of his life turn into a loss on July 26, 1991, against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Gardner pitched a no-hitter through nine innings against the Dodgers that day but his Expos teammates couldn’t muster a single run in the game off Dodgers ace Orel Hershiser and reliever Kevin Gross and the game went to extra innings tied at zero. Expos manager Tom Runnells sent Gardner back out to the mound for the tenth innings but he was met with a single by Lenny Harris to break up the no-hitter. Future Hall of Fame first baseman Eddie Murray would then single off Gardner and Gardner was removed in favor of reliever Jeff Fassero. Fassero would immediately give up a hit to Dodgers right fielder Darryl Strawberry and the Dodgers walked off with a 1-0 win. Incredibly, Expos pitcher Dennis Martinez would pitch the 13th perfect game in Major League Baseball history two days later against the Dodgers becoming the first Latin American pitcher in league history to do so.
July 27
Bugs Bunny, one of the most iconic characters in the history of cartoons, officially makes his Warner Bros. debut in director Tex Avery’s comedy short “A Wild Hare” on July 27, 1940. In the short (potentially the most famous of any Looney Tunes short), Bugs Bunny, voiced by Mel Blanc, outsmarts hunter Elmer Fudd who’s hunting for him. While “A Wild Hare” was the official debut of the Bugs Bunny name, the character had appeared in previous shorts dating back to 1938’s “Porky’s Hare Hunt” as an unnamed rabbit. Animators Bob Givens, Chuck Jones and Robert McKinnon are credited with defining Bugs Bunny’s design.
July 28
“On the Waterfront,” directed by Elia Kazan and featuring a star-studded cast of Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint (in her film debut), Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden and Rod Steiger, premiered on July 28, 1954. The film, which would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1955, is the story of Brando’s Terry Malloy, a former prize fighter boxer who is coerced into helping with what turns into a murder, and the consequences of the action. The film would also garner Brando his first Best Actor Oscar, as well as six other Oscars including Best Director for Kazan and Best Supporting Actress for Saint. The American Film Institute has ranked “On the Waterfront” as the eighth greatest American film of all time.
July 29
Cass Elliott, one of the singers of the hit ‘60s pop group The Mamas and the Papas, dies of a heart attack in London on July 29, 1974, at just 32. Elliott was instrumental in the group’s hits like “California Dreamin’,” “Monday, Monday” and “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” and recorded five solo albums to lesser success following the band’s dissolution in 1968. She was posthumously inducted with The Mamas and the Papas into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Though her cause of death was a heart attack, one of pop culture’s most frequent myths is that Elliott died from choking on a ham sandwich, which began almost immediately following her death after her manager Allan Carr erroneously assumed such after seeing a half-eaten ham sandwich on the nightstand by where she died.
July 16 - July 22
July 16
New York Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio goes 3-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians on July 16, 1941, to extend his Major League Baseball record hitting streak to 56 games, which would end the following day against Cleveland. DiMaggio’s streak began on May 15 against the Chicago White Sox. On July 2 against the Boston Red Sox, DiMaggio broke the longest single-season hit streak in baseball history of 44 games by Willie Keeler in 1897. Nobody has gotten to within 10 games of DiMaggio’s hit streak since 1941 with Pete Rose coming the closest with a 44-game hit streak in 1978. DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak is considered “unbreakable” by some.
July 17
Disneyland, the first theme park from The Walt Disney Company, opened in Anaheim, Calif. on July 17, 1955, and was unveiled with a parade broadcast live on ABC. Disneyland would be the only Disney theme park designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney himself. The theme park has the largest number of cumulative attendance than any other in the world with more than 774 million visits since it opened. Disneyland had approximately 16.9 million visits in 2022, making it the second most visited theme park in the world behind only Magic Kingdom, the Disney park it inspired and opened in 1971 in Orlando, Fla.
July 18
Fourteen-year-old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci became the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympic Games on July 18, 1976, at the Montreal Games when she performed a perfect routine on the uneven bars. Comaneci would go on to record an incredible six more perfect 10s during the games, including three more on uneven bars. Comaneci would win three gold medals at the Montreal games in All-Around, Uneven Bars and Balance Beam. She would win two more golds at the 1980 Moscow Games.
July 19
The critically-acclaimed drama “Mad Men,” created by Matthew Weiner, premiered on July 19, 2007, and instantly turned AMC, once known for showing movies, into a network for serious, award-winning dramas. The series starred Jon Hamm as advertising executive Don Draper and would air 92 episodes over seven seasons. “Mad Men” won 16 Emmy Awards during its run, including Outstanding Drama Series for each of its first four seasons.
July 20
Few, if any, events throughout the history of television have seen people in the United States and around the globe gather around their TV sets to watch a significantly historical event like the Apollo 11 moon landing and moonwalk on July 20, 1969. It is expected that 650 million people around the world watched astronaut Neil Armstrong make that “giant leap for mankind” that day with over 53 million U.S. households tuning in across the two weeks of the Apollo 11 mission, making it the most watched TV programming to that date. In England, the BBC ran 11 continuous hours of coverage. All three major networks – ABC, CBS and NBC – covered the event in the U.S. with CBS and venerable newsman Walter Cronkite dominating the ratings. And, for those who believe the entire moon landing and moonwalk were faked, well, it’s still pop culture history if you believe “2001: A Space Odyssey” director Stanley Kubrick helped concoct the whole thing.
July 21
R&B duo Milli Vanilli, which consisted of French artist Fab Morvan and German artist Rob Pilatus, is busted for lip-synching on July 21, 1989, when performing on the Club MTV tour in Bristol, Conn. when the track to their hit “Girl You Know It’s True” screws up and repeats “girl you know it’s” over and over, ironically cutting off before the word “true.” The duo panicked and ran off the stage. The show, which was being broadcast live on MTV, continued after MTV VJ “Downtown” Julie Brown convinced the duo to finish, with the crowd not seeming to care about the mishap. The duo would even go on to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1990 after this experience and after singer Charles Shaw revealed in December of 1989 that he was one of three vocalists who sang on the duo’s album and Morvan and Pilatus were imposters. It wasn’t until November of 1990 that record producer Frank Farian, who orchestrated the entire charade, announced the duo hadn’t been the real singers after firing both because they demanded to sing for real on the next album. The Recording Academy revoked Milli Vanilli’s Best New Artist honor the next week. In 1998, Morvan and Pilatus recorded a comeback album with their own voices titled Back and in Attack, but the release was canceled following Pilatus’ death in April after an accidental overdose of alcohol and prescription drugs at 32.
July 22
Greg Maddux is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball but potentially the finest performance of his career, which happened on July 22, 1997, is nearly hard to believe today. On that date, Maddux pitched a complete game 4-1 victory for the Atlanta Braves over the Chicago Cubs throwing just 77 pitches. Maddux allowed five hits that day but didn’t walk a batter and none of the Cubs hitters worked a count past two balls – only two even got to two balls. Maddux struck out six Cubs that day while throwing 63 of his 77 pitches for strikes. Maddux, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 in his first year of eligibility, would go on to record a 19-4 record in 1997 with a 2.20 earned run average, and didn’t even win the National League Cy Young Award (Pedro Martinez did), as he had in four consecutive seasons from 1992-1995. Maddux has an entire baseball statistic named after him – simply called a ‘Maddux’ – which is when a pitcher throws a shutout of nine (or more) innings with fewer than 100 pitches. Ironically, that day in 1997 wouldn’t have even qualified because Maddux allowed one run on a single, stolen base and two groundouts. New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German’s perfect game against the Oakland Athletics on June 28 is the only ‘Maddux’ to occur in the 2023 season thus far.
New York Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio goes 3-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians on July 16, 1941, to extend his Major League Baseball record hitting streak to 56 games, which would end the following day against Cleveland. DiMaggio’s streak began on May 15 against the Chicago White Sox. On July 2 against the Boston Red Sox, DiMaggio broke the longest single-season hit streak in baseball history of 44 games by Willie Keeler in 1897. Nobody has gotten to within 10 games of DiMaggio’s hit streak since 1941 with Pete Rose coming the closest with a 44-game hit streak in 1978. DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak is considered “unbreakable” by some.
July 17
Disneyland, the first theme park from The Walt Disney Company, opened in Anaheim, Calif. on July 17, 1955, and was unveiled with a parade broadcast live on ABC. Disneyland would be the only Disney theme park designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney himself. The theme park has the largest number of cumulative attendance than any other in the world with more than 774 million visits since it opened. Disneyland had approximately 16.9 million visits in 2022, making it the second most visited theme park in the world behind only Magic Kingdom, the Disney park it inspired and opened in 1971 in Orlando, Fla.
July 18
Fourteen-year-old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci became the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympic Games on July 18, 1976, at the Montreal Games when she performed a perfect routine on the uneven bars. Comaneci would go on to record an incredible six more perfect 10s during the games, including three more on uneven bars. Comaneci would win three gold medals at the Montreal games in All-Around, Uneven Bars and Balance Beam. She would win two more golds at the 1980 Moscow Games.
July 19
The critically-acclaimed drama “Mad Men,” created by Matthew Weiner, premiered on July 19, 2007, and instantly turned AMC, once known for showing movies, into a network for serious, award-winning dramas. The series starred Jon Hamm as advertising executive Don Draper and would air 92 episodes over seven seasons. “Mad Men” won 16 Emmy Awards during its run, including Outstanding Drama Series for each of its first four seasons.
July 20
Few, if any, events throughout the history of television have seen people in the United States and around the globe gather around their TV sets to watch a significantly historical event like the Apollo 11 moon landing and moonwalk on July 20, 1969. It is expected that 650 million people around the world watched astronaut Neil Armstrong make that “giant leap for mankind” that day with over 53 million U.S. households tuning in across the two weeks of the Apollo 11 mission, making it the most watched TV programming to that date. In England, the BBC ran 11 continuous hours of coverage. All three major networks – ABC, CBS and NBC – covered the event in the U.S. with CBS and venerable newsman Walter Cronkite dominating the ratings. And, for those who believe the entire moon landing and moonwalk were faked, well, it’s still pop culture history if you believe “2001: A Space Odyssey” director Stanley Kubrick helped concoct the whole thing.
July 21
R&B duo Milli Vanilli, which consisted of French artist Fab Morvan and German artist Rob Pilatus, is busted for lip-synching on July 21, 1989, when performing on the Club MTV tour in Bristol, Conn. when the track to their hit “Girl You Know It’s True” screws up and repeats “girl you know it’s” over and over, ironically cutting off before the word “true.” The duo panicked and ran off the stage. The show, which was being broadcast live on MTV, continued after MTV VJ “Downtown” Julie Brown convinced the duo to finish, with the crowd not seeming to care about the mishap. The duo would even go on to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1990 after this experience and after singer Charles Shaw revealed in December of 1989 that he was one of three vocalists who sang on the duo’s album and Morvan and Pilatus were imposters. It wasn’t until November of 1990 that record producer Frank Farian, who orchestrated the entire charade, announced the duo hadn’t been the real singers after firing both because they demanded to sing for real on the next album. The Recording Academy revoked Milli Vanilli’s Best New Artist honor the next week. In 1998, Morvan and Pilatus recorded a comeback album with their own voices titled Back and in Attack, but the release was canceled following Pilatus’ death in April after an accidental overdose of alcohol and prescription drugs at 32.
July 22
Greg Maddux is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball but potentially the finest performance of his career, which happened on July 22, 1997, is nearly hard to believe today. On that date, Maddux pitched a complete game 4-1 victory for the Atlanta Braves over the Chicago Cubs throwing just 77 pitches. Maddux allowed five hits that day but didn’t walk a batter and none of the Cubs hitters worked a count past two balls – only two even got to two balls. Maddux struck out six Cubs that day while throwing 63 of his 77 pitches for strikes. Maddux, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 in his first year of eligibility, would go on to record a 19-4 record in 1997 with a 2.20 earned run average, and didn’t even win the National League Cy Young Award (Pedro Martinez did), as he had in four consecutive seasons from 1992-1995. Maddux has an entire baseball statistic named after him – simply called a ‘Maddux’ – which is when a pitcher throws a shutout of nine (or more) innings with fewer than 100 pitches. Ironically, that day in 1997 wouldn’t have even qualified because Maddux allowed one run on a single, stolen base and two groundouts. New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German’s perfect game against the Oakland Athletics on June 28 is the only ‘Maddux’ to occur in the 2023 season thus far.
July 9 - July 15
July 9
Bill Haley & His Comets have the very first rock & roll No. 1 hit when “Rock Around the Clock” takes the top spot on the Billboard Pop Chart on July 9, 1955, where it would remain for eight weeks. The song was originally the B-side to the group’s “Thirteen Women,” but became a huge hit in America following its appearance in Richard Brooks’ movie “Blackboard Jungle,” starring Glenn Ford, Anne Francis and Sidney Poitier, which had been released in March. “Rock Around the Clock” would help kickstart the burgeoning rock & roll genre in the U.S.
Bill Haley & His Comets have the very first rock & roll No. 1 hit when “Rock Around the Clock” takes the top spot on the Billboard Pop Chart on July 9, 1955, where it would remain for eight weeks. The song was originally the B-side to the group’s “Thirteen Women,” but became a huge hit in America following its appearance in Richard Brooks’ movie “Blackboard Jungle,” starring Glenn Ford, Anne Francis and Sidney Poitier, which had been released in March. “Rock Around the Clock” would help kickstart the burgeoning rock & roll genre in the U.S.
July 10
In one of the most exciting sporting events of the last quarter-century, the United States Women’s National Team would defeat China 5-4 on penalty kicks to win the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on July 10, 1999. The win marked the second Women’s World Cup title for the U.S. The exciting ending is remembered for Brandi Chastain’s game-winning penalty goal and her celebration afterward in which she ripped off her U.S.A. jersey, revealing her sports bra underneath in one of the most iconic images in the history of women’s sports and sports in general.
July 11
Skylab, the first space station launched by NASA and the United States in May of 1973, re-enters the atmosphere and comes crashing back to Earth on July 11, 1979, after more than six years in space. The space station, which had been occupied by rotating astronaut crews from May 1973 – February 1974, mostly disintegrated upon re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, scattering debris in the Indian Ocean and Western Australia. Now, you may be thinking, how is this scientific moment related to pop culture … well, British rock group Electric Light Orchestra made the genius decision to take out ads in many trade magazines at the time dedicating their latest single, “Don’t Bring Me Down,” to the fallen Skylab. “Don’t Bring Me Down” would become ELO’s highest charting hit in America topping out at No. 4 on Billboard.
July 12
What was meant to be a fun night at Comiskey Park, the home of the Chicago White Sox, on the night of July 12, 1979, turned into a disaster and forfeit for the home team when Disco Demolition Night goes array. Disco Demolition Night was a promotion created by DJ Steve Dahl, who had been a 24-year DJ for WDAI in Chicago in 1978 before being fired when the station switched formats from rock music to disco. Hired by another local rock format station WLUP, Dahl came up with the idea to try to kill disco music. In 1977, the White Sox had a Disco Night promotion, but when White Sox director of promotions Mike Veeck (whose father Bill owned the team and was perhaps the most infamous promoter in the game’s history) caught wind of Dahl wanting to blow up a crate of disco records, the idea for Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park was born and the record destruction was set for in-between a doubleheader between the Sox and the Detroit Tigers. The event drew more than twice the number of attendees as expected. After Dahl blew up the records between games, thousands of fans stormed onto the field and remained there trashing disco records and causing chaos until dispersed by riot police. The second game of the doubleheader had initially been postponed, but the next day American League President Lee MacPhail ordered it forfeited by the White Sox. Only one game – an August 1995 match between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals in Los Angeles where fans pelted the field with promotional baseballs given out over an umpire’s call – has been forfeited in Major League Baseball since. Disco was pretty much over less than a year later by the turn of the decade.
July 13
One of the first major multi-artist charity concerts ever organized, Live Aid, takes place in Philadelphia and London on July 13, 1985, to raise money to relieve the 1983-’85 famine in Ethiopia in Africa. Bob Geldof, the singer and songwriter for the Irish rock band Boomtown Rats, and Midge Ure, a Scottish musician and producer, organized the event. The event, which was held simultaneously at London’s Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia’s John F. Kennedy Stadium was attended by more than 161,000 people and broadcast by MTV and partially ABC in the U.S. Some of the most legendary artists in the history of rock and pop music performed at the event, including Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Queen, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner, The Who, The Beach Boys, Sting, U2, Dire Straits, Run-D.M.C., The Pretenders, Madonna, Neil Young, Eric Clapton and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Phil Collins managed to perform in both locations, performing with Sting and Branford Marsalis in London before taking a flight across the Atlantic Ocean to perform in Philadelphia. He performed his hits “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” and “In the Air Tonight” at both locations. Some of the artists, particularly Queen, are thought to have given all-time great live performances at the event. The event raised around $127 million for the cause.
July 14
Mario Bros., an arcade game about an Italian-American plumber created and developed by the Japanese video game company Nintendo, is first released on July 14, 1983. There have often been conflicting release dates for the game in both Japan and America, but in a 2013 Nintendo Direct presentation, former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata gave July 14, 1983, as the official Japan release date. Mario Bros. was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi and has gone on to be perhaps the most successful video game series of all time.
July 15
American athlete Jim Thorpe places top 4 in all 10 events of the Olympic Decathlon for an Olympic record 8,413 points to win the Decathlon gold medal at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics on July 15, 1912. Thorpe also won the gold medal in the pentathlon at the 1912 games. Thorpe would be stripped of his gold medal by the International Olympic Committee in 1913 after they learned Thorpe had accepted money for playing baseball before the 1912 games, violating the Olympic amateurism rules. In 1982, the I.O.C. was convinced that Thorpe’s disqualification had been improper, as no protest against his eligibility had been brought within the required 30 days. Thorpe’s gold medals were reinstated posthumously, 29 years after his death at 65 in 1953. It wasn’t until 2022 that Thorpe was declared the sole winner of the event by the I.O.C. Thorpe, a member of the Sac and Fox Nation, was the first Native American to win Olympic gold for the U.S. He is considered maybe the most versatile athlete of all-time having also played baseball, football and basketball in addition to his track and field skills.
In one of the most exciting sporting events of the last quarter-century, the United States Women’s National Team would defeat China 5-4 on penalty kicks to win the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on July 10, 1999. The win marked the second Women’s World Cup title for the U.S. The exciting ending is remembered for Brandi Chastain’s game-winning penalty goal and her celebration afterward in which she ripped off her U.S.A. jersey, revealing her sports bra underneath in one of the most iconic images in the history of women’s sports and sports in general.
July 11
Skylab, the first space station launched by NASA and the United States in May of 1973, re-enters the atmosphere and comes crashing back to Earth on July 11, 1979, after more than six years in space. The space station, which had been occupied by rotating astronaut crews from May 1973 – February 1974, mostly disintegrated upon re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, scattering debris in the Indian Ocean and Western Australia. Now, you may be thinking, how is this scientific moment related to pop culture … well, British rock group Electric Light Orchestra made the genius decision to take out ads in many trade magazines at the time dedicating their latest single, “Don’t Bring Me Down,” to the fallen Skylab. “Don’t Bring Me Down” would become ELO’s highest charting hit in America topping out at No. 4 on Billboard.
July 12
What was meant to be a fun night at Comiskey Park, the home of the Chicago White Sox, on the night of July 12, 1979, turned into a disaster and forfeit for the home team when Disco Demolition Night goes array. Disco Demolition Night was a promotion created by DJ Steve Dahl, who had been a 24-year DJ for WDAI in Chicago in 1978 before being fired when the station switched formats from rock music to disco. Hired by another local rock format station WLUP, Dahl came up with the idea to try to kill disco music. In 1977, the White Sox had a Disco Night promotion, but when White Sox director of promotions Mike Veeck (whose father Bill owned the team and was perhaps the most infamous promoter in the game’s history) caught wind of Dahl wanting to blow up a crate of disco records, the idea for Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park was born and the record destruction was set for in-between a doubleheader between the Sox and the Detroit Tigers. The event drew more than twice the number of attendees as expected. After Dahl blew up the records between games, thousands of fans stormed onto the field and remained there trashing disco records and causing chaos until dispersed by riot police. The second game of the doubleheader had initially been postponed, but the next day American League President Lee MacPhail ordered it forfeited by the White Sox. Only one game – an August 1995 match between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals in Los Angeles where fans pelted the field with promotional baseballs given out over an umpire’s call – has been forfeited in Major League Baseball since. Disco was pretty much over less than a year later by the turn of the decade.
July 13
One of the first major multi-artist charity concerts ever organized, Live Aid, takes place in Philadelphia and London on July 13, 1985, to raise money to relieve the 1983-’85 famine in Ethiopia in Africa. Bob Geldof, the singer and songwriter for the Irish rock band Boomtown Rats, and Midge Ure, a Scottish musician and producer, organized the event. The event, which was held simultaneously at London’s Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia’s John F. Kennedy Stadium was attended by more than 161,000 people and broadcast by MTV and partially ABC in the U.S. Some of the most legendary artists in the history of rock and pop music performed at the event, including Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Queen, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner, The Who, The Beach Boys, Sting, U2, Dire Straits, Run-D.M.C., The Pretenders, Madonna, Neil Young, Eric Clapton and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Phil Collins managed to perform in both locations, performing with Sting and Branford Marsalis in London before taking a flight across the Atlantic Ocean to perform in Philadelphia. He performed his hits “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” and “In the Air Tonight” at both locations. Some of the artists, particularly Queen, are thought to have given all-time great live performances at the event. The event raised around $127 million for the cause.
July 14
Mario Bros., an arcade game about an Italian-American plumber created and developed by the Japanese video game company Nintendo, is first released on July 14, 1983. There have often been conflicting release dates for the game in both Japan and America, but in a 2013 Nintendo Direct presentation, former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata gave July 14, 1983, as the official Japan release date. Mario Bros. was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi and has gone on to be perhaps the most successful video game series of all time.
July 15
American athlete Jim Thorpe places top 4 in all 10 events of the Olympic Decathlon for an Olympic record 8,413 points to win the Decathlon gold medal at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics on July 15, 1912. Thorpe also won the gold medal in the pentathlon at the 1912 games. Thorpe would be stripped of his gold medal by the International Olympic Committee in 1913 after they learned Thorpe had accepted money for playing baseball before the 1912 games, violating the Olympic amateurism rules. In 1982, the I.O.C. was convinced that Thorpe’s disqualification had been improper, as no protest against his eligibility had been brought within the required 30 days. Thorpe’s gold medals were reinstated posthumously, 29 years after his death at 65 in 1953. It wasn’t until 2022 that Thorpe was declared the sole winner of the event by the I.O.C. Thorpe, a member of the Sac and Fox Nation, was the first Native American to win Olympic gold for the U.S. He is considered maybe the most versatile athlete of all-time having also played baseball, football and basketball in addition to his track and field skills.
July 2 - July 8
July 2
Washington Senators outfielder Ed Delahanty, one of the greatest players of baseball’s early years, disappears after being removed by force from a train for being intoxicated on July 2, 1903. The conductor said Delahanty was brandishing a straight razor and threatening passengers after consuming five whiskeys. It seems Delahanty attempted to walk across the International Railway Bridge connecting Buffalo, New York with Fort Erie near Niagara Falls and either fell or jumped off the bridge. His body was found two weeks later at the bottom of Niagara Falls. Delahanty’s .346 batting average is the fifth-highest in Major League Baseball history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.
July 3
Jim Morrison, the vocalist for the Californian rock band The Doors, is found dead in his apartment’s bathtub in Paris, France around 6 a.m. on July 3, 1971. He was 27. While drug overdose is suspected, no autopsy is performed and the official cause of death is listed as a heart attack induced by respiratory problems. Morrison was buried in a private burial in Paris’ Pere Lachaise Cemetery, which has become one of the city’s most visited tourist attractions, and also features the grave sites of playwright and author Oscar Wilde and French cabaret singer Edith Piaf. Morrison, along with the rest of the members of The Doors, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
July 4
New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig becomes the first Major League Baseball player to ever have his jersey number (No. 4) retired on his Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939. It is on this date that Gehrig gives his famous “Luckiest Man” speech, which is likely the most famous speech in sports history and one of the most famous in general. His final game had come just over two months before on April 30. On June 19, 1939, Gehrig was officially diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which would commonly go on to be referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Gehrig died on June 2, 1941, from the disease. He was 37.
Washington Senators outfielder Ed Delahanty, one of the greatest players of baseball’s early years, disappears after being removed by force from a train for being intoxicated on July 2, 1903. The conductor said Delahanty was brandishing a straight razor and threatening passengers after consuming five whiskeys. It seems Delahanty attempted to walk across the International Railway Bridge connecting Buffalo, New York with Fort Erie near Niagara Falls and either fell or jumped off the bridge. His body was found two weeks later at the bottom of Niagara Falls. Delahanty’s .346 batting average is the fifth-highest in Major League Baseball history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.
July 3
Jim Morrison, the vocalist for the Californian rock band The Doors, is found dead in his apartment’s bathtub in Paris, France around 6 a.m. on July 3, 1971. He was 27. While drug overdose is suspected, no autopsy is performed and the official cause of death is listed as a heart attack induced by respiratory problems. Morrison was buried in a private burial in Paris’ Pere Lachaise Cemetery, which has become one of the city’s most visited tourist attractions, and also features the grave sites of playwright and author Oscar Wilde and French cabaret singer Edith Piaf. Morrison, along with the rest of the members of The Doors, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
July 4
New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig becomes the first Major League Baseball player to ever have his jersey number (No. 4) retired on his Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939. It is on this date that Gehrig gives his famous “Luckiest Man” speech, which is likely the most famous speech in sports history and one of the most famous in general. His final game had come just over two months before on April 30. On June 19, 1939, Gehrig was officially diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which would commonly go on to be referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Gehrig died on June 2, 1941, from the disease. He was 37.
July 5
Larry Doby becomes the first African American ballplayer in Major League Baseball’s American League when he debuts for the Cleveland Indians on July 5, 1947. Doby’s debut in the A.L. came less than three months after Jackie Robinson integrated baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Doby struck out as a pinch hitter against the Chicago White Sox in his debut but would go on to become a seven-time All-Star, a two-time A.L. home run champ and along with teammate Satchel Paige, the first black player to win a World Series when Cleveland did so in 1948. Doby was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.
July 6
In what would be a moment that would lead to one of the biggest, greatest and most important bands in pop music history, Paul McCartney and John Lennon meet for the first time at the Village Fete in the suburb of Woolton, in Liverpool, England on July 6, 1957. Lennon’s group, The Quarrymen, is performing at the venue. At the next meeting of the two Lennon would ask McCartney to join the band. George Harrison would join the group in early 1958 at the recommendation of McCartney, despite Lennon’s initial resistance as Harrison was only 14 at the time. In 1960, The Quarrymen would change its name to The Beatles. Ringo Starr would join the band as drummer in 1962 replacing Pete Best. The Beatles would soon become the biggest band in the world.
July 7
In one of the most emotional victories in the history of NASCAR Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2001, in his first race back at the track since the death of his father, seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt on February 18 in the Daytona 500. Running in seventh place with less than 10 laps remaining in the race, Earnhardt Jr. makes his way through the draft to first place defeating teammate Michael Waltrip, who had won the Daytona 500 in February. The two teammates had an emotional celebration in the track’s infield following the race.
July 8
The Go-Go’s released their debut album Beauty and the Beat on July 8, 1981. The all-girl group featuring Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar and keyboards), Jane Wiedlin (rhythm guitar), Kathy Valentine (bass) and Gina Schock (drums) have hits “We Got the Beat” and “Our Lips Are Sealed” on the debut. When the album reaches No. 1 on the Billboard album chart on March 6, 1982, it made The Go-Go’s the first all-female band to have a No. 1 album in the U.S.
Larry Doby becomes the first African American ballplayer in Major League Baseball’s American League when he debuts for the Cleveland Indians on July 5, 1947. Doby’s debut in the A.L. came less than three months after Jackie Robinson integrated baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Doby struck out as a pinch hitter against the Chicago White Sox in his debut but would go on to become a seven-time All-Star, a two-time A.L. home run champ and along with teammate Satchel Paige, the first black player to win a World Series when Cleveland did so in 1948. Doby was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.
July 6
In what would be a moment that would lead to one of the biggest, greatest and most important bands in pop music history, Paul McCartney and John Lennon meet for the first time at the Village Fete in the suburb of Woolton, in Liverpool, England on July 6, 1957. Lennon’s group, The Quarrymen, is performing at the venue. At the next meeting of the two Lennon would ask McCartney to join the band. George Harrison would join the group in early 1958 at the recommendation of McCartney, despite Lennon’s initial resistance as Harrison was only 14 at the time. In 1960, The Quarrymen would change its name to The Beatles. Ringo Starr would join the band as drummer in 1962 replacing Pete Best. The Beatles would soon become the biggest band in the world.
July 7
In one of the most emotional victories in the history of NASCAR Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2001, in his first race back at the track since the death of his father, seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt on February 18 in the Daytona 500. Running in seventh place with less than 10 laps remaining in the race, Earnhardt Jr. makes his way through the draft to first place defeating teammate Michael Waltrip, who had won the Daytona 500 in February. The two teammates had an emotional celebration in the track’s infield following the race.
July 8
The Go-Go’s released their debut album Beauty and the Beat on July 8, 1981. The all-girl group featuring Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar and keyboards), Jane Wiedlin (rhythm guitar), Kathy Valentine (bass) and Gina Schock (drums) have hits “We Got the Beat” and “Our Lips Are Sealed” on the debut. When the album reaches No. 1 on the Billboard album chart on March 6, 1982, it made The Go-Go’s the first all-female band to have a No. 1 album in the U.S.
June 25 - July 1
June 25
June 25 was an important date in the career of Basketball Hall of Famer Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs franchise. On June 25, 1997, Duncan was selected as the first overall pick in the NBA Draft out of Wake Forest by the Spurs. He would immediately pay huge dividends for the Spurs teaming with veteran center David Robinson to form the powerful twin towers on the court. Just two years later on the exact date, Duncan would help lead the Spurs to their first-ever NBA title, defeating the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals in the strike-shortened 1998-99 season, his second season in the league. Duncan would go on to lead the Spurs to five titles over his 19-year career as one of the game’s all-time greats.
June 26
The Byrds, the mid-‘60s California rock band known for its signature jingle-jangle sound, took the Bob Dylan-penned “Mr. Tambourine Man” to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 26, 1965, marking the only time in Dylan’s illustrious career as performer and songwriter that one of his songs would top the chart. The Byrds would go on to record numerous Dylan songs, including “Lay Lady Lay,” “My Back Pages,” “All I Really Want to Do” and “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” throughout the ‘60s. They would have a second No. 1 hit at the end of ’65 with their folk-rock take on another folk legend’s work, Pete Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!.” Dylan’s highest-charting single of his career would be 1965’s “Like a Rolling Stone” and 1966’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & #35,” both of which went to No. 2.
June 25 was an important date in the career of Basketball Hall of Famer Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs franchise. On June 25, 1997, Duncan was selected as the first overall pick in the NBA Draft out of Wake Forest by the Spurs. He would immediately pay huge dividends for the Spurs teaming with veteran center David Robinson to form the powerful twin towers on the court. Just two years later on the exact date, Duncan would help lead the Spurs to their first-ever NBA title, defeating the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals in the strike-shortened 1998-99 season, his second season in the league. Duncan would go on to lead the Spurs to five titles over his 19-year career as one of the game’s all-time greats.
June 26
The Byrds, the mid-‘60s California rock band known for its signature jingle-jangle sound, took the Bob Dylan-penned “Mr. Tambourine Man” to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 26, 1965, marking the only time in Dylan’s illustrious career as performer and songwriter that one of his songs would top the chart. The Byrds would go on to record numerous Dylan songs, including “Lay Lady Lay,” “My Back Pages,” “All I Really Want to Do” and “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” throughout the ‘60s. They would have a second No. 1 hit at the end of ’65 with their folk-rock take on another folk legend’s work, Pete Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!.” Dylan’s highest-charting single of his career would be 1965’s “Like a Rolling Stone” and 1966’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & #35,” both of which went to No. 2.
June 27
Aerosmith would become the first major-label band to allow its fans to freely download a new single on the Internet when they released “Head First” on June 27, 1994. The song was an unused take from the ‘Get a Grip’ sessions and used as part of a week-long promotion by the company CompuServe, during which fans could download the band’s music from the net. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler said: “If our fans are out there driving down that information superhighway then we want to be playing at the truck stop. This is the future – so let’s get it going.” Tyler was right. For better or worse music on the Internet was the future of the medium, though, the use of “information superhighway” does date the quote quite a bit.
June 28
On June 28, 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court (which once did good things!) overturns the draft evasion conviction of boxer Muhammad Ali with an 8-0 vote. Ali had been arrested and convicted for refusing induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28, 1967. He stated that the Vietnam War was against his religion as a Muslim. Later that day, the New York State Athletic Commission suspended his boxing license and the World Boxing Association stripped him of his title as heavyweight champion. Some people believe Ali was intentionally sought out for induction into the war as a means of silencing a strong, vocal black Muslim man. The conviction, which happened on June 20, 1967, came with the possibility of five years in prison. Ali managed to stay out of prison during his appeals to the Supreme Court.
June 29
For the first time in Major League Baseball history, no-hitters are thrown in both leagues on the same day on June 29, 1990, when Oakland Athletics ace Dave Stewart no-hits the Toronto Blue Jays in a 5-0 win in the American League and over in the National League Los Angeles Dodgers hurler Fernando Valenzuela no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals in a 6-0 win. It was only the second time (and first since 1898) that multiple no-hitters were thrown on the same day. It hasn’t happened since.
June 30
French acrobat Charles Blondin became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on the Canada-United States border by walking across a tightrope on June 30, 1859. The wire, which was just three inches thick, was 1,100 feet long (2,200 feet round trip). The tightrope was 160 feet above the water. Blondin made the trek across and back in about 23 minutes. Blondin died in London of diabetes complications in 1897 at 72. He had walked across Waterloo Lake in Leeds, England just two years prior.
July 1
The Basketball Association of America, which would change its name to the National Basketball Association (NBA) two years later, held its first-ever collegiate player draft on July 1, 1947. The first selection in the draft was Texas Wesleyan University forward Clifton McNeely, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Ironmen. McNeely opted to focus on a high school coaching career and never played a professional game. The Ironmen, along with the Toronto Huskies who also participated in the draft, would fold before the season opened. Four of the top 10 selections in the draft would never play in the league. Three players from the inaugural draft – Harry Gallatin (fourth round), Andy Phillip (fifth round) and Jim Pollard (seventh round) – would be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The New York Knicks’ selection of Utah-born, Japanese descendant Wataru Misaka would make him the first non-white player in league history when he played in three games for the Knicks in the 1947-48 season.
Aerosmith would become the first major-label band to allow its fans to freely download a new single on the Internet when they released “Head First” on June 27, 1994. The song was an unused take from the ‘Get a Grip’ sessions and used as part of a week-long promotion by the company CompuServe, during which fans could download the band’s music from the net. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler said: “If our fans are out there driving down that information superhighway then we want to be playing at the truck stop. This is the future – so let’s get it going.” Tyler was right. For better or worse music on the Internet was the future of the medium, though, the use of “information superhighway” does date the quote quite a bit.
June 28
On June 28, 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court (which once did good things!) overturns the draft evasion conviction of boxer Muhammad Ali with an 8-0 vote. Ali had been arrested and convicted for refusing induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28, 1967. He stated that the Vietnam War was against his religion as a Muslim. Later that day, the New York State Athletic Commission suspended his boxing license and the World Boxing Association stripped him of his title as heavyweight champion. Some people believe Ali was intentionally sought out for induction into the war as a means of silencing a strong, vocal black Muslim man. The conviction, which happened on June 20, 1967, came with the possibility of five years in prison. Ali managed to stay out of prison during his appeals to the Supreme Court.
June 29
For the first time in Major League Baseball history, no-hitters are thrown in both leagues on the same day on June 29, 1990, when Oakland Athletics ace Dave Stewart no-hits the Toronto Blue Jays in a 5-0 win in the American League and over in the National League Los Angeles Dodgers hurler Fernando Valenzuela no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals in a 6-0 win. It was only the second time (and first since 1898) that multiple no-hitters were thrown on the same day. It hasn’t happened since.
June 30
French acrobat Charles Blondin became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on the Canada-United States border by walking across a tightrope on June 30, 1859. The wire, which was just three inches thick, was 1,100 feet long (2,200 feet round trip). The tightrope was 160 feet above the water. Blondin made the trek across and back in about 23 minutes. Blondin died in London of diabetes complications in 1897 at 72. He had walked across Waterloo Lake in Leeds, England just two years prior.
July 1
The Basketball Association of America, which would change its name to the National Basketball Association (NBA) two years later, held its first-ever collegiate player draft on July 1, 1947. The first selection in the draft was Texas Wesleyan University forward Clifton McNeely, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Ironmen. McNeely opted to focus on a high school coaching career and never played a professional game. The Ironmen, along with the Toronto Huskies who also participated in the draft, would fold before the season opened. Four of the top 10 selections in the draft would never play in the league. Three players from the inaugural draft – Harry Gallatin (fourth round), Andy Phillip (fifth round) and Jim Pollard (seventh round) – would be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The New York Knicks’ selection of Utah-born, Japanese descendant Wataru Misaka would make him the first non-white player in league history when he played in three games for the Knicks in the 1947-48 season.
June 18 - 24
June 18
Golfing hero Arnold Palmer sets the biggest comeback in U.S. Open tournament history on June 18, 1960, when he erases a seven-stroke deficit on the final day of the tournament to win by two strokes over up-and-comer (and future legend) Jack Nicklaus at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado. Palmer would win seven major tournaments during his Hall of Fame career, but this would be his only U.S. Open title.
June 19
Jim Bouton’s controversial memoir Ball Four, about his 1969 Major League Baseball season which began with the Seattle Pilots and ended with the Houston Astros, is published on June 19, 1970. The book was controversial as it highlighted the behind-the-scenes of professional baseball like obscene jokes, drug use, alcoholism and womanizing. It also didn’t take it easy on the legends of the game with Bouton essentially outing New York Yankees legend, and former teammate, Mickey Mantle as an alcoholic, something which had mostly been kept quiet from the press. Ball Four was commercially successful, but MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn called it “detrimental to baseball” and attempted to force Bouton to sign a statement saying the book was completely fictional. The book made Bouton unpopular with those within the game and likely played a role in his career coming to an end shortly after its publication.
June 20
Director Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws,” based on a novel by Peter Benchley, about a shark terrorizing a New England town premieres on June 20, 1975, instantaneously making a star out of its director and ushering in the Summer Blockbuster term. The film, starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw, would become the highest-grossing film at the box office in film history (until “Star Wars” in 1977).
June 21
The first-ever Bonnaroo Music Festival held on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn. begins on June 21, 2002, and showcases four days of music – mostly jam bands and folk acts – including headliner Widespread Panic, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and The String Cheese Incident. The name “Bonnaroo,” which is Creole slang for “good stuff,” is taken from a Dr. John album. The event has grown in popularity over the years showcasing some of the biggest stars in rock, pop, rap and country music.
June 22
Entertainer Judy Garland, who came to superstardom in the lead role of Dorothy in the 1939 film classic “The Wizard of Oz,” was found dead of a barbiturate overdose in London at the age of 47 on June 22, 1969. Garland had battled drug and alcohol abuse throughout her adult life. She left behind three children, including actress Liza Minnelli.
June 23
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, the landmark album by R&B/soul musician Ray Charles hits No. 1 on the American pop charts on June 23, 1962, becoming the first majorly successful country music album by an African-American performer. The album saw Charles take country music standards like Eddy Arnold’s “You Don’t Know Me,” Don Gibson’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and Hank Williams’ “Hey, Good Lookin’” and “You Win Again” and putting his own soulful, jazz spin on them. The album helped bring Charles to more white audiences and country music to more black audiences and music writer Daniel Cooper attributed it to helping the country music genre’s profile with a wider audience.
June 24
Mary Pickford becomes Hollywood’s first million-dollar star when she signs a contract with Paramount Pictures on June 24, 1916, guaranteeing her full authority over the production of films in which she starred and a record-breaking salary of $10,000 a week, along with half of a film’s profits, with a guarantee of $1.04 million. Pickford, known as America’s first Hollywood sweetheart, began starring in films in 1909 and, along with Charlie Chaplin, was one of the most famous faces in the early days of the film industry. Among her achievements was helping to form the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927, which led to the annual Academy Awards. Her stardom would fall in the late ‘20s/early ‘30s with the advent of the “talkies.” Pickford died in 1979 at 87.
Golfing hero Arnold Palmer sets the biggest comeback in U.S. Open tournament history on June 18, 1960, when he erases a seven-stroke deficit on the final day of the tournament to win by two strokes over up-and-comer (and future legend) Jack Nicklaus at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado. Palmer would win seven major tournaments during his Hall of Fame career, but this would be his only U.S. Open title.
June 19
Jim Bouton’s controversial memoir Ball Four, about his 1969 Major League Baseball season which began with the Seattle Pilots and ended with the Houston Astros, is published on June 19, 1970. The book was controversial as it highlighted the behind-the-scenes of professional baseball like obscene jokes, drug use, alcoholism and womanizing. It also didn’t take it easy on the legends of the game with Bouton essentially outing New York Yankees legend, and former teammate, Mickey Mantle as an alcoholic, something which had mostly been kept quiet from the press. Ball Four was commercially successful, but MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn called it “detrimental to baseball” and attempted to force Bouton to sign a statement saying the book was completely fictional. The book made Bouton unpopular with those within the game and likely played a role in his career coming to an end shortly after its publication.
June 20
Director Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws,” based on a novel by Peter Benchley, about a shark terrorizing a New England town premieres on June 20, 1975, instantaneously making a star out of its director and ushering in the Summer Blockbuster term. The film, starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw, would become the highest-grossing film at the box office in film history (until “Star Wars” in 1977).
June 21
The first-ever Bonnaroo Music Festival held on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn. begins on June 21, 2002, and showcases four days of music – mostly jam bands and folk acts – including headliner Widespread Panic, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and The String Cheese Incident. The name “Bonnaroo,” which is Creole slang for “good stuff,” is taken from a Dr. John album. The event has grown in popularity over the years showcasing some of the biggest stars in rock, pop, rap and country music.
June 22
Entertainer Judy Garland, who came to superstardom in the lead role of Dorothy in the 1939 film classic “The Wizard of Oz,” was found dead of a barbiturate overdose in London at the age of 47 on June 22, 1969. Garland had battled drug and alcohol abuse throughout her adult life. She left behind three children, including actress Liza Minnelli.
June 23
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, the landmark album by R&B/soul musician Ray Charles hits No. 1 on the American pop charts on June 23, 1962, becoming the first majorly successful country music album by an African-American performer. The album saw Charles take country music standards like Eddy Arnold’s “You Don’t Know Me,” Don Gibson’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and Hank Williams’ “Hey, Good Lookin’” and “You Win Again” and putting his own soulful, jazz spin on them. The album helped bring Charles to more white audiences and country music to more black audiences and music writer Daniel Cooper attributed it to helping the country music genre’s profile with a wider audience.
June 24
Mary Pickford becomes Hollywood’s first million-dollar star when she signs a contract with Paramount Pictures on June 24, 1916, guaranteeing her full authority over the production of films in which she starred and a record-breaking salary of $10,000 a week, along with half of a film’s profits, with a guarantee of $1.04 million. Pickford, known as America’s first Hollywood sweetheart, began starring in films in 1909 and, along with Charlie Chaplin, was one of the most famous faces in the early days of the film industry. Among her achievements was helping to form the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927, which led to the annual Academy Awards. Her stardom would fall in the late ‘20s/early ‘30s with the advent of the “talkies.” Pickford died in 1979 at 87.
June 11 - June 17
June 11
“American Idol,” likely the most successful singing competition reality series in television history, premieres on Fox on June 11, 2002. The show features young singers vying for the title of “American Idol,” as judged by record executive Simon Cowell, singer Paula Abdul and musician/record exec Randy Jackson and an American call-in vote. Kelly Clarkson would win the first season and go on to pop music stardom. The series, created by Simon Fuller, would run on Fox from 2002-2016 before being rebooted with new judges on ABC in 2018, where it remains to this day.
June 12
Pittsburgh Pirates hurler Doc Ellis pitches a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on June 12, 1970, at San Diego Stadium in a 2-0 Pirates win. The no-hitter was special enough, but what makes it stand out in both baseball and pop culture lore is that Ellis would later admit to pitching the no-hitter under the influence of LSD. Despite the no-hitter, Ellis actually walked eight Padres hitters that day – likely because he couldn’t see where the hell they or his catcher were and had no feeling for the ball in his hand, as he would later state. Pitching a no-hitter on LSD is a wild feat, but unfortunately, other substance issues would catch up with Ellis causing an erratic career and helping to lead to his death in 2008 of liver failure at 63.
June 13
San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain became the 20th pitcher in modern baseball history (since 1900) to pitch a perfect game on June 13, 2012, when he did so against the Houston Astros in a 10-0 Giants win at AT&T Park in San Francisco. It was the first perfect game in Giants franchise history. Cain struck out 14 Astros hitters that night.
June 14
Michael Jordan hit what might be the most iconic shot of his career in the final seconds of game six of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz when he made a jumper over Jazz defender Bryon Russell to clinch an 87-86 victory and a third consecutive championship for the Chicago Bulls on June 14, 1998. It would mark the sixth title in eight years for Jordan and the Bulls and the end of Jordan’s career with the Bulls as he would announce his retirement during the offseason. He would return to the league in 2001 for a two-year stint with the Washington Wizards, in which he had an ownership stake.
June 15
The first ever moving pictures captured by a camera, using 12 cameras each taking one photo, are taken by English photographer Eadweard Muybridge on June 15, 1878. The feat is done to see if all four of a horse’s hooves leave the ground when at a gallop. 1878’s “Horse in Motion” would become the first example of chronophotography recording the passage of time. It was an integral step in the future development of motion pictures.
June 16
The inaugural Monterey International Pop Festival, a three-day music festival in Monterey Country, Calif., opened on June 16, 1967. The event, which many credits as the unofficial beginning of the “Summer of Love,” featured some of the biggest acts in rock, pop, folk, R&B and other genres at the time, including Jimi Hendrix (where he infamously set his guitar on fire at the end of his set), The Who, Grateful Dead, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and others. The concert would be immortalized in the 1968 concert film “Monterey Pop,” by documentarian D.A. Pennebaker.
June 17
Pro Football Hall of Fame running back and NFL announcer O.J. Simpson embarks on a 90-minute police chase through the highways of Los Angeles, while in the backseat of his Ford Bronco with his friend and former teammate Al Cowlings behind the wheel on June 17, 1994, after failing to turn himself in on murder charges of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her boyfriend Ron Goldman. The police chase took the nation by storm, and even caused NBC to break into its coverage of the NBA Finals between the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks for a split-screen. Roughly 95 million people watched the chase that night. Simpson would be found “not guilty” for the two murders on Oct. 3, 1995.
“American Idol,” likely the most successful singing competition reality series in television history, premieres on Fox on June 11, 2002. The show features young singers vying for the title of “American Idol,” as judged by record executive Simon Cowell, singer Paula Abdul and musician/record exec Randy Jackson and an American call-in vote. Kelly Clarkson would win the first season and go on to pop music stardom. The series, created by Simon Fuller, would run on Fox from 2002-2016 before being rebooted with new judges on ABC in 2018, where it remains to this day.
June 12
Pittsburgh Pirates hurler Doc Ellis pitches a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on June 12, 1970, at San Diego Stadium in a 2-0 Pirates win. The no-hitter was special enough, but what makes it stand out in both baseball and pop culture lore is that Ellis would later admit to pitching the no-hitter under the influence of LSD. Despite the no-hitter, Ellis actually walked eight Padres hitters that day – likely because he couldn’t see where the hell they or his catcher were and had no feeling for the ball in his hand, as he would later state. Pitching a no-hitter on LSD is a wild feat, but unfortunately, other substance issues would catch up with Ellis causing an erratic career and helping to lead to his death in 2008 of liver failure at 63.
June 13
San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain became the 20th pitcher in modern baseball history (since 1900) to pitch a perfect game on June 13, 2012, when he did so against the Houston Astros in a 10-0 Giants win at AT&T Park in San Francisco. It was the first perfect game in Giants franchise history. Cain struck out 14 Astros hitters that night.
June 14
Michael Jordan hit what might be the most iconic shot of his career in the final seconds of game six of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz when he made a jumper over Jazz defender Bryon Russell to clinch an 87-86 victory and a third consecutive championship for the Chicago Bulls on June 14, 1998. It would mark the sixth title in eight years for Jordan and the Bulls and the end of Jordan’s career with the Bulls as he would announce his retirement during the offseason. He would return to the league in 2001 for a two-year stint with the Washington Wizards, in which he had an ownership stake.
June 15
The first ever moving pictures captured by a camera, using 12 cameras each taking one photo, are taken by English photographer Eadweard Muybridge on June 15, 1878. The feat is done to see if all four of a horse’s hooves leave the ground when at a gallop. 1878’s “Horse in Motion” would become the first example of chronophotography recording the passage of time. It was an integral step in the future development of motion pictures.
June 16
The inaugural Monterey International Pop Festival, a three-day music festival in Monterey Country, Calif., opened on June 16, 1967. The event, which many credits as the unofficial beginning of the “Summer of Love,” featured some of the biggest acts in rock, pop, folk, R&B and other genres at the time, including Jimi Hendrix (where he infamously set his guitar on fire at the end of his set), The Who, Grateful Dead, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and others. The concert would be immortalized in the 1968 concert film “Monterey Pop,” by documentarian D.A. Pennebaker.
June 17
Pro Football Hall of Fame running back and NFL announcer O.J. Simpson embarks on a 90-minute police chase through the highways of Los Angeles, while in the backseat of his Ford Bronco with his friend and former teammate Al Cowlings behind the wheel on June 17, 1994, after failing to turn himself in on murder charges of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her boyfriend Ron Goldman. The police chase took the nation by storm, and even caused NBC to break into its coverage of the NBA Finals between the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks for a split-screen. Roughly 95 million people watched the chase that night. Simpson would be found “not guilty” for the two murders on Oct. 3, 1995.
June 4 - June 10
June 4
On June 4, 1970, just one month after the Ohio National Guard opened fire on students protesting the expanding involvement of the Vietnam War into Cambodia on the campus of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio killing four and wounding nine unarmed students, the rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young releases the protest song “Ohio,” written by Neil Young. Young wrote the lyrics of the song after seeing images of the massacre in Life magazine. In 2009, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
June 5
On June 5, 1952, the first nationally televised sporting event in TV history takes place when the 15-round heavyweight boxing title match between Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles is broadcast (nowhere on the Internet seems to have what network broadcast the fight!). Walcott beat Charles to retain the heavyweight title in the fourth and final matchup between the two. The boxers went 2-2 against each other.
June 6
Jockey Victor Espinoza leads American Pharoah to victory in the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, N.Y. on June 6, 2015, to complete the first Triple Crown victory in horse racing in 37 years. Trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Ahmed Zayat, American Pharoah also won the Breeders Cup Classic in 2015 making for one of the greatest years in horse racing history. American Pharoah was the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown.
On June 4, 1970, just one month after the Ohio National Guard opened fire on students protesting the expanding involvement of the Vietnam War into Cambodia on the campus of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio killing four and wounding nine unarmed students, the rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young releases the protest song “Ohio,” written by Neil Young. Young wrote the lyrics of the song after seeing images of the massacre in Life magazine. In 2009, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
June 5
On June 5, 1952, the first nationally televised sporting event in TV history takes place when the 15-round heavyweight boxing title match between Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles is broadcast (nowhere on the Internet seems to have what network broadcast the fight!). Walcott beat Charles to retain the heavyweight title in the fourth and final matchup between the two. The boxers went 2-2 against each other.
June 6
Jockey Victor Espinoza leads American Pharoah to victory in the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, N.Y. on June 6, 2015, to complete the first Triple Crown victory in horse racing in 37 years. Trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Ahmed Zayat, American Pharoah also won the Breeders Cup Classic in 2015 making for one of the greatest years in horse racing history. American Pharoah was the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown.
June 7
On June 7, 1993, music superstar Prince changes his name to an unpronounceable symbol on the occasion of his 35th birthday. The symbol, which became known as “The Love Symbol,” was done in hopes of voiding an unfavorable contract with Warner Bros. In a 2016 episode of ABC’s “20/20,” Prince’s former lawyer Londell McMillan said: “In Prince’s mind, by changing his name to a symbol, he thought he could rescind and void the contract. Because he was no longer a signatory under the name Prince Rogers Nelson. We now know that was not the case. However, it was still a very bold, courageous and clever move on his part.” Prince’s Warners deal expired in 1996 and the artist formerly known as Prince would once again resume recording and touring under his given name.
June 8
The CBS variety series “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” hosted by brother comedians Tom and Dick Smothers, airs its final episode on June 8, 1969, when executives at the network fire the duo over controversies such as being critical of the Vietnam War and the political mainstream of the time while being sympathetic toward the emerging counterculture. The show ran for three seasons before the axe fell.
June 9
Secretariat, led by jockey Ron Turcotte, caps off the greatest run in Triple Crown horse racing history winning the 105th running of Belmont Stakes in Elmont, N.Y. on June 9, 1973, by 31 lengths, the largest margin in Belmont history, to become the first Triple Crown winner since Citation in 1948. Secretariat’s winning time of two minutes and 24 seconds is still the American record for a mile and a half on dirt to this day.
June 10
“Made in America,” the 86th and final episode of HBO’s critically-acclaimed drama “The Sopranos,” airs on June 10, 2007, and has many Americans wondering if their cable/satellite or DVR went out with the unique ending that abruptly cuts to black. The series, created by David Chase, would run for six award-winning seasons, which included 21 Primetime Emmy Award wins. In 2022, Rolling Stone magazine ranked “The Sopranos” as the greatest television series of all time.
May 28 - June 3
May 28
Jazz musician Herb Alpert and his band the Tijuana Brass have four of the top 10 albums on the Billboard chart at the same time on May 28, 1966, setting a record for most albums in the top 10 at once. The albums are What Now My Love, Whipped Cream and Other Delights, South of the Border and Going Places.
May 29
Janet Guthrie becomes the first female racer to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 and competes in the race on May 29, 1977. Guthrie had first attempted to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1976 but failed to make the field. Guthrie started the ’77 race in 26th position before falling out of the race with an engine failure having completed only 27 laps. A.J. Foyt would win his record fourth Indianapolis 500 that day and it would become the last time the winning car would be built entirely within the United States. Guthrie would go on to compete in two more Indy 500s with a best finish of ninth in 1978. In 1977, Guthrie also became the first female driver to start in NASCAR’s Daytona 500.
May 30
The inaugural Indianapolis 500 is held on May 30, 1911, when Ray Harroun came out of retirement to wheel a Marmon Wasp for the Nordyke & Marmon Company to victory with an average speed of 74.602 mph. Harroun, who collected $10,000 for winning, retired for good following the race. The inaugural race took 6 hours and 42 minutes to complete.
May 31
On May 31, 1985, the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), led by Tipper Gore – the wife of then Tennessee Senator (and future Vice President) Al Gore, sent its first letter to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) requesting a ratings system for albums. Despite the objections of many artists, the end result is record labels placing warning stickers on albums containing “offensive” lyrics. Some artists would soon find that the parental advisory stickers made their albums more successful with younger music listeners.
June 1
Leslie Howard, a British actor who was one of the biggest box office draws of the 1930s and played the role of Ashley Wilkes in 1939’s “Gone with the Wind,” is killed along with 16 others when a civilian flight from Lisbon, Portugal to London, England was shot down by a Nazi aircraft on June 1, 1943. Howard had been in Portugal to help promote the British cause during World War II.
June 2
The crime drama “The Wire,” created by David Simon, premiered on HBO on June 2, 2002. The show, set in Baltimore, Md., introduced a different institution of the city and its relationship to law enforcement in each season, focusing on the illegal drug trade, the port system, government bureaucracy and more. The cast featured Dominic West, Idris Elba and Michael K. Williams in star making turns. The series, which ran for 60 episodes over five seasons, was never greatly watched at the time of its airing and has largely become considered as the greatest series of all-time to never win an Emmy Award. The series was ranked as the fourth best in television history by Rolling Stone magazine in 2022.
June 3
The iconic poem “Casey at the Bat,” written by Ernest Thayer is first published in the San Francisco Examiner (then called The Daily Examiner) on June 3, 1888. The “mock-heroic” poem, published under the pen name “Phin,” is a dramatic telling of a baseball game in which the home team Mudville is losing in the final inning and the crowd believes they can win if the team’s star player Casey gets to bat (but he’s scheduled fifth in the inning). The overconfident Casey winds up batting, strikes out swinging and sends the crowd home unhappy. “Casey at the Bat” has become one of the most known poems in American literature.
Jazz musician Herb Alpert and his band the Tijuana Brass have four of the top 10 albums on the Billboard chart at the same time on May 28, 1966, setting a record for most albums in the top 10 at once. The albums are What Now My Love, Whipped Cream and Other Delights, South of the Border and Going Places.
May 29
Janet Guthrie becomes the first female racer to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 and competes in the race on May 29, 1977. Guthrie had first attempted to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1976 but failed to make the field. Guthrie started the ’77 race in 26th position before falling out of the race with an engine failure having completed only 27 laps. A.J. Foyt would win his record fourth Indianapolis 500 that day and it would become the last time the winning car would be built entirely within the United States. Guthrie would go on to compete in two more Indy 500s with a best finish of ninth in 1978. In 1977, Guthrie also became the first female driver to start in NASCAR’s Daytona 500.
May 30
The inaugural Indianapolis 500 is held on May 30, 1911, when Ray Harroun came out of retirement to wheel a Marmon Wasp for the Nordyke & Marmon Company to victory with an average speed of 74.602 mph. Harroun, who collected $10,000 for winning, retired for good following the race. The inaugural race took 6 hours and 42 minutes to complete.
May 31
On May 31, 1985, the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), led by Tipper Gore – the wife of then Tennessee Senator (and future Vice President) Al Gore, sent its first letter to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) requesting a ratings system for albums. Despite the objections of many artists, the end result is record labels placing warning stickers on albums containing “offensive” lyrics. Some artists would soon find that the parental advisory stickers made their albums more successful with younger music listeners.
June 1
Leslie Howard, a British actor who was one of the biggest box office draws of the 1930s and played the role of Ashley Wilkes in 1939’s “Gone with the Wind,” is killed along with 16 others when a civilian flight from Lisbon, Portugal to London, England was shot down by a Nazi aircraft on June 1, 1943. Howard had been in Portugal to help promote the British cause during World War II.
June 2
The crime drama “The Wire,” created by David Simon, premiered on HBO on June 2, 2002. The show, set in Baltimore, Md., introduced a different institution of the city and its relationship to law enforcement in each season, focusing on the illegal drug trade, the port system, government bureaucracy and more. The cast featured Dominic West, Idris Elba and Michael K. Williams in star making turns. The series, which ran for 60 episodes over five seasons, was never greatly watched at the time of its airing and has largely become considered as the greatest series of all-time to never win an Emmy Award. The series was ranked as the fourth best in television history by Rolling Stone magazine in 2022.
June 3
The iconic poem “Casey at the Bat,” written by Ernest Thayer is first published in the San Francisco Examiner (then called The Daily Examiner) on June 3, 1888. The “mock-heroic” poem, published under the pen name “Phin,” is a dramatic telling of a baseball game in which the home team Mudville is losing in the final inning and the crowd believes they can win if the team’s star player Casey gets to bat (but he’s scheduled fifth in the inning). The overconfident Casey winds up batting, strikes out swinging and sends the crowd home unhappy. “Casey at the Bat” has become one of the most known poems in American literature.
May 21 - May 27
May 21
The final episode of Bob Newhart’s second successful television sitcom, “Newhart,” airs on CBS on May 21, 1990, with a memorable twist ending that paid tribute to Newhart’s first successful sitcom, “The Bob Newhart Show,” which aired on CBS from 1972-1978. “Newhart” lasted longer than the comedian’s first series, running for 184 episodes over eight seasons from 1982-1990.
May 22
Johnny Carson hosts his final episode of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” after 30 years and 4,531 episodes on May 22, 1992, at the helm of the program that made him one of the most famous faces and names in American pop culture. Carson’s final episode included many clips of his storied run as host of “The Tonight Show.” His final guests, the night before, had been comedian/actor Robin Williams and entertainer Bette Midler.
May 23
The U.S. Library of Congress hands out the first-ever Gershwin Award to Paul Simon on May 23, 2007. The Gershwin Award recognizes a “performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins.” Simon’s career, which began in 1964 with Simon & Garfunkel and has continued as a solo artist for 50-plus years, has included such lasting hits as “The Sound of Silence,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Boxer,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” “You Can Call Me Al” and “Graceland.”
May 24
The first Major League Baseball night game takes place on May 24, 1935, at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field, where the hometown Reds take on the Philadelphia Phillies in front of 25,000 fans. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt symbolically switched on the lights from Washington D.C. and poof the lights lit up Crosley Field in Cincy. The Reds defeated the Phillies 2-1. It wouldn’t be long before night games were regularly played among all teams, though Wrigley Field in Chicago would hold out for an incredible 53 more seasons before its first night game on August 8, 1988.
May 25
“The Dick Van Dyke Show” dominates the 16th annual Emmy Awards for excellence in primetime television on May 25, 1964. The CBS series would win Outstanding Comedy Series for the second straight year (it would go on to win three in a row). Dick Van Dyke won his first of three straight Emmys for his role as Rob Petrie on the show and Mary Tyler Moore won the first of her two Emmys for her portrayal of Rob’s wife Laura on the show. “The Defenders” (CBS) would win its third consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series that night.
May 26
Danny Sullivan wins the Indianapolis 500 on May 26, 1985, in one of the most memorable, exciting and unbelievable fashions. Sullivan was passing Mario Andretti for the lead of the race on lap 120 (the 60 percent point of the race) when he lost control of his car and spun directly in front of Andretti doing a complete 360-degree spin. Andretti veered to the inside of Sullivan’s spinning car unscathed and Sullivan somehow avoided contact with the track’s wall. Sullivan gathered up his car, continued and amazingly passed Andretti for the lead again 20 laps later. Sullivan would go on to win the race by 24 seconds over Andretti in a moment that would forever be known as the “Spin and Win.”
May 27
One of the funniest moments to ever take place on a baseball diamond happened on May 27, 1981, when Seattle Mariners third baseman Lenny Randle took to his hands and knees to attempt to blow a slow-rolling dribbler down the third base line by Kansas City Royals outfielder Amos Otis into foul territory. Randle was successful in his attempt to blow the ball into foul territory but the umpires ruled Randle’s action illegal and ruled Otis safe. There is no written rule in the Major League Baseball rulebook against blowing a ball foul, but rule 9.01(c) gives umps the discretion to make any ruling on anything not covered in the rulebook.
The final episode of Bob Newhart’s second successful television sitcom, “Newhart,” airs on CBS on May 21, 1990, with a memorable twist ending that paid tribute to Newhart’s first successful sitcom, “The Bob Newhart Show,” which aired on CBS from 1972-1978. “Newhart” lasted longer than the comedian’s first series, running for 184 episodes over eight seasons from 1982-1990.
May 22
Johnny Carson hosts his final episode of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” after 30 years and 4,531 episodes on May 22, 1992, at the helm of the program that made him one of the most famous faces and names in American pop culture. Carson’s final episode included many clips of his storied run as host of “The Tonight Show.” His final guests, the night before, had been comedian/actor Robin Williams and entertainer Bette Midler.
May 23
The U.S. Library of Congress hands out the first-ever Gershwin Award to Paul Simon on May 23, 2007. The Gershwin Award recognizes a “performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins.” Simon’s career, which began in 1964 with Simon & Garfunkel and has continued as a solo artist for 50-plus years, has included such lasting hits as “The Sound of Silence,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Boxer,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” “You Can Call Me Al” and “Graceland.”
May 24
The first Major League Baseball night game takes place on May 24, 1935, at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field, where the hometown Reds take on the Philadelphia Phillies in front of 25,000 fans. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt symbolically switched on the lights from Washington D.C. and poof the lights lit up Crosley Field in Cincy. The Reds defeated the Phillies 2-1. It wouldn’t be long before night games were regularly played among all teams, though Wrigley Field in Chicago would hold out for an incredible 53 more seasons before its first night game on August 8, 1988.
May 25
“The Dick Van Dyke Show” dominates the 16th annual Emmy Awards for excellence in primetime television on May 25, 1964. The CBS series would win Outstanding Comedy Series for the second straight year (it would go on to win three in a row). Dick Van Dyke won his first of three straight Emmys for his role as Rob Petrie on the show and Mary Tyler Moore won the first of her two Emmys for her portrayal of Rob’s wife Laura on the show. “The Defenders” (CBS) would win its third consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series that night.
May 26
Danny Sullivan wins the Indianapolis 500 on May 26, 1985, in one of the most memorable, exciting and unbelievable fashions. Sullivan was passing Mario Andretti for the lead of the race on lap 120 (the 60 percent point of the race) when he lost control of his car and spun directly in front of Andretti doing a complete 360-degree spin. Andretti veered to the inside of Sullivan’s spinning car unscathed and Sullivan somehow avoided contact with the track’s wall. Sullivan gathered up his car, continued and amazingly passed Andretti for the lead again 20 laps later. Sullivan would go on to win the race by 24 seconds over Andretti in a moment that would forever be known as the “Spin and Win.”
May 27
One of the funniest moments to ever take place on a baseball diamond happened on May 27, 1981, when Seattle Mariners third baseman Lenny Randle took to his hands and knees to attempt to blow a slow-rolling dribbler down the third base line by Kansas City Royals outfielder Amos Otis into foul territory. Randle was successful in his attempt to blow the ball into foul territory but the umpires ruled Randle’s action illegal and ruled Otis safe. There is no written rule in the Major League Baseball rulebook against blowing a ball foul, but rule 9.01(c) gives umps the discretion to make any ruling on anything not covered in the rulebook.
May 14 - May 20
May 14
“Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles,” a cult feminist film written and directed by Chantal Ackerman and starring Delphine Seyrig premieres at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival. The film is a slice-of-life depiction of a widowed housewife over the course of three days told in long takes, static camerawork and with a restrained pace. The film topped the once-a-decade Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time list in 2022.
May 15
Hip-hop legend Jay-Z made rap history when he became the first rapper ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on May 15, 2017. The Hall of Fame, currently located in the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, was founded in 1969. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter was inducted alongside Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Berry Gordy, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Robert Lamm & James Pankow.
May 16
The first-ever Academy Awards, presented by the newly founded Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, for excellence in the film industry, are held on May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. The inaugural event, which lasted only 15 minutes, is the only ceremony in the history of the awards to not be broadcast on either radio or television. “Wings,” directed by William A. Wellman, won the first Best Picture award, although there were kind of two “Best Pictures” with F.W. Murnau’s “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” winning Best Unique and Artistic Picture. Emil Jannings was the first Best Actor winner for his performances in “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh” and Janet Gaynor was the first Best Actress winner for “7th Heaven,” “Street Angel” and “Sunrise.”
May 17
New York Yankees pitcher David Wells pitches the 13th perfect game in modern Major League Baseball history (since 1903) in a 4-0 win against the Minnesota Twins on May 17, 1998. Wells pitched the perfect game in front of nearly 50,000 at Yankee Stadiums in New York City. Wells struck out 11 Twins batters en route to the perfect game. He would help lead the Yankees to the 1998 World Series title against the San Diego Padres that season.
May 18
“Shrek,” one of the biggest releases in the history of DreamWorks Pictures, premieres in the United States on May 18, 2001. The film stars Mike Myers as the titular giant green ogre and Eddie Murphy as his sidekick Donkey who find their home in the swamp overrun by fairy tale characters banished from Lord Farquadd (John Lithgow) and make a deal to get it back by rescuing Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). “Shrek” would go on to win the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and it was the fourth highest-grossing film of 2001. There have been five sequels and spin-offs of the movie in the 22 years since its premiere.
May 19
Actress Marilyn Monroe memorably sings “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” in an intimate, sultry way to President John F. Kennedy in front of 15,000 attendees at a gala held for his 45th birthday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It’s long been rumored, but never proven that Monroe and Kennedy had an affair. Both Monroe and Kennedy would be dead by the end of the next year. The gala for President Kennedy was one of Monroe’s final public appearances with her death from an overdose on August 4, 1962, coming at 36. President Kennedy would be assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas at 46.
May 20
After 33 years on late night television between NBC’s ‘Late Night’ and CBS’s ‘Late Show,’ David Letterman hosts the ‘Late Show’ for the final time on May 20, 2015. The final episode, which ran 17 minutes longer than the typical 60-minute episode length, was Letterman’s 6,028th show as a late-night host. The show featured a top-10 list presented by some of the show’s most memorable guests over the years like Bill Murray, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Chris Rock and Tina Fey and the final musical guest was the Foo Fighters, who played Letterman’s favorite song “Everlong” as a montage of Letterman’s 33 years in late night aired on the screen.
“Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles,” a cult feminist film written and directed by Chantal Ackerman and starring Delphine Seyrig premieres at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival. The film is a slice-of-life depiction of a widowed housewife over the course of three days told in long takes, static camerawork and with a restrained pace. The film topped the once-a-decade Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time list in 2022.
May 15
Hip-hop legend Jay-Z made rap history when he became the first rapper ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on May 15, 2017. The Hall of Fame, currently located in the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, was founded in 1969. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter was inducted alongside Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Berry Gordy, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Robert Lamm & James Pankow.
May 16
The first-ever Academy Awards, presented by the newly founded Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, for excellence in the film industry, are held on May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. The inaugural event, which lasted only 15 minutes, is the only ceremony in the history of the awards to not be broadcast on either radio or television. “Wings,” directed by William A. Wellman, won the first Best Picture award, although there were kind of two “Best Pictures” with F.W. Murnau’s “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” winning Best Unique and Artistic Picture. Emil Jannings was the first Best Actor winner for his performances in “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh” and Janet Gaynor was the first Best Actress winner for “7th Heaven,” “Street Angel” and “Sunrise.”
May 17
New York Yankees pitcher David Wells pitches the 13th perfect game in modern Major League Baseball history (since 1903) in a 4-0 win against the Minnesota Twins on May 17, 1998. Wells pitched the perfect game in front of nearly 50,000 at Yankee Stadiums in New York City. Wells struck out 11 Twins batters en route to the perfect game. He would help lead the Yankees to the 1998 World Series title against the San Diego Padres that season.
May 18
“Shrek,” one of the biggest releases in the history of DreamWorks Pictures, premieres in the United States on May 18, 2001. The film stars Mike Myers as the titular giant green ogre and Eddie Murphy as his sidekick Donkey who find their home in the swamp overrun by fairy tale characters banished from Lord Farquadd (John Lithgow) and make a deal to get it back by rescuing Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). “Shrek” would go on to win the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and it was the fourth highest-grossing film of 2001. There have been five sequels and spin-offs of the movie in the 22 years since its premiere.
May 19
Actress Marilyn Monroe memorably sings “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” in an intimate, sultry way to President John F. Kennedy in front of 15,000 attendees at a gala held for his 45th birthday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It’s long been rumored, but never proven that Monroe and Kennedy had an affair. Both Monroe and Kennedy would be dead by the end of the next year. The gala for President Kennedy was one of Monroe’s final public appearances with her death from an overdose on August 4, 1962, coming at 36. President Kennedy would be assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas at 46.
May 20
After 33 years on late night television between NBC’s ‘Late Night’ and CBS’s ‘Late Show,’ David Letterman hosts the ‘Late Show’ for the final time on May 20, 2015. The final episode, which ran 17 minutes longer than the typical 60-minute episode length, was Letterman’s 6,028th show as a late-night host. The show featured a top-10 list presented by some of the show’s most memorable guests over the years like Bill Murray, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Chris Rock and Tina Fey and the final musical guest was the Foo Fighters, who played Letterman’s favorite song “Everlong” as a montage of Letterman’s 33 years in late night aired on the screen.
May 7 - May 13
May 7
The Denver Nuggets pulled off an overtime stunner on May 7, 1994, when the team beat the Seattle SuperSonics 98-94 becoming the first No. 8 seed in NBA playoff history to upset a No. 1 seed since the NBA adopted its current playoff format a decade prior. The SuperSonics had won a franchise record 63 games before running into Denver coach Dan Issel’s squad led by big men Dikembe Mutombo, LaPhonso Ellis and Brian Williams forcing Seattle’s stars Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton into ineffective game 7 performances. The most memorable image from Denver’s historic win was Mutombo lying on the court with the ball in his hands screaming and crying tears of joy. Since that date, the No. 8 seed has gone on to upset the No. 1 seed four more times, including the current NBA Playoffs in which the Miami Heat did so to the Milwaukee Bucks.
May 8
“Dr. No,” the first James Bond movie, directed by Terence Young and starring Sean Connery in the lead role as Agent 007, premiered on May 8, 1963, in the United States. The character based on the series of spy novels by British novelist Ian Fleming would be sent to Jamaica in “Dr. No” to investigate the disappearance of a fellow British agent while coming across the nefarious Dr. Julius No plotting to disrupt an American space launch with a radio beam weapon. “Dr. No” would earn $59.5 million worldwide and lead to a series that has spanned 25 films and six actors (and counting) as Bond.
May 9
On May 1974, Bruce Springsteen receives a career boost when he gets the chance to open for Bonnie Raitt at her Boston Arena show. Raitt insisted Springsteen play a full two-hour, unusual for an opening act, and he was so impressive it led to journalist Jon Landau writing in Boston’s The Real Paper: “I saw rock and roll future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen. And on a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music for the very first time.” Landau would soon become Springsteen’s manager and producer and his career would skyrocket.
May 10
Boston Bruins superstar Bobby Orr scores his famous overtime winner in game four of the 1970 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the Boston Garden to lead the Bruins to a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues. It’s the Bruins’ first title since 1941. The image, captured by photographer Ray Lussier, of Orr flying through the air in celebration is one of the most famous in both hockey and sports history.
May 11
On May 11, 1981, reggae and Jamaican legend Bob Marley dies at age 36 following a long battle with cancer. Marley had done more than perhaps any other artist in the genre of reggae to bring it to the mainstream with albums like 1977’s Exodus and songs like “Get Up, Stand Up,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “No Woman, No Cry” and “Three Little Birds.” Marley was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
May 12
Folk star Bob Dylan refuses to appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show” when they won’t let him play the song “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues” on May 12, 1963. The song, which was intended for his 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, is a satire involving a paranoid narrator who is convinced communists are infiltrating the country and joins the anti-communist John Birch Society and begins to search the commies out. CBS worried that including the show on the show could result in a defamation lawsuit from the John Birch Society and wanted Dylan to perform a different song. He refused and walked off the set. The refusal led to national attention and Columbia Records, concerned about lawsuits and backlash, removed the track from the upcoming album.
May 13
The first-ever race of the newly created Formula 1 World Drivers Championship series was run at Silverstone, England on May 13, 1950, and won by Italian driver Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo. Farina would go on to win the championship by three points over future five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina.
The Denver Nuggets pulled off an overtime stunner on May 7, 1994, when the team beat the Seattle SuperSonics 98-94 becoming the first No. 8 seed in NBA playoff history to upset a No. 1 seed since the NBA adopted its current playoff format a decade prior. The SuperSonics had won a franchise record 63 games before running into Denver coach Dan Issel’s squad led by big men Dikembe Mutombo, LaPhonso Ellis and Brian Williams forcing Seattle’s stars Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton into ineffective game 7 performances. The most memorable image from Denver’s historic win was Mutombo lying on the court with the ball in his hands screaming and crying tears of joy. Since that date, the No. 8 seed has gone on to upset the No. 1 seed four more times, including the current NBA Playoffs in which the Miami Heat did so to the Milwaukee Bucks.
May 8
“Dr. No,” the first James Bond movie, directed by Terence Young and starring Sean Connery in the lead role as Agent 007, premiered on May 8, 1963, in the United States. The character based on the series of spy novels by British novelist Ian Fleming would be sent to Jamaica in “Dr. No” to investigate the disappearance of a fellow British agent while coming across the nefarious Dr. Julius No plotting to disrupt an American space launch with a radio beam weapon. “Dr. No” would earn $59.5 million worldwide and lead to a series that has spanned 25 films and six actors (and counting) as Bond.
May 9
On May 1974, Bruce Springsteen receives a career boost when he gets the chance to open for Bonnie Raitt at her Boston Arena show. Raitt insisted Springsteen play a full two-hour, unusual for an opening act, and he was so impressive it led to journalist Jon Landau writing in Boston’s The Real Paper: “I saw rock and roll future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen. And on a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music for the very first time.” Landau would soon become Springsteen’s manager and producer and his career would skyrocket.
May 10
Boston Bruins superstar Bobby Orr scores his famous overtime winner in game four of the 1970 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the Boston Garden to lead the Bruins to a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues. It’s the Bruins’ first title since 1941. The image, captured by photographer Ray Lussier, of Orr flying through the air in celebration is one of the most famous in both hockey and sports history.
May 11
On May 11, 1981, reggae and Jamaican legend Bob Marley dies at age 36 following a long battle with cancer. Marley had done more than perhaps any other artist in the genre of reggae to bring it to the mainstream with albums like 1977’s Exodus and songs like “Get Up, Stand Up,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “No Woman, No Cry” and “Three Little Birds.” Marley was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
May 12
Folk star Bob Dylan refuses to appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show” when they won’t let him play the song “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues” on May 12, 1963. The song, which was intended for his 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, is a satire involving a paranoid narrator who is convinced communists are infiltrating the country and joins the anti-communist John Birch Society and begins to search the commies out. CBS worried that including the show on the show could result in a defamation lawsuit from the John Birch Society and wanted Dylan to perform a different song. He refused and walked off the set. The refusal led to national attention and Columbia Records, concerned about lawsuits and backlash, removed the track from the upcoming album.
May 13
The first-ever race of the newly created Formula 1 World Drivers Championship series was run at Silverstone, England on May 13, 1950, and won by Italian driver Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo. Farina would go on to win the championship by three points over future five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina.
April 30 - May 6
April 30
Mr. Potato Head, a toy potato with a face invented by George Lerner and manufactured and distributed by Hasbro, was the first toy to ever be advertised on a television commercial on April 30, 1952. The toy didn’t look quite the way it does today – and has been called “nightmare-inducing” by some online. More than 70 years later, Mr. Potato Head (with its less scary appearance) toys can still be purchased. It was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000 and has appeared in all four of Pixar’s ‘Toy Story’ movies voiced by comedian Don Rickles.
May 1
Tennis legend Billie Jean King publicly acknowledged she was in a lesbian relationship with Marilyn Barnett on May 1, 1981, becoming the first prominent sportswoman to announce they were gay. King is one of the winningest women’s tennis players of all-time winning 12 singles major tournaments, including six Wimbledon titles, from 1966-1975. She famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the televised exhibition known as the “Battles of the Sexes” in 1973 at age 29. She competed in singles matches from 1959-1983. She’s also been a champion for pay equality both in tennis and other areas of life.
May 2
“Iron Man,” the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is released in the United States on May 2, 2008. The film is directed by Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr. as the lead Tony Stark and the titular Iron Man superhero. “Iron Man” grossed over $585 million becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2008 and it started the superhero era of filmmaking that’s taken over cinema over the last decade and a half.
May 3
Kitty Wells was a country music barrier breaker when her hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts in 1952. The song, written by J.D. “Jay” Miller as a direct response to Hank Thompson’s hit “The Wild Side of Life,” was recorded by Wells on May 3, 1952. The song established Wells as a country music superstar and helped pave the way for future country music legends like Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton. The song was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2007.
Mr. Potato Head, a toy potato with a face invented by George Lerner and manufactured and distributed by Hasbro, was the first toy to ever be advertised on a television commercial on April 30, 1952. The toy didn’t look quite the way it does today – and has been called “nightmare-inducing” by some online. More than 70 years later, Mr. Potato Head (with its less scary appearance) toys can still be purchased. It was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000 and has appeared in all four of Pixar’s ‘Toy Story’ movies voiced by comedian Don Rickles.
May 1
Tennis legend Billie Jean King publicly acknowledged she was in a lesbian relationship with Marilyn Barnett on May 1, 1981, becoming the first prominent sportswoman to announce they were gay. King is one of the winningest women’s tennis players of all-time winning 12 singles major tournaments, including six Wimbledon titles, from 1966-1975. She famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the televised exhibition known as the “Battles of the Sexes” in 1973 at age 29. She competed in singles matches from 1959-1983. She’s also been a champion for pay equality both in tennis and other areas of life.
May 2
“Iron Man,” the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is released in the United States on May 2, 2008. The film is directed by Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr. as the lead Tony Stark and the titular Iron Man superhero. “Iron Man” grossed over $585 million becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2008 and it started the superhero era of filmmaking that’s taken over cinema over the last decade and a half.
May 3
Kitty Wells was a country music barrier breaker when her hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts in 1952. The song, written by J.D. “Jay” Miller as a direct response to Hank Thompson’s hit “The Wild Side of Life,” was recorded by Wells on May 3, 1952. The song established Wells as a country music superstar and helped pave the way for future country music legends like Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton. The song was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2007.
May 4
The first-ever Grammy Awards are held in two different locations – Los Angeles and New York City – on May 4, 1959, recognizing the best musical accomplishments and performers for the year 1958. The first ever Record of the Year went to Domenico Modugno for “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare).” Modugno and co-writer Franco Migliacci would win Song of the Year for the track. The first Album of the Year went to The Music from Peter Gunn by composer Henry Mancini. Other winners included Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Perry Como, The Kingston Trio and The Champs.
May 5
Boston Americans ace pitcher Cy Young, who would one day become the name-bearer on the award given to the game’s best pitchers each season, pitched the first perfect game in modern-day baseball history (1901-present) in a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Athletics on May 5, 1904. The 37-year-old hurler struck out eight Athletics hitters that day in front of more than 10,000 spectators at Boston’s Huntington Avenue Grounds.
May 6
English track athlete Roger Bannister, age 25, became the first athlete to record a sub-four-minute mile on May 6, 1954, during a British AAA and Oxford University meet at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford in front of about 3,000 spectators. The historical moment was almost postponed to another day by up to 25 MPH winds, but when they dropped just before the race was scheduled to begin, Bannister decided to give it a go. He completed the mile in 3:59.4. The current record for a mile run is 3:43.13 by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, set in 1999. Bannister went on to be a neurologist following his track career and once said he was prouder of his academic medicine through research into the nervous system’s responses than the record-setting mile run. Bannister died at age 88 in 2018.
The first-ever Grammy Awards are held in two different locations – Los Angeles and New York City – on May 4, 1959, recognizing the best musical accomplishments and performers for the year 1958. The first ever Record of the Year went to Domenico Modugno for “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare).” Modugno and co-writer Franco Migliacci would win Song of the Year for the track. The first Album of the Year went to The Music from Peter Gunn by composer Henry Mancini. Other winners included Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Perry Como, The Kingston Trio and The Champs.
May 5
Boston Americans ace pitcher Cy Young, who would one day become the name-bearer on the award given to the game’s best pitchers each season, pitched the first perfect game in modern-day baseball history (1901-present) in a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Athletics on May 5, 1904. The 37-year-old hurler struck out eight Athletics hitters that day in front of more than 10,000 spectators at Boston’s Huntington Avenue Grounds.
May 6
English track athlete Roger Bannister, age 25, became the first athlete to record a sub-four-minute mile on May 6, 1954, during a British AAA and Oxford University meet at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford in front of about 3,000 spectators. The historical moment was almost postponed to another day by up to 25 MPH winds, but when they dropped just before the race was scheduled to begin, Bannister decided to give it a go. He completed the mile in 3:59.4. The current record for a mile run is 3:43.13 by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, set in 1999. Bannister went on to be a neurologist following his track career and once said he was prouder of his academic medicine through research into the nervous system’s responses than the record-setting mile run. Bannister died at age 88 in 2018.
April 23 - April 29
April 23
The Dallas Cowboys selected UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman as the first overall pick in the NFL Draft on April 23, 1989. Aikman was UCLA’s first Davey O’Brien Award winner given to college football’s best quarterback in his senior year. Aikman would lead the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles during his 12-year hall-of-fame NFL career. Aikman would retire after the 2000 season with a 94-71 career record, almost 33,000 passing yards and 165 touchdown passes.
April 24
“Saturday Night Live” executive producer Lorne Michaels appears around the halfway point of the first season’s 18th episode hosted by actress Raquel Welch on April 24, 1976, to offer The Beatles $3,000 (union scale being the joke) to reunite on the show. Paul McCartney and John Lennon were actually watching the episode live from Lennon’s New York City apartment and considered showing up but ultimately passed on the opportunity. In November of that year, George Harrison would be the musical guest during a season two episode hosted by fellow musician Paul Simon in which he (jokingly) tried to accept Michaels’s offer with the producer explaining the check was for all four Beatles to appear together. The Beatles never reunited with the chance to do so ending with John Lennon’s death via assassination in 1980.
April 25
“Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” a musical based on Mark Twain’s classic 1884 novel, with a boom by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by country music superstar Roger Miller premieres on Broadway on April 25, 1985. The original production of ‘Big River’ would run for more than 1,000 performances and would go on to win seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for Miller.
April 26
The Baltimore Colts selected Stanford quarterback John Elway as the first overall pick in the NFL Draft on April 26, 1983, despite the QB’s warning that he would not play for the Colts, one of the league’s worst franchises at the time. Elway threatened to play Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees, who had drafted him if the Colts drafted him. The Colts selected him anyway with the first pick, and Elway stated in a press conference that day: “As I stand here right now, I’m playing baseball.” One week later the Colts traded Elway to the Denver Broncos for offensive lineman Chris Hinton (whom Denver drafted fourth overall in the same draft), backup quarterback Mark Herrmann and a first-round pick in the 1984 draft. The Colts would controversially relocate to Indianapolis in 1984. Elway would spend his 16-year hall-of-fame career in Denver, where he won back-to-back Super Bowls in his last two seasons.
April 27
Undefeated heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano announced his retirement from the sport on April 27, 1956, at age 32 with a career record of 49-0. To this day, he’s the only heavyweight champion to have ever finished his career undefeated. He first took the heavyweight title from Jersey Joe Walcott in 1952 and defended it six times, against Walcott, Roland La Starza, Ezzard Charles (twice), Don Cockell and Archie Moore. Forty-three of his 49 career victories came via knockout. Marciano died on August 31, 1969, in a plane crash in Iowa at only 45.
April 28
Apple launched the iTunes store, the first widely successful legal music download app, on April 28, 2003, thanks to the emergence of the company’s mini music player known as the iPod. By July 11, 2004, the store had received 100 million song purchases. The 1 billion sold mark came on February 23, 2006, when Alex Ostrovsky of West Bloomfield, Mich. purchased Coldplay’s “Speed of Sound.” More than 35 billion songs have been sold on the iTunes store. The creation of iTunes was a boon to music fans who could now carry their entire library of music in their pockets but also proved controversial in changing the music industry to more of a singles purchase business than an album sales one.
April 29
On April 29, 2018, the Fox animated series “The Simpsons” aired its 636th episode, “Forgive and Regret,” which surpassed the 635-episode count of the long-running CBS Western “Gunsmoke” for most episodes aired by a television series in, at least, American television history. The series, featuring Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson, continues to this date and has aired 746 episodes thus far.
The Dallas Cowboys selected UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman as the first overall pick in the NFL Draft on April 23, 1989. Aikman was UCLA’s first Davey O’Brien Award winner given to college football’s best quarterback in his senior year. Aikman would lead the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles during his 12-year hall-of-fame NFL career. Aikman would retire after the 2000 season with a 94-71 career record, almost 33,000 passing yards and 165 touchdown passes.
April 24
“Saturday Night Live” executive producer Lorne Michaels appears around the halfway point of the first season’s 18th episode hosted by actress Raquel Welch on April 24, 1976, to offer The Beatles $3,000 (union scale being the joke) to reunite on the show. Paul McCartney and John Lennon were actually watching the episode live from Lennon’s New York City apartment and considered showing up but ultimately passed on the opportunity. In November of that year, George Harrison would be the musical guest during a season two episode hosted by fellow musician Paul Simon in which he (jokingly) tried to accept Michaels’s offer with the producer explaining the check was for all four Beatles to appear together. The Beatles never reunited with the chance to do so ending with John Lennon’s death via assassination in 1980.
April 25
“Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” a musical based on Mark Twain’s classic 1884 novel, with a boom by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by country music superstar Roger Miller premieres on Broadway on April 25, 1985. The original production of ‘Big River’ would run for more than 1,000 performances and would go on to win seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for Miller.
April 26
The Baltimore Colts selected Stanford quarterback John Elway as the first overall pick in the NFL Draft on April 26, 1983, despite the QB’s warning that he would not play for the Colts, one of the league’s worst franchises at the time. Elway threatened to play Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees, who had drafted him if the Colts drafted him. The Colts selected him anyway with the first pick, and Elway stated in a press conference that day: “As I stand here right now, I’m playing baseball.” One week later the Colts traded Elway to the Denver Broncos for offensive lineman Chris Hinton (whom Denver drafted fourth overall in the same draft), backup quarterback Mark Herrmann and a first-round pick in the 1984 draft. The Colts would controversially relocate to Indianapolis in 1984. Elway would spend his 16-year hall-of-fame career in Denver, where he won back-to-back Super Bowls in his last two seasons.
April 27
Undefeated heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano announced his retirement from the sport on April 27, 1956, at age 32 with a career record of 49-0. To this day, he’s the only heavyweight champion to have ever finished his career undefeated. He first took the heavyweight title from Jersey Joe Walcott in 1952 and defended it six times, against Walcott, Roland La Starza, Ezzard Charles (twice), Don Cockell and Archie Moore. Forty-three of his 49 career victories came via knockout. Marciano died on August 31, 1969, in a plane crash in Iowa at only 45.
April 28
Apple launched the iTunes store, the first widely successful legal music download app, on April 28, 2003, thanks to the emergence of the company’s mini music player known as the iPod. By July 11, 2004, the store had received 100 million song purchases. The 1 billion sold mark came on February 23, 2006, when Alex Ostrovsky of West Bloomfield, Mich. purchased Coldplay’s “Speed of Sound.” More than 35 billion songs have been sold on the iTunes store. The creation of iTunes was a boon to music fans who could now carry their entire library of music in their pockets but also proved controversial in changing the music industry to more of a singles purchase business than an album sales one.
April 29
On April 29, 2018, the Fox animated series “The Simpsons” aired its 636th episode, “Forgive and Regret,” which surpassed the 635-episode count of the long-running CBS Western “Gunsmoke” for most episodes aired by a television series in, at least, American television history. The series, featuring Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson, continues to this date and has aired 746 episodes thus far.
April 16-April 22
April 16
While on shore leave from the Merchant Marines, Woody Guthrie arrives at Folkway Records studio in New York City on April 16, 1944, to begin recording with the label’s founder Moses Asch. Among the songs recorded during what would become known as “The Asch Recordings” is the iconic protest anthem “This Land Is Your Land,” which frankly should be adopted as the new National Anthem for the United States of America.
April 17
“Game of Thrones,” based on the fantasy novels by author George R.R. Martin, premieres on HBO on April 17, 2011. The show, known at least partially at first for its shocking, graphic violence and large amounts of sex and nudity, would go on to become one of TV’s most beloved and talked about shows. The show, which ended in 2019, would win a record 59 Emmy Awards for a drama series over its eight seasons.
April 18
Boston Celtics superstar center Bill Russell becomes the first African American head coach in NBA history when he’s hired by Boston to replace the retiring legend, Red Auerbach. Russell was actually Auerbach and the team’s fourth choice after Frank Ramsay, Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn all turned down the job. On April 18, 1966, Russell agreed to become a player-coach for the team, which had won eight straight titles, at just 32 years old. Russell would coach the team to back-to-back titles in his second and third seasons as player-coach in 1968 and 1969. Russell is one of four NBA players to have been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.
April 19
Actress Mae West is found guilty of “obscenity and corrupting the morals of youth” for her stage play “Sex,” which she wrote, directed and starred in, at the Jefferson Market Court House in New York City on April 19, 1927. West was sentenced to 10 days in prison. She could have paid a fine and forgone prison time, but she knew serving the time would be good publicity. She wound up serving eight days with two off for good behavior. The incident helped launch her Hollywood career.
April 20
On April 20, 2021, country music legend Willie Nelson and his Luck Reunion team called on President Joe Biden to declare April 20 a national marijuana holiday and start of a nine-day celebration leading up to Nelson’s birthday on April 29. The petition addressed to President Biden and the United State Congress read: “The fine people of Luck, Texas, and supporters of the great Willie Nelson, on behalf of cannabis users around the nation, are writing today to ask you to consider declaring the nine days spanning April 20 to April 29 an official national holiday: the ‘High Holidays.’ To this date, the petition has been unsuccessful.
April 21
The music world was shocked and saddened on April 21, 2016, when legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist Prince was found dead at his Minneapolis home. He was 57. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer with massive hits like “When Doves Cry,” “Purple Rain” and “1999,” had been suffering from an opioid addiction and was found to have died via accidental overdose of fentanyl, contained in counterfeit pills meant to look like the painkiller hydrocodone.
April 22
Possibly the greatest episode in the 48-year history of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” aired on April 22, 1978, in season three of the late-night sketch comedy show when comedian Steve Martin hosted with musical guest the Blues Brothers. Incredibly it was already the third episode that season hosted by Martin who would perform his novelty song “King Tut” on the broadcast comically paying homage to Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun and the traveling exhibit that toured multiple American cities in the late ‘70s. Following the performance on the show, “King Tut” would be released as a single, sell more than a million copies and even reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. That evening’s episode of ‘SNL’ was opened by another musical performance, the television debut of The Blues Brothers, the side project of ‘SNL’ cast members Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, who performed “Hey Bartender” and “Soul Man.” Later in the episode, they would perform “I Don’t Know.” The popularity of the duo, which began through their mutual love of blues music, would lead to the popular 1980 comedy film “The Blues Brothers.” The show that night also featured the recurring characters the Festrunk Brothers (Aykroyd and Martin) and The Nerds (Bill Murray and Gilda Radner).
While on shore leave from the Merchant Marines, Woody Guthrie arrives at Folkway Records studio in New York City on April 16, 1944, to begin recording with the label’s founder Moses Asch. Among the songs recorded during what would become known as “The Asch Recordings” is the iconic protest anthem “This Land Is Your Land,” which frankly should be adopted as the new National Anthem for the United States of America.
April 17
“Game of Thrones,” based on the fantasy novels by author George R.R. Martin, premieres on HBO on April 17, 2011. The show, known at least partially at first for its shocking, graphic violence and large amounts of sex and nudity, would go on to become one of TV’s most beloved and talked about shows. The show, which ended in 2019, would win a record 59 Emmy Awards for a drama series over its eight seasons.
April 18
Boston Celtics superstar center Bill Russell becomes the first African American head coach in NBA history when he’s hired by Boston to replace the retiring legend, Red Auerbach. Russell was actually Auerbach and the team’s fourth choice after Frank Ramsay, Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn all turned down the job. On April 18, 1966, Russell agreed to become a player-coach for the team, which had won eight straight titles, at just 32 years old. Russell would coach the team to back-to-back titles in his second and third seasons as player-coach in 1968 and 1969. Russell is one of four NBA players to have been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.
April 19
Actress Mae West is found guilty of “obscenity and corrupting the morals of youth” for her stage play “Sex,” which she wrote, directed and starred in, at the Jefferson Market Court House in New York City on April 19, 1927. West was sentenced to 10 days in prison. She could have paid a fine and forgone prison time, but she knew serving the time would be good publicity. She wound up serving eight days with two off for good behavior. The incident helped launch her Hollywood career.
April 20
On April 20, 2021, country music legend Willie Nelson and his Luck Reunion team called on President Joe Biden to declare April 20 a national marijuana holiday and start of a nine-day celebration leading up to Nelson’s birthday on April 29. The petition addressed to President Biden and the United State Congress read: “The fine people of Luck, Texas, and supporters of the great Willie Nelson, on behalf of cannabis users around the nation, are writing today to ask you to consider declaring the nine days spanning April 20 to April 29 an official national holiday: the ‘High Holidays.’ To this date, the petition has been unsuccessful.
April 21
The music world was shocked and saddened on April 21, 2016, when legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist Prince was found dead at his Minneapolis home. He was 57. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer with massive hits like “When Doves Cry,” “Purple Rain” and “1999,” had been suffering from an opioid addiction and was found to have died via accidental overdose of fentanyl, contained in counterfeit pills meant to look like the painkiller hydrocodone.
April 22
Possibly the greatest episode in the 48-year history of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” aired on April 22, 1978, in season three of the late-night sketch comedy show when comedian Steve Martin hosted with musical guest the Blues Brothers. Incredibly it was already the third episode that season hosted by Martin who would perform his novelty song “King Tut” on the broadcast comically paying homage to Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun and the traveling exhibit that toured multiple American cities in the late ‘70s. Following the performance on the show, “King Tut” would be released as a single, sell more than a million copies and even reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. That evening’s episode of ‘SNL’ was opened by another musical performance, the television debut of The Blues Brothers, the side project of ‘SNL’ cast members Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, who performed “Hey Bartender” and “Soul Man.” Later in the episode, they would perform “I Don’t Know.” The popularity of the duo, which began through their mutual love of blues music, would lead to the popular 1980 comedy film “The Blues Brothers.” The show that night also featured the recurring characters the Festrunk Brothers (Aykroyd and Martin) and The Nerds (Bill Murray and Gilda Radner).
April 9 - April 15
April 9
Actress Linda Hunt makes history at the 56th annual Academy Awards on April 9, 1984, when she becomes the first person to win an Oscar for portraying a character of the opposite sex. Hunt portrayed photojournalist Billy Kwan in the film “The Year of Living Dangerously,” directed by Peter Weir, and won Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Hunt is the only actor to accomplish this in Oscars history.
April 10
Sam Kinison, a Pentecostal preacher turned brash stand-up comedian, was killed by a drunk driver near Needles, Calif. on April 10, 1992. He was 38. Kinison was one of the most popular stand-up comedians of the 1980s and early ‘90s and was one of the first to develop a persona of not caring whether or not the audience liked him. His style of comedy featuring loud tirades was inspired by his “fire and brimstone” style of preaching in his previous career.
April 11
“Singin’ in the Rain,” co-directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, premiered in the U.S. on April 11, 1952. The musical starred Kelly, Donald O’Connor and newcomer Debbie Reynolds as actors struggling to adapt to the invention of the “talkie” and features some of the most memorable musical movie scenes in Hollywood history. Though it wasn’t a huge success when released in 1952, the movie would go on to be remembered as one of the greatest musicals ever made. The American Film Institute named “Singin’ in the Rain” as the greatest American musical of all time in 2006.
April 12
Garth Brooks released his self-titled debut album on April 12, 1989. The album featured two No. 1 hits “If Tomorrow Never Comes” and “The Dance,” which would become Brooks classics. “The Dance” would win the American Country Music (ACM) award for Song of the Year in 1991. The album has gone on to sell more than 10 million copies in the U.S. and launched the career of potentially the most successful artist in country music history.
April 13
Jack Nicklaus won his professional golf record 18th major tournament on April 13, 1986, when he won the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga. by one-stroke over Tom Kite and Greg Norman in a come-from-behind win after shooting 65 (7-under) in the final round. It was Nicklaus’ record sixth Masters title and his first major victory in six years.
April 14
Tiger Woods accomplished what many golf fans believed he might never again when he won the Masters Tournament on April 14, 2019, for his first major tournament victory since the U.S. Open in 2008. Woods had suffered multiple injuries and a high-profile divorce in the years since his last major win. The Masters victory was the fifth of his career and his 15th career major title.
April 15
In potentially the greatest and most significant moment in sports history, Jackie Robinson integrated Major League Baseball by becoming the first African American in the league (at least in its modern era) when he made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Robinson would go on to win Rookie of the Year, National League M.V.P. in 1949, the World Series in 1955 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Robinson’s No. 42 jersey number was retired league-wide in 1997 on the 50th anniversary of his debut.
Actress Linda Hunt makes history at the 56th annual Academy Awards on April 9, 1984, when she becomes the first person to win an Oscar for portraying a character of the opposite sex. Hunt portrayed photojournalist Billy Kwan in the film “The Year of Living Dangerously,” directed by Peter Weir, and won Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Hunt is the only actor to accomplish this in Oscars history.
April 10
Sam Kinison, a Pentecostal preacher turned brash stand-up comedian, was killed by a drunk driver near Needles, Calif. on April 10, 1992. He was 38. Kinison was one of the most popular stand-up comedians of the 1980s and early ‘90s and was one of the first to develop a persona of not caring whether or not the audience liked him. His style of comedy featuring loud tirades was inspired by his “fire and brimstone” style of preaching in his previous career.
April 11
“Singin’ in the Rain,” co-directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, premiered in the U.S. on April 11, 1952. The musical starred Kelly, Donald O’Connor and newcomer Debbie Reynolds as actors struggling to adapt to the invention of the “talkie” and features some of the most memorable musical movie scenes in Hollywood history. Though it wasn’t a huge success when released in 1952, the movie would go on to be remembered as one of the greatest musicals ever made. The American Film Institute named “Singin’ in the Rain” as the greatest American musical of all time in 2006.
April 12
Garth Brooks released his self-titled debut album on April 12, 1989. The album featured two No. 1 hits “If Tomorrow Never Comes” and “The Dance,” which would become Brooks classics. “The Dance” would win the American Country Music (ACM) award for Song of the Year in 1991. The album has gone on to sell more than 10 million copies in the U.S. and launched the career of potentially the most successful artist in country music history.
April 13
Jack Nicklaus won his professional golf record 18th major tournament on April 13, 1986, when he won the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga. by one-stroke over Tom Kite and Greg Norman in a come-from-behind win after shooting 65 (7-under) in the final round. It was Nicklaus’ record sixth Masters title and his first major victory in six years.
April 14
Tiger Woods accomplished what many golf fans believed he might never again when he won the Masters Tournament on April 14, 2019, for his first major tournament victory since the U.S. Open in 2008. Woods had suffered multiple injuries and a high-profile divorce in the years since his last major win. The Masters victory was the fifth of his career and his 15th career major title.
April 15
In potentially the greatest and most significant moment in sports history, Jackie Robinson integrated Major League Baseball by becoming the first African American in the league (at least in its modern era) when he made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Robinson would go on to win Rookie of the Year, National League M.V.P. in 1949, the World Series in 1955 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Robinson’s No. 42 jersey number was retired league-wide in 1997 on the 50th anniversary of his debut.
April 2 - April 8
April 2
John Thompson became the first African American head coach to lead his team to any Division I title in collegiate sports when his Georgetown Hoyas squad defeated the Houston Cougars 84-75 on April 2, 1984, in the men’s college basketball championship game. Hoyas center (and future Basketball Hall of Famer) Patrick Ewing was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
April 3
TV Guide, the magazine dedicated to giving American television viewers a programming schedule and television news, debuts with its inaugural issue on April 3, 1953, featuring “I Love Lucy” stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s new born baby boy Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV with the headline “Lucy’s $50,000,000 Baby.” Founded by Walter Annenberg in New York City, TV Guide is still in operation 70 years later.
April 4
In one of the most exciting finishes in NCAA men’s college basketball championship game history, the North Carolina State Wolfpack defeat the Houston Cougars 54-52 on a buzzer-beating dunk by Lorenzo Charles after catching a desperation 30-foot airball from Dereck Whittenburg on April 4, 1983. The Wolfpack were a major underdog in the game that may be best known for N.C. State coach Jim Valvano’s exuberant celebration.
April 5
Nirvana vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain died via suicide at the age of 27 on April 5, 1994, in his home in Seattle. His body wouldn’t be found for three days when an electrician entered the home to install an alarm system. Cobain, who shot to fame in 1991 with his band’s release of the “album of a generation” Nevermind, had suffered from depression and heroin addiction in the years leading up to his death. He was survived by his wife Courtney Love and his less than two-year-old daughter Frances Bean.
April 6
The first modern-day Summer Olympic Games opened in Athens, Greece on April 6, 1896. The games, organized by the International Olympic Committee, which had been created by Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin, were inspired by the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece beginning around 776 B.C. According to the I.O.C., 14 nations and 241 athletes (all men) competed in the 1896 Summer Games. The U.S.A. would win the most gold medals with 11, while the home country Greece won the most total medals with 47.
April 7
Director John Schlesinger’s “Midnight Cowboy” becomes the first (and only) X-rated movie to win Best Picture at the 42nd Academy Awards ceremony on April 7, 1970. “Midnight Cowboy” features Jon Voight as young Texan Joe Buck, a dishwasher who quits his job and moves to New York City to become a male prostitute, where he reluctantly develops a friendship with a conman “Ratso” Rizzo, played by Dustin Hoffman. The film initially received an R-rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), but United Artists actually asked for it to be changed to an X-rating when its lead executive Arthur Krim consulted a psychiatrist who told him young people should not view the film’s gay sex scenes because it might influence them to live that lifestyle.
April 8
Atlanta Braves outfielder Hank Aaron breaks maybe the most beloved record in all of sports when he hits career home run No. 715 off of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing on April 8, 1974, at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium to break the Major League Baseball home run record held by New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth. The record-breaking home run had a bigger impact on America than just the breaking of a treasured record, as Aaron, a black man from the south and playing baseball for the MLB’s only Southern team at that time, broke a record of a white hero while receiving death threats all the while.
John Thompson became the first African American head coach to lead his team to any Division I title in collegiate sports when his Georgetown Hoyas squad defeated the Houston Cougars 84-75 on April 2, 1984, in the men’s college basketball championship game. Hoyas center (and future Basketball Hall of Famer) Patrick Ewing was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
April 3
TV Guide, the magazine dedicated to giving American television viewers a programming schedule and television news, debuts with its inaugural issue on April 3, 1953, featuring “I Love Lucy” stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s new born baby boy Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV with the headline “Lucy’s $50,000,000 Baby.” Founded by Walter Annenberg in New York City, TV Guide is still in operation 70 years later.
April 4
In one of the most exciting finishes in NCAA men’s college basketball championship game history, the North Carolina State Wolfpack defeat the Houston Cougars 54-52 on a buzzer-beating dunk by Lorenzo Charles after catching a desperation 30-foot airball from Dereck Whittenburg on April 4, 1983. The Wolfpack were a major underdog in the game that may be best known for N.C. State coach Jim Valvano’s exuberant celebration.
April 5
Nirvana vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain died via suicide at the age of 27 on April 5, 1994, in his home in Seattle. His body wouldn’t be found for three days when an electrician entered the home to install an alarm system. Cobain, who shot to fame in 1991 with his band’s release of the “album of a generation” Nevermind, had suffered from depression and heroin addiction in the years leading up to his death. He was survived by his wife Courtney Love and his less than two-year-old daughter Frances Bean.
April 6
The first modern-day Summer Olympic Games opened in Athens, Greece on April 6, 1896. The games, organized by the International Olympic Committee, which had been created by Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin, were inspired by the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece beginning around 776 B.C. According to the I.O.C., 14 nations and 241 athletes (all men) competed in the 1896 Summer Games. The U.S.A. would win the most gold medals with 11, while the home country Greece won the most total medals with 47.
April 7
Director John Schlesinger’s “Midnight Cowboy” becomes the first (and only) X-rated movie to win Best Picture at the 42nd Academy Awards ceremony on April 7, 1970. “Midnight Cowboy” features Jon Voight as young Texan Joe Buck, a dishwasher who quits his job and moves to New York City to become a male prostitute, where he reluctantly develops a friendship with a conman “Ratso” Rizzo, played by Dustin Hoffman. The film initially received an R-rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), but United Artists actually asked for it to be changed to an X-rating when its lead executive Arthur Krim consulted a psychiatrist who told him young people should not view the film’s gay sex scenes because it might influence them to live that lifestyle.
April 8
Atlanta Braves outfielder Hank Aaron breaks maybe the most beloved record in all of sports when he hits career home run No. 715 off of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing on April 8, 1974, at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium to break the Major League Baseball home run record held by New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth. The record-breaking home run had a bigger impact on America than just the breaking of a treasured record, as Aaron, a black man from the south and playing baseball for the MLB’s only Southern team at that time, broke a record of a white hero while receiving death threats all the while.
March 26-April 1
March 26
On March 26, 1979, Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson would begin a decade-plus-long rivalry when their college basketball teams Indiana State and Michigan State matched up in the 41st NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Johnson’s Michigan State squad would defeat Bird’s Indiana State team 75-64 in the game, which would be the highest-rated game in the history of televised college basketball. Johnson would lead all scorers in the game with 25 points. Bird scored 19 points for the Sycamores. The two would go on to really form their rivalry in the NBA where they’d matchup three times in the NBA Finals in the ‘80s with Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers beating Bird’s Boston Celtics twice. Johnson would win five total titles with the Lakers, while Bird won three with Boston.
March 27
“The Godfather” would be honored with American cinema’s greatest achievement on March 27, 1973, winning Best Picture at the 45th annual Academy Awards, but its win would be upstaged by Marlon Brando’s protest earlier in the evening when the actor won Best Actor for his portrayal of Vito Corleone in the film. Brando, who did not attend the ceremony due to Hollywood and America’s treatment of Native Americans, sent activist Sacheen Littlefeather in his stead to decline the award and give a prepared statement. It was a moment that would cause much controversy within the Academy and the industry.
March 28
Things got a little scary on the March 28, 1978, episode of “The Muppet Show” when shock rocker Alice Cooper joined the cast of lovable Jim Henson-created puppets to perform his hits “Welcome to My Nightmare” and “School’s Out.” Cooper offered the Muppets fame and fortune if they signed over their souls to him – this left Kermit the Frog aghast and Gonzo searching for a pen the entire episode.
March 29
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” made Oscars and Hollywood history on March 29, 1976, when it became the second film in Academy Awards history to sweep all of the major categories at the ceremony winning Best Picture, Best Director for Milos Forman, Best Actor for Jack Nicholson, Best Actress for Louise Fletcher and Best Screenplay (Adapted) for Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman. Director Frank Capra’s “It Happened One Night” from 1934 was the only other time it had happened in Oscars history.
March 30
“The Silence of the Lambs” made Oscars and Hollywood history on March 30, 1992, when it became the third (and to this date, there hasn’t been another) film in Academy Awards history to sweep all of the major categories at the ceremony winning Best Picture, Best Director for Jonathan Demme, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, Best Actress for Jodie Foster and Best Screenplay (Adapted) for Ted Tally. Director Frank Capra’s “It Happened One Night” from 1934 and Milos Forman’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” from 1975 were the only other films to accomplish this feat in Oscars history.
March 31
Tejano music superstar Selena Quintanilla (stage name Selena) was shot and killed by her former assistant and former fan club president Yolanda Saldivar in Corpus Christi, Texas at just 23 years old on March 31, 1995. In October of that year, a Houston jury convicted Saldivar of first-degree murder and she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole beginning in 2025. Selena’s final album Dreaming of You would be released posthumously in June of 1995 and became the first predominantly Spanish-language album to debut atop the Billboard 200. Jennifer Lopez would portray Selena in a 1997 biopic.
April 1
One of the greatest pieces of April Fool’s Day journalism was published in the April 1, 1985, issue of Sports Illustrated when author/writer George Plimpton introduced the world to The Curious Case of Sidd Finch. Finch was an out-of-nowhere prospect in the New York Mets organization who was raised in an English orphanage, learned yoga in Tibet and could throw a fastball as fast as 168 miles per hour and did so wearing only one shoe – a hiker’s boot, according to Plimpton. Plimpton’s creation was discovered in Maine where he had randomly picked up the game of baseball because it was either a career in sports or one playing the French horn. The story was accompanied by photos of a young man in a Mets jersey, including one in which he’s speaking to Mets pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre. The person was Joe Berton, an art teacher in Illinois who was friends with SI photographer Lane Stewart. Despite the story being an obvious prank – I mean, a 168 mph fastball? – many readers fell for it with the magazine receiving many requests for more information on Finch. According to a New York Times piece in 2005, two MLB general managers even called baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth to ask about Finch. The next week’s issue printed a smaller article announcing Finch’s retirement. The week following that SI announced the whole thing had been a hoax. In 1987, Plimpton would broaden his story into a novel.
On March 26, 1979, Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson would begin a decade-plus-long rivalry when their college basketball teams Indiana State and Michigan State matched up in the 41st NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Johnson’s Michigan State squad would defeat Bird’s Indiana State team 75-64 in the game, which would be the highest-rated game in the history of televised college basketball. Johnson would lead all scorers in the game with 25 points. Bird scored 19 points for the Sycamores. The two would go on to really form their rivalry in the NBA where they’d matchup three times in the NBA Finals in the ‘80s with Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers beating Bird’s Boston Celtics twice. Johnson would win five total titles with the Lakers, while Bird won three with Boston.
March 27
“The Godfather” would be honored with American cinema’s greatest achievement on March 27, 1973, winning Best Picture at the 45th annual Academy Awards, but its win would be upstaged by Marlon Brando’s protest earlier in the evening when the actor won Best Actor for his portrayal of Vito Corleone in the film. Brando, who did not attend the ceremony due to Hollywood and America’s treatment of Native Americans, sent activist Sacheen Littlefeather in his stead to decline the award and give a prepared statement. It was a moment that would cause much controversy within the Academy and the industry.
March 28
Things got a little scary on the March 28, 1978, episode of “The Muppet Show” when shock rocker Alice Cooper joined the cast of lovable Jim Henson-created puppets to perform his hits “Welcome to My Nightmare” and “School’s Out.” Cooper offered the Muppets fame and fortune if they signed over their souls to him – this left Kermit the Frog aghast and Gonzo searching for a pen the entire episode.
March 29
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” made Oscars and Hollywood history on March 29, 1976, when it became the second film in Academy Awards history to sweep all of the major categories at the ceremony winning Best Picture, Best Director for Milos Forman, Best Actor for Jack Nicholson, Best Actress for Louise Fletcher and Best Screenplay (Adapted) for Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman. Director Frank Capra’s “It Happened One Night” from 1934 was the only other time it had happened in Oscars history.
March 30
“The Silence of the Lambs” made Oscars and Hollywood history on March 30, 1992, when it became the third (and to this date, there hasn’t been another) film in Academy Awards history to sweep all of the major categories at the ceremony winning Best Picture, Best Director for Jonathan Demme, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, Best Actress for Jodie Foster and Best Screenplay (Adapted) for Ted Tally. Director Frank Capra’s “It Happened One Night” from 1934 and Milos Forman’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” from 1975 were the only other films to accomplish this feat in Oscars history.
March 31
Tejano music superstar Selena Quintanilla (stage name Selena) was shot and killed by her former assistant and former fan club president Yolanda Saldivar in Corpus Christi, Texas at just 23 years old on March 31, 1995. In October of that year, a Houston jury convicted Saldivar of first-degree murder and she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole beginning in 2025. Selena’s final album Dreaming of You would be released posthumously in June of 1995 and became the first predominantly Spanish-language album to debut atop the Billboard 200. Jennifer Lopez would portray Selena in a 1997 biopic.
April 1
One of the greatest pieces of April Fool’s Day journalism was published in the April 1, 1985, issue of Sports Illustrated when author/writer George Plimpton introduced the world to The Curious Case of Sidd Finch. Finch was an out-of-nowhere prospect in the New York Mets organization who was raised in an English orphanage, learned yoga in Tibet and could throw a fastball as fast as 168 miles per hour and did so wearing only one shoe – a hiker’s boot, according to Plimpton. Plimpton’s creation was discovered in Maine where he had randomly picked up the game of baseball because it was either a career in sports or one playing the French horn. The story was accompanied by photos of a young man in a Mets jersey, including one in which he’s speaking to Mets pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre. The person was Joe Berton, an art teacher in Illinois who was friends with SI photographer Lane Stewart. Despite the story being an obvious prank – I mean, a 168 mph fastball? – many readers fell for it with the magazine receiving many requests for more information on Finch. According to a New York Times piece in 2005, two MLB general managers even called baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth to ask about Finch. The next week’s issue printed a smaller article announcing Finch’s retirement. The week following that SI announced the whole thing had been a hoax. In 1987, Plimpton would broaden his story into a novel.
March 19-March 25
March 19
Texas Western’s men’s college basketball team makes NCAA history when it starts five African American players (Bobby Joe Hill, Orsten Artis, Willie Worsley, Harry Flournoy and David Lattin) against the University of Kentucky in the national championship on March 19, 1966. The Texas Western Miners, led by coach Don Haskins, beat Kentucky’s all-white team 72-65 to become the first African American starting five to win the national college basketball title. The team would inspire the 2006 movie “Glory Road” and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
March 20
Pittsburgh Pirates baseball legend Roberto Clemente is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on March 20, 1973, just 11 weeks after his death at 38 in a plane crash while attempting to bring supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Clemente was elected to the Hall of Fame in a special election by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which waived the usual five-year waiting period following a player’s career. He was elected with 92.7 percent of the vote.
March 21
In perhaps the greatest (or at least most famous) cliffhanger in television history, the hit CBS drama “Dallas” leaves viewers wondering “Who shot J.R.?” all summer long when its third season ends on March 21, 1980, with main character J.R. Ewing (played by Larry Hagman) shot by a mysterious shooter. The answer to the question would be revealed in the fourth episode of season four, “Who Done It,” on November 21, 1980, which a then record number (between 83-90 million) of viewers watched in primetime. It’s still the second most watched scripted TV series episode of all time behind the “M*A*S*H” series finale.
March 22
Actor James Stewart, who had won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “The Philadelphia Story” less than a month before, is inducted into the Army on March 22, 1941, becoming the first major American movie star to wear a military uniform in World War II. The uniform wasn’t just for show. Stewart flew many combat missions during the war, including three years later on March 22, 1944, when he leads the 2nd Bomb Wing attack on Berlin, Germany in his 12th combat mission. Stewart attained the rank of colonel during WWII and received several awards for his service. In 1959, he was made brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve and when he retired from the service in 1968 he was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal. Stewart would return to acting following WWII with notable roles in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Rear Window,” “Vertigo,” “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” and more.
March 23
Director James Cameron’s three-plus hour epic “Titanic” ties an Academy Awards record set by “Ben-Hur” (1959) when it wins 11 Oscars on March 22, 1998, at the 70th annual ceremony. The film, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as lovers on an ill-fated voyage, won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art-Set Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Effects – Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Song and Best Original Score.
March 24
Halle Berry makes history at the 74th annual Academy Awards when she wins Best Actress for her performance as Leticia Musgrove in “Monster’s Ball,” making her the first woman of color to win the honor in the history of the awards. To this date, only Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), who won at the 95th ceremony on March 12, 2023, has joined Berry as a woman of color to win Best Actress. Also, at the 74th Academy Awards, Denzel Washington won Best Actor for his performance as Alonzo Harris in “Training Day.” He joined Sidney Poitier as the only African American actors to win Best Actor at the time. Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker and Will Smith have since won Best Actor.
March 25
Horton Smith holes a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to go one-stroke ahead of Craig Wood and eventually win the inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament, which would become known as the “Masters,” in Augusta, Ga. on March 25, 1934. Bobby Jones, who co-founded the tournament (with investment banker Clifford Roberts), finished 13th, 10 strokes behind Smith. Smith won $1,500 for the event. He would win the Masters again in 1936.
Texas Western’s men’s college basketball team makes NCAA history when it starts five African American players (Bobby Joe Hill, Orsten Artis, Willie Worsley, Harry Flournoy and David Lattin) against the University of Kentucky in the national championship on March 19, 1966. The Texas Western Miners, led by coach Don Haskins, beat Kentucky’s all-white team 72-65 to become the first African American starting five to win the national college basketball title. The team would inspire the 2006 movie “Glory Road” and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
March 20
Pittsburgh Pirates baseball legend Roberto Clemente is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on March 20, 1973, just 11 weeks after his death at 38 in a plane crash while attempting to bring supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Clemente was elected to the Hall of Fame in a special election by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which waived the usual five-year waiting period following a player’s career. He was elected with 92.7 percent of the vote.
March 21
In perhaps the greatest (or at least most famous) cliffhanger in television history, the hit CBS drama “Dallas” leaves viewers wondering “Who shot J.R.?” all summer long when its third season ends on March 21, 1980, with main character J.R. Ewing (played by Larry Hagman) shot by a mysterious shooter. The answer to the question would be revealed in the fourth episode of season four, “Who Done It,” on November 21, 1980, which a then record number (between 83-90 million) of viewers watched in primetime. It’s still the second most watched scripted TV series episode of all time behind the “M*A*S*H” series finale.
March 22
Actor James Stewart, who had won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “The Philadelphia Story” less than a month before, is inducted into the Army on March 22, 1941, becoming the first major American movie star to wear a military uniform in World War II. The uniform wasn’t just for show. Stewart flew many combat missions during the war, including three years later on March 22, 1944, when he leads the 2nd Bomb Wing attack on Berlin, Germany in his 12th combat mission. Stewart attained the rank of colonel during WWII and received several awards for his service. In 1959, he was made brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve and when he retired from the service in 1968 he was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal. Stewart would return to acting following WWII with notable roles in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Rear Window,” “Vertigo,” “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” and more.
March 23
Director James Cameron’s three-plus hour epic “Titanic” ties an Academy Awards record set by “Ben-Hur” (1959) when it wins 11 Oscars on March 22, 1998, at the 70th annual ceremony. The film, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as lovers on an ill-fated voyage, won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art-Set Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Effects – Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Song and Best Original Score.
March 24
Halle Berry makes history at the 74th annual Academy Awards when she wins Best Actress for her performance as Leticia Musgrove in “Monster’s Ball,” making her the first woman of color to win the honor in the history of the awards. To this date, only Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), who won at the 95th ceremony on March 12, 2023, has joined Berry as a woman of color to win Best Actress. Also, at the 74th Academy Awards, Denzel Washington won Best Actor for his performance as Alonzo Harris in “Training Day.” He joined Sidney Poitier as the only African American actors to win Best Actor at the time. Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker and Will Smith have since won Best Actor.
March 25
Horton Smith holes a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to go one-stroke ahead of Craig Wood and eventually win the inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament, which would become known as the “Masters,” in Augusta, Ga. on March 25, 1934. Bobby Jones, who co-founded the tournament (with investment banker Clifford Roberts), finished 13th, 10 strokes behind Smith. Smith won $1,500 for the event. He would win the Masters again in 1936.
March 12 - March 18
March 12
On March 12, 2020, the NCAA announces the cancellation of the men’s college basketball tournament over concerns over the spread of COVID-19. It marks the only time the annual college basketball tournament, known as “March Madness,” has been canceled since it began in 1939. The women’s college basketball tournament was also canceled.
March 13
The Four Seasons returned to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 13, 1976, for the first time since 1964 (vocalist Frankie Valli did have a No. 1 in 1974 with “My Eyes Adored You”) with “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night).” It marked the group’s fifth and final No. 1 and it made them the only music group to have a No. 1 hit before, during and after The Beatles’ reign.
March 14
On March 14, 1998, weeks after Johnny Cash’s Unchained, the second album of his American Recordings series with producer Rick Rubin, won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, Rubin placed a full-page ad in Billboard magazine with a photo of Cash giving the middle finger with the text: “American Recordings and Johnny Cash would like to acknowledge the Nashville music establishment and country radio for your support.” Mainstream country music had largely ignored Cash’s album despite critical acclaim and him being a legend within the genre.
March 15
“The Godfather,” directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based off the best-selling Mario Puzo novel (Puzo co-wrote the script), premieres in New York City. The first of an eventual trilogy tells the story of the Corleone crime family and featured Oscar-nominated performances from Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan (winning for Brando). The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. “The Godfather” has since become regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made and has been ranked as the second greatest American film ever made (behind “Citizen Kane”) by the American Film Institute.
March 16
Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 16, 1968, making him the first artist to ever top the chart posthumously. Redding died in a plane crash in Madison, Wisc. on December 10, 1967, at age 26. The beautifully plaintive and melancholic R&B classic, co-written by Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper, had been recorded just three days before Redding’s death. It would be his only top-10 hit.
March 17
The term “greatest hits” is created for a compilation of songs recorded by Johnny Mathis and released on March 17, 1958. The compilation, the first reportedly ever designated with the “greatest hits” title, would become a massive hit remaining in the Billboard albums chart for more than 10 years holding the record for most consecutive weeks in the chart until being broken by Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon in October of 1983. The success of Johnny’s Greatest Hits would lead to nearly every artist having a ”greatest hits” compilation.
March 18
NBA legend Michael Jordan releases a press release simply stating, “I’m back.” on March 18, 1995, ending his 17-month retirement from basketball. Jordan had retired following the Chicago Bulls’ third consecutive NBA title in 1993 to pursue a career in professional baseball, which never made it past the minor leagues. The next day Jordan suited up for the Bulls in a new No. 45 jersey (he had previously worn No. 23) against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 19 points in a loss. Jordan would go on to win three more championships with the Bulls.
On March 12, 2020, the NCAA announces the cancellation of the men’s college basketball tournament over concerns over the spread of COVID-19. It marks the only time the annual college basketball tournament, known as “March Madness,” has been canceled since it began in 1939. The women’s college basketball tournament was also canceled.
March 13
The Four Seasons returned to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 13, 1976, for the first time since 1964 (vocalist Frankie Valli did have a No. 1 in 1974 with “My Eyes Adored You”) with “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night).” It marked the group’s fifth and final No. 1 and it made them the only music group to have a No. 1 hit before, during and after The Beatles’ reign.
March 14
On March 14, 1998, weeks after Johnny Cash’s Unchained, the second album of his American Recordings series with producer Rick Rubin, won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, Rubin placed a full-page ad in Billboard magazine with a photo of Cash giving the middle finger with the text: “American Recordings and Johnny Cash would like to acknowledge the Nashville music establishment and country radio for your support.” Mainstream country music had largely ignored Cash’s album despite critical acclaim and him being a legend within the genre.
March 15
“The Godfather,” directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based off the best-selling Mario Puzo novel (Puzo co-wrote the script), premieres in New York City. The first of an eventual trilogy tells the story of the Corleone crime family and featured Oscar-nominated performances from Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan (winning for Brando). The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. “The Godfather” has since become regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made and has been ranked as the second greatest American film ever made (behind “Citizen Kane”) by the American Film Institute.
March 16
Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 16, 1968, making him the first artist to ever top the chart posthumously. Redding died in a plane crash in Madison, Wisc. on December 10, 1967, at age 26. The beautifully plaintive and melancholic R&B classic, co-written by Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper, had been recorded just three days before Redding’s death. It would be his only top-10 hit.
March 17
The term “greatest hits” is created for a compilation of songs recorded by Johnny Mathis and released on March 17, 1958. The compilation, the first reportedly ever designated with the “greatest hits” title, would become a massive hit remaining in the Billboard albums chart for more than 10 years holding the record for most consecutive weeks in the chart until being broken by Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon in October of 1983. The success of Johnny’s Greatest Hits would lead to nearly every artist having a ”greatest hits” compilation.
March 18
NBA legend Michael Jordan releases a press release simply stating, “I’m back.” on March 18, 1995, ending his 17-month retirement from basketball. Jordan had retired following the Chicago Bulls’ third consecutive NBA title in 1993 to pursue a career in professional baseball, which never made it past the minor leagues. The next day Jordan suited up for the Bulls in a new No. 45 jersey (he had previously worn No. 23) against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 19 points in a loss. Jordan would go on to win three more championships with the Bulls.
March 5-March 11
March 5
America learns of the death of Soviet Union dictator Joseph Stalin on March 5, 1953, when Air Force Staff Sergeant Johnny Cash intercepts a coded message from Russia. Cash, a future music legend, had enlisted in 1950 and was assigned to the 12th Radio Squadron Mobile of the U.S. Air Force Security Service at Landsberg, West Germany, where he was an expert in decoding Morse Code transmissions. While serving in the Air Force in Germany, Cash saw the film “Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison” and wrote one of his most iconic songs, “Folsom Prison Blues.”
March 6
On March 6, 1981, veteran newsman Walter Cronkite signed off for the last time as anchor of the CBS Evening News, which he had hosted for 19 years. During the ‘60s and ‘70s, Cronkite was often cited as “the most trusted man in America.” Among the historic moments he broadcast on CBS were President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission that put the first men on the moon and the Vietnam War, which he helped change public opinion on with an on-location report in 1968. Cronkite was succeeded as anchor of the CBS Evening News by Dan Rather.
March 7
Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys becomes the first rap album to ever top the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart on March 7, 1987. The album, which featured “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party),” “No Sleep till Brooklyn” and “Paul Revere,” was released on November 15, 1986, and introduced the New York rap trio to the world. The album would remain at No. 1 for seven weeks.
March 8
On March 8, 1971, the heavyweight boxing title match billed “The Fight of the Century” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Frazier was defending his heavyweight title, whereas Ali was attempting to regain the title he had been stripped of by boxing officials when he refused to submit to the draft for the Vietnam War. It marked the first heavyweight title fight between two undefeated boxers in boxing history. Frazier won the fight in 15 rounds by unanimous decision. Frazier and Ali would fight twice more – in 1974 and 1975 with Ali winning both times.
March 9
Christopher Wallace, better known to the world by his rap personas The Notorious B.I.G. and Biggie Smalls, is gunned down in Los Angeles in the early morning hours of March 9, 1997, following an after-party for the Soul Train Awards. Wallace’s vehicle had stopped at a red light, where a black Chevy Impala pulled alongside, an unidentified driver rolled down his window and fired. Wallace was hit four times. He was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. at just 24 years old. His death came just six months after the high-profile murder of rapper Tupac Shakur and some suggest Shakur’s death was a reason behind Wallace’s shooting. His second album, Life After Death, was released just two weeks later and would top the Billboard album chart. Wallace’s murder has never been solved.
March 10
On March 10, 2003, Natalie Maines, vocalist for The Chicks (at the time called the Dixie Chicks), sparks a political controversy in the United States in the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq after telling a London audience: “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.” Simply for speaking her mind, the trio was effectively blacklisted from the country music genre, despite having many hits and winning many awards in the years prior. The trio would never again find success in the country music mainstream but would find major Grammy Awards success in 2007 winning five awards for their album Taking the Long Way and its pointed lead single “Not Ready to Make Nice,” which would win both Song and Record of the Year.
March 11
Contestant Charles Van Doren finally loses on the NBC game show “Twenty-One” on March 11, 1957, after winning $129,000 (the equivalent of over $1 million today). His win streak made him one of the most famous faces in America at the time, including a TIME magazine cover on February 11, 1957. However, controversy struck later when it was revealed that Van Doren and the producers of the show had cheated with the whole show essentially being choreographed and contestants given answers. The scandal, which would be brought to life in director Robert Redford’s 1994 Oscar-nominated film “Quiz Show” featuring Ralph Fiennes as Van Doren, almost brought the entire game show genre of television to an end.
America learns of the death of Soviet Union dictator Joseph Stalin on March 5, 1953, when Air Force Staff Sergeant Johnny Cash intercepts a coded message from Russia. Cash, a future music legend, had enlisted in 1950 and was assigned to the 12th Radio Squadron Mobile of the U.S. Air Force Security Service at Landsberg, West Germany, where he was an expert in decoding Morse Code transmissions. While serving in the Air Force in Germany, Cash saw the film “Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison” and wrote one of his most iconic songs, “Folsom Prison Blues.”
March 6
On March 6, 1981, veteran newsman Walter Cronkite signed off for the last time as anchor of the CBS Evening News, which he had hosted for 19 years. During the ‘60s and ‘70s, Cronkite was often cited as “the most trusted man in America.” Among the historic moments he broadcast on CBS were President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission that put the first men on the moon and the Vietnam War, which he helped change public opinion on with an on-location report in 1968. Cronkite was succeeded as anchor of the CBS Evening News by Dan Rather.
March 7
Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys becomes the first rap album to ever top the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart on March 7, 1987. The album, which featured “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party),” “No Sleep till Brooklyn” and “Paul Revere,” was released on November 15, 1986, and introduced the New York rap trio to the world. The album would remain at No. 1 for seven weeks.
March 8
On March 8, 1971, the heavyweight boxing title match billed “The Fight of the Century” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Frazier was defending his heavyweight title, whereas Ali was attempting to regain the title he had been stripped of by boxing officials when he refused to submit to the draft for the Vietnam War. It marked the first heavyweight title fight between two undefeated boxers in boxing history. Frazier won the fight in 15 rounds by unanimous decision. Frazier and Ali would fight twice more – in 1974 and 1975 with Ali winning both times.
March 9
Christopher Wallace, better known to the world by his rap personas The Notorious B.I.G. and Biggie Smalls, is gunned down in Los Angeles in the early morning hours of March 9, 1997, following an after-party for the Soul Train Awards. Wallace’s vehicle had stopped at a red light, where a black Chevy Impala pulled alongside, an unidentified driver rolled down his window and fired. Wallace was hit four times. He was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. at just 24 years old. His death came just six months after the high-profile murder of rapper Tupac Shakur and some suggest Shakur’s death was a reason behind Wallace’s shooting. His second album, Life After Death, was released just two weeks later and would top the Billboard album chart. Wallace’s murder has never been solved.
March 10
On March 10, 2003, Natalie Maines, vocalist for The Chicks (at the time called the Dixie Chicks), sparks a political controversy in the United States in the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq after telling a London audience: “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.” Simply for speaking her mind, the trio was effectively blacklisted from the country music genre, despite having many hits and winning many awards in the years prior. The trio would never again find success in the country music mainstream but would find major Grammy Awards success in 2007 winning five awards for their album Taking the Long Way and its pointed lead single “Not Ready to Make Nice,” which would win both Song and Record of the Year.
March 11
Contestant Charles Van Doren finally loses on the NBC game show “Twenty-One” on March 11, 1957, after winning $129,000 (the equivalent of over $1 million today). His win streak made him one of the most famous faces in America at the time, including a TIME magazine cover on February 11, 1957. However, controversy struck later when it was revealed that Van Doren and the producers of the show had cheated with the whole show essentially being choreographed and contestants given answers. The scandal, which would be brought to life in director Robert Redford’s 1994 Oscar-nominated film “Quiz Show” featuring Ralph Fiennes as Van Doren, almost brought the entire game show genre of television to an end.
February 26-March 4
February 26
In perhaps the most shocking moment in the history of the Academy Awards on February 26, 2017, the wrong Best Picture-winning film “La La Land” is announced by presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway instead of the actual winner “Moonlight” due to a mix-up when a PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant Brian Cullinan, not paying attention to his duties, handed the presenters the wrong envelope (which was the backup envelope for Best Actress winner Emma Stone (“La La Land”). The producers of “La La Land” Fred Berger and Jordan Horowitz were in the middle of their acceptance speech when Oscar crew members came to inspect the envelopes and let them know there was a mistake. Horowitz announced to the audience and millions watching at home on ABC: “There’s been a mistake. ‘Moonlight.’ You guys won.” “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins came upon the stage to give the acceptance speech but unfortunately for the film and those who worked on it the moment wasn’t the celebration it should have been amidst the confusion.
February 27
On February 27, 1987, the most severe penalty in college sports history is handed down to Southern Methodist University’s football program by the NCAA when it was announced the entire 1987 schedule had been canceled due to gross violations of NCAA rules regarding athletic corruption. What became known as the “death penalty,” was handed down to the school due to repeated violations, most notably a slush fund used for under-the-table payments to athletes and their families to entice them to play for SMU. As part of the punishment the team also had its home games for the 1988 season stripped away and the team ultimately canceled the season unable to field a viable team. The severity of the penalty left the once national title holders in ruins as it would not have a winning season over the next 20 years.
February 28
The final episode of the long-running, award-winning CBS series “M*A*S*H” titled “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” aired on February 28, 1983, to a record 125 million viewers in the United States. It’s a record number of viewers for a non-sports television program that almost certainly will never be topped due to changes in how television is broadcast and viewed today. The two-hour feature-length episode was directed and co-written by series star Alan Alda and saw our lovable MASH 4077 unit doctors and nurses say goodbye to each other at the end of the Korean War, which was considerably shorter in real-life than the show that ran for 11 seasons.
March 1
Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the California rock band The Doors, is arrested following an incident at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Fla. on March 1, 1969, after allegedly exposing himself to the audience. Morrison had screamed “You wanna see my cock?” and other obscenities at the audience, but there’s seemingly no proof Morrison actually exposed his penis to the audience (all members of the band always denied he did). However, he was arrested and later convicted for indecent exposure and profanity by a Miami jury after a 16-day trial in September of 1970. He was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a $500 fine but remained free on a $50,000 bond. He would die of heart failure, likely caused by a drug overdose in Paris, France on July 3, 1971, at the age of 27. On December 8, 2010 – the 67th anniversary of Morrison’s birth – he was posthumously pardoned by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
March 2
In perhaps the most dominant display of athletic prowess ever seen in professional sports, Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain scores an NBA record 100 points in a 169-147 win over the New York Knicks held in Hershey, Penn. on March 2, 1962. Chamberlain shot 36-of-63 from the field in the game and 28-of-32 from the free-throw line. No video footage of the game exists due to the era and only audio recordings of the game’s fourth quarter exist. The closest any NBA player has ever come to Chamberlain’s record was when Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.
March 3
Madonna’s controversial music video for her song “Like a Prayer” hits MTV, one day after its partial debut in a two-minute Pepsi commercial and causes an uproar. The music video, directed by Mary Lambert, portrays Madonna witnessing a young white woman being killed by a group of white men but a black man is arrested for the murder. She hides in a church for safety seeking strength to come forward as a witness. The video transposes images of Catholic symbols and the Ku Klux Klan burning crosses and features a dream of her kissing a black saint. The Vatican condemned the video and many family and religious groups boycotted Pepsi products as a result of the song being featured in its commercial. The company canceled its contract with Madonna but allowed her to keep the $5 million fee. MTV kept the video in rotation. It would go on to win the Viewer’s Choice award at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. “Like a Prayer” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart on April 22, 1989, where it would remain for three weeks.
In perhaps the most shocking moment in the history of the Academy Awards on February 26, 2017, the wrong Best Picture-winning film “La La Land” is announced by presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway instead of the actual winner “Moonlight” due to a mix-up when a PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant Brian Cullinan, not paying attention to his duties, handed the presenters the wrong envelope (which was the backup envelope for Best Actress winner Emma Stone (“La La Land”). The producers of “La La Land” Fred Berger and Jordan Horowitz were in the middle of their acceptance speech when Oscar crew members came to inspect the envelopes and let them know there was a mistake. Horowitz announced to the audience and millions watching at home on ABC: “There’s been a mistake. ‘Moonlight.’ You guys won.” “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins came upon the stage to give the acceptance speech but unfortunately for the film and those who worked on it the moment wasn’t the celebration it should have been amidst the confusion.
February 27
On February 27, 1987, the most severe penalty in college sports history is handed down to Southern Methodist University’s football program by the NCAA when it was announced the entire 1987 schedule had been canceled due to gross violations of NCAA rules regarding athletic corruption. What became known as the “death penalty,” was handed down to the school due to repeated violations, most notably a slush fund used for under-the-table payments to athletes and their families to entice them to play for SMU. As part of the punishment the team also had its home games for the 1988 season stripped away and the team ultimately canceled the season unable to field a viable team. The severity of the penalty left the once national title holders in ruins as it would not have a winning season over the next 20 years.
February 28
The final episode of the long-running, award-winning CBS series “M*A*S*H” titled “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” aired on February 28, 1983, to a record 125 million viewers in the United States. It’s a record number of viewers for a non-sports television program that almost certainly will never be topped due to changes in how television is broadcast and viewed today. The two-hour feature-length episode was directed and co-written by series star Alan Alda and saw our lovable MASH 4077 unit doctors and nurses say goodbye to each other at the end of the Korean War, which was considerably shorter in real-life than the show that ran for 11 seasons.
March 1
Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the California rock band The Doors, is arrested following an incident at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Fla. on March 1, 1969, after allegedly exposing himself to the audience. Morrison had screamed “You wanna see my cock?” and other obscenities at the audience, but there’s seemingly no proof Morrison actually exposed his penis to the audience (all members of the band always denied he did). However, he was arrested and later convicted for indecent exposure and profanity by a Miami jury after a 16-day trial in September of 1970. He was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a $500 fine but remained free on a $50,000 bond. He would die of heart failure, likely caused by a drug overdose in Paris, France on July 3, 1971, at the age of 27. On December 8, 2010 – the 67th anniversary of Morrison’s birth – he was posthumously pardoned by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
March 2
In perhaps the most dominant display of athletic prowess ever seen in professional sports, Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain scores an NBA record 100 points in a 169-147 win over the New York Knicks held in Hershey, Penn. on March 2, 1962. Chamberlain shot 36-of-63 from the field in the game and 28-of-32 from the free-throw line. No video footage of the game exists due to the era and only audio recordings of the game’s fourth quarter exist. The closest any NBA player has ever come to Chamberlain’s record was when Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.
March 3
Madonna’s controversial music video for her song “Like a Prayer” hits MTV, one day after its partial debut in a two-minute Pepsi commercial and causes an uproar. The music video, directed by Mary Lambert, portrays Madonna witnessing a young white woman being killed by a group of white men but a black man is arrested for the murder. She hides in a church for safety seeking strength to come forward as a witness. The video transposes images of Catholic symbols and the Ku Klux Klan burning crosses and features a dream of her kissing a black saint. The Vatican condemned the video and many family and religious groups boycotted Pepsi products as a result of the song being featured in its commercial. The company canceled its contract with Madonna but allowed her to keep the $5 million fee. MTV kept the video in rotation. It would go on to win the Viewer’s Choice award at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. “Like a Prayer” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart on April 22, 1989, where it would remain for three weeks.
March 4
John Lennon is quoted in the London Evening Standard as saying: “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that; I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now.” The remark goes mostly unnoticed in the U.K., but when it’s later reprinted in America’s Datebook magazine in September of 1966 it causes an uproar that leads to radio bans, boycotts and album burnings across the country, particularly in the Bible Belt American South. The biggest impact it would have on the band would be its tour being marred by protests, which would be one of the reasons the group would abstain from touring throughout the remainder of its tenure. Lennon was murdered on December 8, 1980, at age 40 by Mark David Chapman, who had been enraged by Lennon for various reasons including the “bigger than Jesus” remark. To this day both Christianity and The Beatles exist.
John Lennon is quoted in the London Evening Standard as saying: “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that; I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now.” The remark goes mostly unnoticed in the U.K., but when it’s later reprinted in America’s Datebook magazine in September of 1966 it causes an uproar that leads to radio bans, boycotts and album burnings across the country, particularly in the Bible Belt American South. The biggest impact it would have on the band would be its tour being marred by protests, which would be one of the reasons the group would abstain from touring throughout the remainder of its tenure. Lennon was murdered on December 8, 1980, at age 40 by Mark David Chapman, who had been enraged by Lennon for various reasons including the “bigger than Jesus” remark. To this day both Christianity and The Beatles exist.
February 19-February 25
February 19
Ronald “Bon” Scott, the lead singer of hard rock band AC/DC, was found dead in London on February 19, 1980, following a night of heavy drinking. He was 33. The official report from the coroner concluded Scott had died of “acute alcohol poisoning.”
After Scott’s death, AC/DC briefly considered disbanding before deciding to continue with Brian Johnson as the group’s new singer. Their 1980 album Back in Black is a tribute to Scott. Scott performed with AC/DC on the band’s first seven albums, including Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Highway to Hell.
February 20
In one of the biggest tragedies in live music history, a fire broke out at a Great White (touring at the time as Jack Russell’s Great White) concert at The Station night club in West Warwick, R.I. on February 20, 2003, killing 100 people, including the band’s guitarist Ty Longley, and injuring another 230. The fire broke out when the band’s pyrotechnics created sparks that ignited the venue’s makeshift and either unapproved or unlisted foam soundproofing material affixed to the walls and ceiling.
February 21
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is officially incorporated on February 21, 1948. Talks of forming a national touring stock car auto racing body began on December 14, 1947, when Daytona Beach, Fla. businessman and racing enthusiast Bill France organized a meeting between promoters and influential racers at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach. It would be almost another year-and-a-half before the first NASCAR race was held at the Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina on June 19, 1949, where some 13,000 fans watched driver Glenn Dunnaway cross the finish line first, but he was later disqualified for illegal parts on his car leading to runner-up Jim Roper becoming the sport’s first winner.
February 22
In what’s often considered one of the greatest sporting events of all time, the United States Olympic Men’s Hockey Team stuns the heavily favorited and four-time defending gold medalist Soviet Union team 4-3 on February 22, 1980, at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y. Despite being an all-time classic, the game – now known as “The Miracle on Ice” thanks to commentator Al Michaels’ instant classic “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” call – was actually not seen live at the time, but tape-delayed for primetime broadcast on ABC. The U.S. Men’s Hockey Team would go on to win the gold medal over Finland two days later.
February 23
Five-time Formula 1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio, who dominated the racing circuit’s first decade in the 1950s, is kidnapped by two gunmen for Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement on February 23, 1958, in an attempt to embarrass the regime of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista. President Batista had established the non-Formula One Cuban Grand Prix in 1957, an event Fangio won. President Batista ordered the ’58 race to continue as usual while police attempted to track down the kidnappers. Fangio’s kidnappers allowed him to listen to the race on the radio and talked about their revolutionary plans – though Fangio had no interest in discussing politics. Upon the finish of the race, his captors handed the Argentinian driver over to the Argentine embassy. The kidnappers were never captured, and the Cuban Revolution took over the government in January 1959.
February 24
February 24 must be actor Daniel Day-Lewis’ lucky day as the three-time Oscar-winning actor took home two of his record three Best Actor Oscar statuettes on that day. On February 24, 2008, Day-Lewis won Best Actor for his performance of oilman Daniel Plainview in director Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 drama “There Will Be Blood.” On February 24, 2013, Day-Lewis won his record-breaking third Best Actor Oscar award for his portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln in director Steven Spielberg’s 2012 film “Lincoln.” Day-Lewis had won his first Best Actor award in 1990 for his performance in 1989’s “My Left Foot,” but that honor would fall on March 26 of that year.
February 25
Cassius Clay, who would adopt his Muslim name and “free name” Muhammad Ali just weeks later, won his first heavyweight boxing title in a thrilling match against Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964, in Miami. Clay was an 8-1 underdog but won in a major upset when Liston refused to come out to the ring to start the seventh round. Sports Illustrated magazine would name the match the fourth greatest sports moment of the twentieth century in 1998. Clay would announce he was a member of the Nation of Islam the following day. Ali would go on to be considered one of the greatest boxers and athletes of all time.
Ronald “Bon” Scott, the lead singer of hard rock band AC/DC, was found dead in London on February 19, 1980, following a night of heavy drinking. He was 33. The official report from the coroner concluded Scott had died of “acute alcohol poisoning.”
After Scott’s death, AC/DC briefly considered disbanding before deciding to continue with Brian Johnson as the group’s new singer. Their 1980 album Back in Black is a tribute to Scott. Scott performed with AC/DC on the band’s first seven albums, including Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Highway to Hell.
February 20
In one of the biggest tragedies in live music history, a fire broke out at a Great White (touring at the time as Jack Russell’s Great White) concert at The Station night club in West Warwick, R.I. on February 20, 2003, killing 100 people, including the band’s guitarist Ty Longley, and injuring another 230. The fire broke out when the band’s pyrotechnics created sparks that ignited the venue’s makeshift and either unapproved or unlisted foam soundproofing material affixed to the walls and ceiling.
February 21
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is officially incorporated on February 21, 1948. Talks of forming a national touring stock car auto racing body began on December 14, 1947, when Daytona Beach, Fla. businessman and racing enthusiast Bill France organized a meeting between promoters and influential racers at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach. It would be almost another year-and-a-half before the first NASCAR race was held at the Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina on June 19, 1949, where some 13,000 fans watched driver Glenn Dunnaway cross the finish line first, but he was later disqualified for illegal parts on his car leading to runner-up Jim Roper becoming the sport’s first winner.
February 22
In what’s often considered one of the greatest sporting events of all time, the United States Olympic Men’s Hockey Team stuns the heavily favorited and four-time defending gold medalist Soviet Union team 4-3 on February 22, 1980, at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y. Despite being an all-time classic, the game – now known as “The Miracle on Ice” thanks to commentator Al Michaels’ instant classic “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” call – was actually not seen live at the time, but tape-delayed for primetime broadcast on ABC. The U.S. Men’s Hockey Team would go on to win the gold medal over Finland two days later.
February 23
Five-time Formula 1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio, who dominated the racing circuit’s first decade in the 1950s, is kidnapped by two gunmen for Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement on February 23, 1958, in an attempt to embarrass the regime of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista. President Batista had established the non-Formula One Cuban Grand Prix in 1957, an event Fangio won. President Batista ordered the ’58 race to continue as usual while police attempted to track down the kidnappers. Fangio’s kidnappers allowed him to listen to the race on the radio and talked about their revolutionary plans – though Fangio had no interest in discussing politics. Upon the finish of the race, his captors handed the Argentinian driver over to the Argentine embassy. The kidnappers were never captured, and the Cuban Revolution took over the government in January 1959.
February 24
February 24 must be actor Daniel Day-Lewis’ lucky day as the three-time Oscar-winning actor took home two of his record three Best Actor Oscar statuettes on that day. On February 24, 2008, Day-Lewis won Best Actor for his performance of oilman Daniel Plainview in director Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 drama “There Will Be Blood.” On February 24, 2013, Day-Lewis won his record-breaking third Best Actor Oscar award for his portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln in director Steven Spielberg’s 2012 film “Lincoln.” Day-Lewis had won his first Best Actor award in 1990 for his performance in 1989’s “My Left Foot,” but that honor would fall on March 26 of that year.
February 25
Cassius Clay, who would adopt his Muslim name and “free name” Muhammad Ali just weeks later, won his first heavyweight boxing title in a thrilling match against Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964, in Miami. Clay was an 8-1 underdog but won in a major upset when Liston refused to come out to the ring to start the seventh round. Sports Illustrated magazine would name the match the fourth greatest sports moment of the twentieth century in 1998. Clay would announce he was a member of the Nation of Islam the following day. Ali would go on to be considered one of the greatest boxers and athletes of all time.
February 12-February 18
February 12
Beyonce Knowles became the first woman in entertainment history to have the No. 1 movie at the box office and No. 1 song on the Billboard chart in the same week on February 12, 2006 when “The Pink Panther” won the weekend at the box office while her song “Check On It,” which was used for the end credits of the movie, was at No. 1. “Check On It” was her third Billboard No. 1 as a solo artist and “The Pink Panther” her second film to top the box office (after 2002’s “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”)
February 13
The first Negro Baseball League – the Negro National League – was established when eight team owners met at the Kansas City YMCA on February 13, 1920. Former pitcher Rube Foster was named the league’s president. Prior to this league, black teams had barnstormed across the country without much organization. The NNL was the first African American league to achieve stability and last more than a single season. The NNL would feature future baseball hall of famers like Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige and Judy Johnson. The NNL would operate from 1920-1931. Other negro leagues would pop up following the NNL’s decline as a result of the Great Depression.
February 14
The 30th running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest event, on February 14, 1988 was a family affair as 50-year-old Bobby Allison raced his son, Davey, to the finish line for the first father-son one-two finish in the history of the race (and the only one to this date). It would be Bobby’s 85th and final career NASCAR victory and his fourth Daytona 500 victory. Davey would go on to win the 1992 Daytona 500. This race was also notable for a scary roll-over wreck involving seven-time champion Richard Petty on lap 106 when his car lifted into the air before rolling over eight times and then being crashed into by another car – he would walk away uninjured.
February 15
In what’s potentially the greatest ending to a NASCAR race and Daytona 500 ever, Richard Petty and David Pearson – longtime rivals – duked it out on the final lap of the 1976 event on February 15, 1976 when Pearson passed Petty on the backstretch of the final lap. When Petty attempted to pass Pearson back in turn three he didn’t make it completely clear, and the two cars contacted each other and then the outside wall before both spun into the infield grass just yards from the finish line. Because both drivers had been two laps ahead of the next closest competitor they still had time to win the race. Petty’s car stalled in the infield, but Pearson was able to re-start his heavily damaged car and limp it across the finish line for his only career Daytona 500 victory.
Beyonce Knowles became the first woman in entertainment history to have the No. 1 movie at the box office and No. 1 song on the Billboard chart in the same week on February 12, 2006 when “The Pink Panther” won the weekend at the box office while her song “Check On It,” which was used for the end credits of the movie, was at No. 1. “Check On It” was her third Billboard No. 1 as a solo artist and “The Pink Panther” her second film to top the box office (after 2002’s “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”)
February 13
The first Negro Baseball League – the Negro National League – was established when eight team owners met at the Kansas City YMCA on February 13, 1920. Former pitcher Rube Foster was named the league’s president. Prior to this league, black teams had barnstormed across the country without much organization. The NNL was the first African American league to achieve stability and last more than a single season. The NNL would feature future baseball hall of famers like Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige and Judy Johnson. The NNL would operate from 1920-1931. Other negro leagues would pop up following the NNL’s decline as a result of the Great Depression.
February 14
The 30th running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest event, on February 14, 1988 was a family affair as 50-year-old Bobby Allison raced his son, Davey, to the finish line for the first father-son one-two finish in the history of the race (and the only one to this date). It would be Bobby’s 85th and final career NASCAR victory and his fourth Daytona 500 victory. Davey would go on to win the 1992 Daytona 500. This race was also notable for a scary roll-over wreck involving seven-time champion Richard Petty on lap 106 when his car lifted into the air before rolling over eight times and then being crashed into by another car – he would walk away uninjured.
February 15
In what’s potentially the greatest ending to a NASCAR race and Daytona 500 ever, Richard Petty and David Pearson – longtime rivals – duked it out on the final lap of the 1976 event on February 15, 1976 when Pearson passed Petty on the backstretch of the final lap. When Petty attempted to pass Pearson back in turn three he didn’t make it completely clear, and the two cars contacted each other and then the outside wall before both spun into the infield grass just yards from the finish line. Because both drivers had been two laps ahead of the next closest competitor they still had time to win the race. Petty’s car stalled in the infield, but Pearson was able to re-start his heavily damaged car and limp it across the finish line for his only career Daytona 500 victory.
February 16
Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” made pop music history when it became the 1,000th No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which began in 1958, on February 16, 2011. Lady Gaga told Billboard: “It’s a tremendous honor. To be the 100th number one on Billboard. I would be silly not to say this is the greatest honor of my career.” “Born This Way” was Lady Gaga’s third career No. 1 hit. As of February 11, there have now been 1,145 different no. 1 songs in the chart’s history.
February 17
Comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Jimmy Fallon becomes the sixth host of NBC’s esteemed late-night talk show “The Tonight Show” when he debuts on February 17, 2014. Fallon took over for Jay Leno after Leno’s second stint as ‘Tonight Show’ host. Fallon’s first guests on “The Tonight Show” that night were Will Smith and U2. As of February 10, Fallon has hosted 1,795 episodes, the third most behind Leno and Johnny Carson.
February 18
Tragedy struck on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 when seven-time champion and one of the sport’s most popular and famous drivers Dale Earnhardt is killed in a crash while following two cars he owned (Michael Waltrip and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr.) to the finish line. Earnhardt is killed instantly when his No. 3 Chevrolet struck the wall due to a basilar skull fracture. He was 49. Waltrip won his first career NASCAR Cup Series race on its biggest stage, but he and the rest of the NASCAR community would grieve the loss of a legend.
Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” made pop music history when it became the 1,000th No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which began in 1958, on February 16, 2011. Lady Gaga told Billboard: “It’s a tremendous honor. To be the 100th number one on Billboard. I would be silly not to say this is the greatest honor of my career.” “Born This Way” was Lady Gaga’s third career No. 1 hit. As of February 11, there have now been 1,145 different no. 1 songs in the chart’s history.
February 17
Comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Jimmy Fallon becomes the sixth host of NBC’s esteemed late-night talk show “The Tonight Show” when he debuts on February 17, 2014. Fallon took over for Jay Leno after Leno’s second stint as ‘Tonight Show’ host. Fallon’s first guests on “The Tonight Show” that night were Will Smith and U2. As of February 10, Fallon has hosted 1,795 episodes, the third most behind Leno and Johnny Carson.
February 18
Tragedy struck on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 when seven-time champion and one of the sport’s most popular and famous drivers Dale Earnhardt is killed in a crash while following two cars he owned (Michael Waltrip and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr.) to the finish line. Earnhardt is killed instantly when his No. 3 Chevrolet struck the wall due to a basilar skull fracture. He was 49. Waltrip won his first career NASCAR Cup Series race on its biggest stage, but he and the rest of the NASCAR community would grieve the loss of a legend.
February 5 - February 11
February 5
The New England Patriots, led by quarterback Tom Brady, have the biggest comeback win in Super Bowl history over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. The Patriots trailed the Falcons 28-3 early in the second half and 28-9 heading into the fourth and final quarter. The Patriots managed to score 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime (the first OT in Super Bowl history). The Patriots would complete their comeback win in overtime on a game-winning two-yard rush by running back James White. Tom Brady would win his record fourth Super Bowl MVP award with 466 passing yards and two touchdowns on 43-for-62 passing.
February 6
Charlie Chaplin, who was already well-known due to his comedic film short films, released his first full-length film “The Kid,” co-starring Jackie Coogan, on February 6, 1921. The silent film featured Chaplin’s The Tramp persona and would be the second highest-grossing film of 1921. Considered today one of the greatest films of the silent film era “The Kid” was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2011, 90 years after its release.
February 7
Tom Brady may have switched teams during the NFL offseason – which was certainly a shock to many who believed he’d be a life-long New England Patriot – but he was still king of the football field when he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl LV title over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Buccaneers’ own home-field on February 7, 2021. It would be Brady’s seventh career Super Bowl victory, which is one more than any single franchise has won in NFL history.
February 8
The very first NFL Draft is held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia on February 8, 1936, where NFL teams would select collegiate players to join their team. The draft was instituted in an effort to end bidding wars among the teams, and it was decided the draft order would be set in reverse order of the previous season’s standing. This meant the Philadelphia Eagles who went 2-9 in the 1935 season would have the first selection and they chose Jay Berwanger, a halfback from the University of Chicago who had been crowned the first-ever Heisman Trophy winner in ’35. Berwanger never played a single NFL game after salary disputes with the Eagles and later the Chicago Bears, something he admitted he regretted later in his life.
February 9
Beatlemania begins in the United States on February 9, 1964, when The Beatles come over from England for their first U.S. televised appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” The group performed “All My Loving,” “Till There Was You,” “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” on the episode, which was seen by more than 73 million viewers, a TV ratings record at the time. The Beatles would perform twice more on the show that month.
February 10
Singer-songwriter Carole King releases her seminal album Tapestry on February 10, 1971. King had been one of pop music’s most successful songwriters of the early-to-mid ‘60s with her then-husband Gerry Goffin, but after their divorce, she took off for Los Angeles in pursuit of a recording career of her own. Her 1970 debut Writer didn’t really take off, but Tapestry the following year immediately became a hit with such classics as “It’s Too Late,” “I Feel the Earth Move” and “So Far Away.” The album would go on to win four Grammy Awards, including the coveted Album of the Year. In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it as the 25th greatest album of all time.
February 11
On February 11, 1990, in a world heavyweight boxing title match in Tokyo, Japan, the 41-to-1 underdog James “Buster” Douglas shocked the sports world when he knocked out the previously undefeated champion Mike Tyson to take the heavyweight crown. Douglas would hold onto the title for eight months before losing it to Evander Holyfield. Douglas’ knockout of Tyson is considered not only one of boxing’s biggest upsets, but one of the biggest in the entirety of sports history.
The New England Patriots, led by quarterback Tom Brady, have the biggest comeback win in Super Bowl history over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. The Patriots trailed the Falcons 28-3 early in the second half and 28-9 heading into the fourth and final quarter. The Patriots managed to score 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime (the first OT in Super Bowl history). The Patriots would complete their comeback win in overtime on a game-winning two-yard rush by running back James White. Tom Brady would win his record fourth Super Bowl MVP award with 466 passing yards and two touchdowns on 43-for-62 passing.
February 6
Charlie Chaplin, who was already well-known due to his comedic film short films, released his first full-length film “The Kid,” co-starring Jackie Coogan, on February 6, 1921. The silent film featured Chaplin’s The Tramp persona and would be the second highest-grossing film of 1921. Considered today one of the greatest films of the silent film era “The Kid” was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2011, 90 years after its release.
February 7
Tom Brady may have switched teams during the NFL offseason – which was certainly a shock to many who believed he’d be a life-long New England Patriot – but he was still king of the football field when he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl LV title over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Buccaneers’ own home-field on February 7, 2021. It would be Brady’s seventh career Super Bowl victory, which is one more than any single franchise has won in NFL history.
February 8
The very first NFL Draft is held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia on February 8, 1936, where NFL teams would select collegiate players to join their team. The draft was instituted in an effort to end bidding wars among the teams, and it was decided the draft order would be set in reverse order of the previous season’s standing. This meant the Philadelphia Eagles who went 2-9 in the 1935 season would have the first selection and they chose Jay Berwanger, a halfback from the University of Chicago who had been crowned the first-ever Heisman Trophy winner in ’35. Berwanger never played a single NFL game after salary disputes with the Eagles and later the Chicago Bears, something he admitted he regretted later in his life.
February 9
Beatlemania begins in the United States on February 9, 1964, when The Beatles come over from England for their first U.S. televised appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” The group performed “All My Loving,” “Till There Was You,” “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” on the episode, which was seen by more than 73 million viewers, a TV ratings record at the time. The Beatles would perform twice more on the show that month.
February 10
Singer-songwriter Carole King releases her seminal album Tapestry on February 10, 1971. King had been one of pop music’s most successful songwriters of the early-to-mid ‘60s with her then-husband Gerry Goffin, but after their divorce, she took off for Los Angeles in pursuit of a recording career of her own. Her 1970 debut Writer didn’t really take off, but Tapestry the following year immediately became a hit with such classics as “It’s Too Late,” “I Feel the Earth Move” and “So Far Away.” The album would go on to win four Grammy Awards, including the coveted Album of the Year. In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it as the 25th greatest album of all time.
February 11
On February 11, 1990, in a world heavyweight boxing title match in Tokyo, Japan, the 41-to-1 underdog James “Buster” Douglas shocked the sports world when he knocked out the previously undefeated champion Mike Tyson to take the heavyweight crown. Douglas would hold onto the title for eight months before losing it to Evander Holyfield. Douglas’ knockout of Tyson is considered not only one of boxing’s biggest upsets, but one of the biggest in the entirety of sports history.
January 29-February 4
January 29
On January 29, 1936, the inaugural class of the Baseball Hall of Fame is elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America which chose outfielder Ty Cobb, pitcher Walter Johnson, pitcher Christy Mathewson, outfielder Babe Ruth and shortstop Honus Wagner to be the first players enshrined. Ruth may have hit 714 career home runs and dominated the game like no other, but it was actually Cobb who gained the highest percentage of the vote among the group. Future Hall of Famers who would have to wait for another year included Cy Young, Lou Gehrig and Rogers Hornsby.
January 30
In what would wind up being their last public performance, The Beatles staged their famous rooftop concert on top of Apple Records in London on January 30, 1969. The impromptu event went on for 42 minutes before being shut down by the Metropolitan Police due to noise and crowd control. Among the songs performed by The Beatles were “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down” and “I’ve Got a Feeling.” Much of the performance can be seen in director Peter Jackson’s documentary “Get Back” on Disney+.
On January 29, 1936, the inaugural class of the Baseball Hall of Fame is elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America which chose outfielder Ty Cobb, pitcher Walter Johnson, pitcher Christy Mathewson, outfielder Babe Ruth and shortstop Honus Wagner to be the first players enshrined. Ruth may have hit 714 career home runs and dominated the game like no other, but it was actually Cobb who gained the highest percentage of the vote among the group. Future Hall of Famers who would have to wait for another year included Cy Young, Lou Gehrig and Rogers Hornsby.
January 30
In what would wind up being their last public performance, The Beatles staged their famous rooftop concert on top of Apple Records in London on January 30, 1969. The impromptu event went on for 42 minutes before being shut down by the Metropolitan Police due to noise and crowd control. Among the songs performed by The Beatles were “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down” and “I’ve Got a Feeling.” Much of the performance can be seen in director Peter Jackson’s documentary “Get Back” on Disney+.
January 31
Country music superstar Garth Brooks was set to perform the National Anthem ahead of Super Bowl XXVII on January 31, 1993, but when he wanted the network covering the event (NBC) to air the music video for his most recent song “We Shall Be Free” during the pregame show and they deemed it too controversial he took the matter into his own hands and left the stadium a mere 45 minutes before kickoff. As the network argued with Brooks to perform “The Star Spangled Banner,” producers spotted Jon Bon Jovi in attendance at the game and had him on standby if they couldn’t come to an agreement with Brooks. Ultimately, NBC relented and aired the “We Shall Be Free” video and Brooks performed the anthem. Following the event, producers of the biggest televised event of the year began requiring all performers to pre-record the anthem just in case.
February 1
Comedian David Letterman debuts “Late Night with David Letterman,” a late-night talk show following “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” on NBC on February 1, 1982. Letterman was a stand-up comedian who performed and guest hosted on “The Tonight Show,” as well as hosted a short-lived morning talk show in 1980. Letterman’s first guest on the show was comedic actor Bill Murray, who performed Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” well doing an aerobic routine. Letterman would host the show until 1993 when he moved to CBS to host “Late Show with David Letterman” as a direct competitor to “The Tonight Show,” which he’d been passed over for. “Late Night” has been hosted by Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers since.
February 2
On February 2, 1970, Louisiana State University star point guard Pete Maravich became the first player in college basketball to record 3,000 career points in a 109-91 victory over Mississippi State. Maravich would finish his three-year collegiate career (back then freshmen didn’t play) with 3,667 points and an average of 44.2 points per game, both of which remain college basketball records (and likely always will). His numbers would be considerably higher if he hadn’t played in the pre-three-point era. Only 10 other players have reached the 3,000-point total in the 53 years since Maravich became the first.
February 3
In one of the biggest shocks in Super Bowl history, the New York Giants, which were 10-6 during the regular season, upset the undefeated New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz. on February 3, 2008. The Patriots were trying to become the second team in NFL history to have a perfect season (joining the 1972 Miami Dolphins) and were an almost two-touchdown favorite. The Patriots took a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Giants would quickly take the lead with a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning to receiver David Tyree. The Pats regained the lead with 2:42 left in the game when quarterback Tom Brady connected with receiver Randy Moss on a six-yard touchdown. The Giants began their final drive, often regarded as the greatest in league history, on their own 17-yard line. The most memorable play of the drive was a third-down leaping, one-handed catch by Tyree who pinned the ball against his helmet to secure it. With 35 seconds remaining on the clock, Manning would hook up with receiver Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard touchdown for the ultimate game-winner.
February 4
Fleetwood Mac released their landmark Rumours album on February 4, 1977. The album would go on to set a record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart at 31 weeks and has continued as one of the biggest-selling albums in music history. The album was enhanced by the lore of the band, which included two couples breaking up around the time of its recording, coming to terms with failing relationships in the midst of the songwriting and recording process. Rumours would win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and it was ranked as the seventh greatest album of all time on Rolling Stone’s 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
January 22-January 28
January 22
Don McLean’s album American Pie rides its hit title track to No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart on January 22, 1972, where it would remain for seven weeks. The song “American Pie” had hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles list the previous week, where it remained for four weeks. The album was a major boon to McLean’s career. His previous album didn’t crack the top 100.
January 23
The critically-acclaimed, much-watched miniseries “Roots,” based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel, premieres its first episode on ABC on January 23, 1977. The series, starring LeVar Burton, John Amos, Ben Vereen and many more, would air over eight consecutive nights on ABC drawing as much as an estimated 130-140 million viewers total (more than half of the U.S. population at the time). “Roots” would be nominated for 37 Emmy Awards, winning a total of nine including Outstanding Limited Series.
January 24
On January 24, 1961, a 19-year-old named Robert Zimmerman arrived in New York City after dropping out of the University of Minnesota in his home state. Almost immediately, the songwriter whose folk music hero is Woody Guthrie, gets to work playing a song at the Greenwich Village club Café Wha?. In August of 1962, Zimmerman would adopt the moniker Bob Dylan and release his debut album in November. It wouldn’t be long before he was one of the biggest music stars in the world.
January 25
Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway finally wins the Super Bowl on January 25, 1998 after three previous losses and many other heartbreaks when the Broncos defeat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Broncos running back Terrell Davis would be crowned M.V.P. of the game with 157 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. Elway, Davis and the Broncos would defend their title the next season and Elway would retire on top of the game.
January 26
On January 26, 2020, the basketball and pop culture world is shocked when NBA and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is killed, along with eight others including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, in a helicopter crash during foggy conditions in Calabasas, Calif. Bryant, who had retired from the NBA in 2016, was 41.
January 27
Michael Jackson is severely burned on the set of a Pepsi commercial. During the sixth take of the commercial Jackson veered too close to the pyrotechnics display, which had gone off a bit too early, while dancing and was set ablaze by the fireworks. Jackson suffered second-degree burns to his scalp. One month later, Jackson would make an appearance at the Grammy Awards, where he would have a record night (at the time) winning eight awards, including Album of the Year for Thriller and Record of the Year for “Beat It.”
January 28
On January 28, 1958, Brooklyn Dodgers All-Star catcher and three-time National League M.V.P. Roy Campanella was driving home from a liquor store he owned in Harlem when his car, traveling just 30 MPH, hit a patch of ice, slid out of control and hit a telephone pole where it overturned. Campanella broke his neck in the crash leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down and ending his baseball career. Campanella was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. He died at the age of 71 in 1993.
Don McLean’s album American Pie rides its hit title track to No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart on January 22, 1972, where it would remain for seven weeks. The song “American Pie” had hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles list the previous week, where it remained for four weeks. The album was a major boon to McLean’s career. His previous album didn’t crack the top 100.
January 23
The critically-acclaimed, much-watched miniseries “Roots,” based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel, premieres its first episode on ABC on January 23, 1977. The series, starring LeVar Burton, John Amos, Ben Vereen and many more, would air over eight consecutive nights on ABC drawing as much as an estimated 130-140 million viewers total (more than half of the U.S. population at the time). “Roots” would be nominated for 37 Emmy Awards, winning a total of nine including Outstanding Limited Series.
January 24
On January 24, 1961, a 19-year-old named Robert Zimmerman arrived in New York City after dropping out of the University of Minnesota in his home state. Almost immediately, the songwriter whose folk music hero is Woody Guthrie, gets to work playing a song at the Greenwich Village club Café Wha?. In August of 1962, Zimmerman would adopt the moniker Bob Dylan and release his debut album in November. It wouldn’t be long before he was one of the biggest music stars in the world.
January 25
Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway finally wins the Super Bowl on January 25, 1998 after three previous losses and many other heartbreaks when the Broncos defeat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Broncos running back Terrell Davis would be crowned M.V.P. of the game with 157 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. Elway, Davis and the Broncos would defend their title the next season and Elway would retire on top of the game.
January 26
On January 26, 2020, the basketball and pop culture world is shocked when NBA and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is killed, along with eight others including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, in a helicopter crash during foggy conditions in Calabasas, Calif. Bryant, who had retired from the NBA in 2016, was 41.
January 27
Michael Jackson is severely burned on the set of a Pepsi commercial. During the sixth take of the commercial Jackson veered too close to the pyrotechnics display, which had gone off a bit too early, while dancing and was set ablaze by the fireworks. Jackson suffered second-degree burns to his scalp. One month later, Jackson would make an appearance at the Grammy Awards, where he would have a record night (at the time) winning eight awards, including Album of the Year for Thriller and Record of the Year for “Beat It.”
January 28
On January 28, 1958, Brooklyn Dodgers All-Star catcher and three-time National League M.V.P. Roy Campanella was driving home from a liquor store he owned in Harlem when his car, traveling just 30 MPH, hit a patch of ice, slid out of control and hit a telephone pole where it overturned. Campanella broke his neck in the crash leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down and ending his baseball career. Campanella was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. He died at the age of 71 in 1993.
January 15-January 21
January 15
On January 15, 1981, pop star Stevie Wonder led a rally in Washington, D.C. to get Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday declared an official holiday. At the rally Wonder performed his song “Happy Birthday,” written for King, which would become a rallying call for the movement. President Ronald Reagan would sign Martin Luther King Jr. Day into law in 1983, but the day wasn’t first observed until 1986. King’s birthday was January 15, but the holiday is observed on the third Monday of January annually.
January 16
The 432nd and final episode of the long-running TV Western “Bonanza” airs on NBC. “Bonanza,” premiered on September 13, 1959, and ran for 14 seasons featuring the wealthy Cartwright family of Virginia City, Nev. in the 1860s. The show was the most-watched series on television for three seasons from 1964-1967 and starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon. Only Greene and Landon remained with the series for all 14 seasons.
January 17
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley became the first (and to this day only) player to win Super Bowl MVP in a losing performance. Howley, who was also the first non-quarterback to win the honor, had two interceptions in the game. The Baltimore Colts would defeat the Cowboys 16-13 in what was called the “Blunder Bowl” and is considered one of the worst Super Bowls of all-time due to poor play with the teams combining for a record 11 turnovers, including five in the final quarter.
January 18
Willie O’Ree became the first African American to play in a National Hockey League (NHL) game when he suited up for the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens in a 3-0 Boston victory in Montreal on January 18, 1958. O’Ree would play in 45 games for the Bruins over two seasons (most of which came in the 1960-61 season). He compiled four career goals and 10 assists. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 and had his No. 22 jersey retired by the Bruins in 2022 on the 64th anniversary of his integrating the league.
January 19
Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks returned to Fleetwood Mac for a one-off performance at Bill Clinton’s Presidential inauguration ceremonies on January 19, 1993, to perform their 1977 hit “Don’t Stop,” which had been used as Clinton’s campaign song. Buckingham hadn’t performed with the band since 1987 and Nicks hadn’t since 1990. Both would reunite with the band to tour and record in 1997 with Nicks remaining to this day and Buckingham being with the group until 2018.
On January 15, 1981, pop star Stevie Wonder led a rally in Washington, D.C. to get Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday declared an official holiday. At the rally Wonder performed his song “Happy Birthday,” written for King, which would become a rallying call for the movement. President Ronald Reagan would sign Martin Luther King Jr. Day into law in 1983, but the day wasn’t first observed until 1986. King’s birthday was January 15, but the holiday is observed on the third Monday of January annually.
January 16
The 432nd and final episode of the long-running TV Western “Bonanza” airs on NBC. “Bonanza,” premiered on September 13, 1959, and ran for 14 seasons featuring the wealthy Cartwright family of Virginia City, Nev. in the 1860s. The show was the most-watched series on television for three seasons from 1964-1967 and starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon. Only Greene and Landon remained with the series for all 14 seasons.
January 17
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley became the first (and to this day only) player to win Super Bowl MVP in a losing performance. Howley, who was also the first non-quarterback to win the honor, had two interceptions in the game. The Baltimore Colts would defeat the Cowboys 16-13 in what was called the “Blunder Bowl” and is considered one of the worst Super Bowls of all-time due to poor play with the teams combining for a record 11 turnovers, including five in the final quarter.
January 18
Willie O’Ree became the first African American to play in a National Hockey League (NHL) game when he suited up for the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens in a 3-0 Boston victory in Montreal on January 18, 1958. O’Ree would play in 45 games for the Bruins over two seasons (most of which came in the 1960-61 season). He compiled four career goals and 10 assists. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 and had his No. 22 jersey retired by the Bruins in 2022 on the 64th anniversary of his integrating the league.
January 19
Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks returned to Fleetwood Mac for a one-off performance at Bill Clinton’s Presidential inauguration ceremonies on January 19, 1993, to perform their 1977 hit “Don’t Stop,” which had been used as Clinton’s campaign song. Buckingham hadn’t performed with the band since 1987 and Nicks hadn’t since 1990. Both would reunite with the band to tour and record in 1997 with Nicks remaining to this day and Buckingham being with the group until 2018.
January 20
Creator/producer Vince Gilligan’s crime drama “Breaking Bad” premiered on AMC on January 20, 2008, instantly becoming a hit with TV critics and later becoming a hit with fans after its debut on streaming services. The series starred Bryan Cranston as a high school chemistry teacher who partners with a former student, played by Aaron Paul, to make and distribute methamphetamine to secure his family’s financial future after being diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer. The show would run for five seasons winning 16 Emmy Awards. Rolling Stone magazine would rank it as the No. 3 greatest show of all time in 2022.
January 21
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII at the Orange Bowl in Miami on January 21, 1979, winning the franchise’s third championship in a five-year span. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw became the first quarterback to win three Super Bowls and would win the first of his two career Super Bowl MVP honors with four touchdown passes and 318 passing yards.
January 8 - January 14
January 8
The “Music City Miracle” is one of the most unbelievable and greatest endings to a playoff game in NFL history. The play happened at the end of the AFC Wild Card matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans on January 8, 2000, just after the Bills had taken a 16-15 lead on a field goal with 16 seconds remaining on the clock. Bills kicker Steve Christie kicked the kickoff high and short, and it was recovered by Titans fullback Lorenzo Neal who immediately handed it off behind him to Titans tight end Frank Wycheck. Wycheck took a few steps before lateralling the ball (controversially) to wide receiver Kevin Dyson on the sideline who took the ball 75 yards down the sideline for the 22-16 victory.
January 9
Famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber broke his own Broadway record when “The Phantom of the Opera,” which made its Broadway debut in 1988, marked its 7,486th performance at the Majestic Theater on January 9, 2006, breaking the previous record held by Webber’s “Cats.” The musical is still playing on Broadway to this day but will finally see the lights go out on April 16, 2023, after more than 35 years.
January 10
“The Sopranos,” created by David Chase, premiered on HBO on January 10, 1999. The drama series saw Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini, juggling problems in his family life, as well as with his mob family. The series, which co-starred Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli, ran for six seasons on HBO winning 21 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series twice and Best Actor for Gandolfini three times. Rolling Stone magazine has twice ranked “The Sopranos” no. 1 on its list of the 100 greatest TV series of all time.
January 11
January 11, 1992 was a huge day for ‘90s grunge legends Nirvana as their second album (first in the mainstream) Nevermind topped the Billboard 200 album chart, unseating Michael Jackson’s Dangerous. Later that evening the band would make its “Saturday Night Live” debut in an episode hosted by actor Rob Morrow where they would perform their breakthrough hit “Smells Like Teen Spirits,” as well as “Territorial Pissings.”
January 12
Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969, was actually the first AFL-NFL Championship game to go by the moniker “Super Bowl.” Much attention was on the game as the AFL champion New York Jets were a huge 19.5-point underdog to the NFL champion Baltimore Colts. Despite this, the Jets’ brash, young quarterback Joe Namath had guaranteed his team’s victory three days prior at the Miami Touchdown Club. Namath completed 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards in leading his team to a 16-7 victory and winning the Super Bowl MVP honor.
January 13
Aretha Franklin, recently ranked as the greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, performed the first of her two concerts at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles on January 13, 1972. The two performances were recorded for the live gospel album Amazing Grace, which would be released in June of that year and sell over 2 million copies. The shows were also performed for a documentary, but the footage would not be revealed until 2019, after Franklin’s death.
January 14
The Miami Dolphins complete the first (and thus far) only undefeated season in NFL history when defeating the Washington Redskins 14-7 in Super Bowl VII in Los Angeles on January 14, 1973. Dolphins safety Jake Scott would win MVP of the game with two interceptions for 63 return yards. The team, led by coach Don Shula, would go on to be named the greatest team in NFL history during the league’s 100th anniversary season in 2019.
The “Music City Miracle” is one of the most unbelievable and greatest endings to a playoff game in NFL history. The play happened at the end of the AFC Wild Card matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans on January 8, 2000, just after the Bills had taken a 16-15 lead on a field goal with 16 seconds remaining on the clock. Bills kicker Steve Christie kicked the kickoff high and short, and it was recovered by Titans fullback Lorenzo Neal who immediately handed it off behind him to Titans tight end Frank Wycheck. Wycheck took a few steps before lateralling the ball (controversially) to wide receiver Kevin Dyson on the sideline who took the ball 75 yards down the sideline for the 22-16 victory.
January 9
Famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber broke his own Broadway record when “The Phantom of the Opera,” which made its Broadway debut in 1988, marked its 7,486th performance at the Majestic Theater on January 9, 2006, breaking the previous record held by Webber’s “Cats.” The musical is still playing on Broadway to this day but will finally see the lights go out on April 16, 2023, after more than 35 years.
January 10
“The Sopranos,” created by David Chase, premiered on HBO on January 10, 1999. The drama series saw Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini, juggling problems in his family life, as well as with his mob family. The series, which co-starred Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli, ran for six seasons on HBO winning 21 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series twice and Best Actor for Gandolfini three times. Rolling Stone magazine has twice ranked “The Sopranos” no. 1 on its list of the 100 greatest TV series of all time.
January 11
January 11, 1992 was a huge day for ‘90s grunge legends Nirvana as their second album (first in the mainstream) Nevermind topped the Billboard 200 album chart, unseating Michael Jackson’s Dangerous. Later that evening the band would make its “Saturday Night Live” debut in an episode hosted by actor Rob Morrow where they would perform their breakthrough hit “Smells Like Teen Spirits,” as well as “Territorial Pissings.”
January 12
Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969, was actually the first AFL-NFL Championship game to go by the moniker “Super Bowl.” Much attention was on the game as the AFL champion New York Jets were a huge 19.5-point underdog to the NFL champion Baltimore Colts. Despite this, the Jets’ brash, young quarterback Joe Namath had guaranteed his team’s victory three days prior at the Miami Touchdown Club. Namath completed 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards in leading his team to a 16-7 victory and winning the Super Bowl MVP honor.
January 13
Aretha Franklin, recently ranked as the greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, performed the first of her two concerts at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles on January 13, 1972. The two performances were recorded for the live gospel album Amazing Grace, which would be released in June of that year and sell over 2 million copies. The shows were also performed for a documentary, but the footage would not be revealed until 2019, after Franklin’s death.
January 14
The Miami Dolphins complete the first (and thus far) only undefeated season in NFL history when defeating the Washington Redskins 14-7 in Super Bowl VII in Los Angeles on January 14, 1973. Dolphins safety Jake Scott would win MVP of the game with two interceptions for 63 return yards. The team, led by coach Don Shula, would go on to be named the greatest team in NFL history during the league’s 100th anniversary season in 2019.
January 1 - January 7
January 1
Johnny Cash played his first show at San Quentin State Prison in California on New Year’s Day 1959. It would be the first of many shows performed at San Quentin and various prisons throughout the country during his career. Cash felt compassion for those incarcerated and wanted to give them both something to look forward to and hope for the future. One such inmate at San Quentin during that 1959 New Year’s Day show that credits Cash’s performance for helping to turn his life around was Merle Haggard, sentenced there on burglary charges. Haggard would become a country music legend in his own right.
Cash would go on to record a live album At San Quentin in 1969, one year after his iconic and highly successful At Folsom Prison.
January 2
The Sid Vicious second-degree murder trial began in New York City on Jan. 2, 1979. Vicious (real name John Simon Ritchie) was the bassist for the British punk band The Sex Pistols who had been arrested and charged for the stabbing death of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen on October 12, 1978. Vicious had found Spungen dead in their Chelsea Hotel room after he awoke from a heroin-induced stupor. Vicious would die of a heroin overdose, while out on bail, on February 2 bringing the trial to an inconclusive end.
January 3
Radio engineer Sam Phillips opens his Memphis Recording Studio (later renamed Sun Records) on Jan 3, 1950. Phillips’ initial purpose of the studio was to record “negro artists of the South” who wanted to make a recording but had no place to do so. The studio would later be one of the most important and influential for the birth of Rock & Roll music when Phillips launched Elvis Presley's career. Sun Records would be the first studio of future legends like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and more. Today the studio can be visited by fans on tours at 706 Union Ave. in Memphis, Tenn.
January 4
One of the greatest games in college football history took place at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4, 2006, when the University of Texas Longhorns faced the University of Southern California Trojans in the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game. Texas and USC were the only two unbeaten teams of the season and matched up in an epic back-and-forth battle that ultimately was decided with 19 seconds left on the clock when Texas quarterback Vince Young facing a fourth-and-five from the nine-yard line received the shotgun snap, took off on a rush, received a big block from teammate Justin Blalock and scampered in for his third rushing touchdown of the game to win 41-38.
January 5
The memorable 12th episode of the first season of the Fox legal dramedy “Ally McBeal” titled “Cro-Magnon” airs featuring the titular character, played by Calista Flockhart, having a hallucinogenic moment where she sees a computer-generated baby dancing to Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling.” It was probably the most memorable moment of the show’s five-season run.
Johnny Cash played his first show at San Quentin State Prison in California on New Year’s Day 1959. It would be the first of many shows performed at San Quentin and various prisons throughout the country during his career. Cash felt compassion for those incarcerated and wanted to give them both something to look forward to and hope for the future. One such inmate at San Quentin during that 1959 New Year’s Day show that credits Cash’s performance for helping to turn his life around was Merle Haggard, sentenced there on burglary charges. Haggard would become a country music legend in his own right.
Cash would go on to record a live album At San Quentin in 1969, one year after his iconic and highly successful At Folsom Prison.
January 2
The Sid Vicious second-degree murder trial began in New York City on Jan. 2, 1979. Vicious (real name John Simon Ritchie) was the bassist for the British punk band The Sex Pistols who had been arrested and charged for the stabbing death of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen on October 12, 1978. Vicious had found Spungen dead in their Chelsea Hotel room after he awoke from a heroin-induced stupor. Vicious would die of a heroin overdose, while out on bail, on February 2 bringing the trial to an inconclusive end.
January 3
Radio engineer Sam Phillips opens his Memphis Recording Studio (later renamed Sun Records) on Jan 3, 1950. Phillips’ initial purpose of the studio was to record “negro artists of the South” who wanted to make a recording but had no place to do so. The studio would later be one of the most important and influential for the birth of Rock & Roll music when Phillips launched Elvis Presley's career. Sun Records would be the first studio of future legends like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and more. Today the studio can be visited by fans on tours at 706 Union Ave. in Memphis, Tenn.
January 4
One of the greatest games in college football history took place at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4, 2006, when the University of Texas Longhorns faced the University of Southern California Trojans in the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game. Texas and USC were the only two unbeaten teams of the season and matched up in an epic back-and-forth battle that ultimately was decided with 19 seconds left on the clock when Texas quarterback Vince Young facing a fourth-and-five from the nine-yard line received the shotgun snap, took off on a rush, received a big block from teammate Justin Blalock and scampered in for his third rushing touchdown of the game to win 41-38.
January 5
The memorable 12th episode of the first season of the Fox legal dramedy “Ally McBeal” titled “Cro-Magnon” airs featuring the titular character, played by Calista Flockhart, having a hallucinogenic moment where she sees a computer-generated baby dancing to Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling.” It was probably the most memorable moment of the show’s five-season run.
January 6
American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked at the Cobo Arena in Detroit while practicing for the U.S. Championships. It was later revealed that assailant Shane Stant, who had struck Kerrigan’s lower right thigh with a telescopic baton, was hired to do so by fellow figure skater Tonya Harding, who went on to win the U.S. Championships in Kerrigan’s absence. Harding would later be stripped of the title and banned for life from United States Figure Skating Association events. Kerrigan would recover from her injuries in time to win the silver medal at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics.
January 7
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 105-95 to extend their already NBA record winning streak to 33 games (where it would come to an end). Thirty-three straight wins was 13 more than the previous record of 20 at the time set by the Washington Capitols over a two-season span in the late ‘40s and the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1970-71 season the year before. Twenty-eight straight wins is the closest any team has come to the Lakers’ 1971-72 streak since. The Lakers would go on to win the NBA title that season, the only one for legendary Jerry West.
