This Week in Pop Culture History
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.
