On This Day

[bunkerfan]

18th December


In 1839 John William Draper takes 1st portrait photograph of a female face made in US.




Born on this day in 1943 - Keith Richards, 'The Human Riff', guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of The Rolling Stones who have had over 35 Top 40 singles and albums. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created 'rock's greatest single body of riffs'. Classic albums include: Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street.




In 1976 "Wonder Woman" debuts on ABC.




In 2001 English singer songwriter Clifford T. Ward died aged 57 after suffering from multiple sclerosis since 1984. His first album, Singer Songwriter, was released in 1972 on Dandelion Records (a label formed by the late disc jockey John Peel). He had the 1973 UK No.8 single 'Gaye'. Working as an English teacher in the late 60’s, one of his pupils was the future wife of Sting, Trudie Styler.

[bunkerfan]

19th December


In 1922 Theresa Vaughn, 24, confesses in court in Sheffield, England, to being married 61 times over 5 years in 50 cities in three countries.




In 1942 Robert Stroud, convicted murdered, transferred to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, where he becomes known as "Birdman of Alcatraz."




In 1971 Stanley Kubrick's film and cult classic "A Clockwork Orange" based on the book by Anthony Burgess and starring Malcolm McDowell premieres.



In 1987 The Pet Shop Boys had their third UK No.1 single with their version of 'Always On My Mind. The duo had performed a version of 'Always on My Mind' on Love Me Tender, an TV special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, their performance was so well-received that the group decided to record the song and release it as a single.

[jackinthegreen]

Dec 19, 2023 8:40:26 GMT bunkerfan said:

19th December



In 1987 The Pet Shop Boys had their third UK No.1 single with their version of 'Always On My Mind. The duo had performed a version of 'Always on My Mind' on Love Me Tender, an TV special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, their performance was so well-received that the group decided to record the song and release it as a single.

It was this song that kept the brilliant Fairytale of New York by The Pogues, getting the number one spot

[bunkerfan]

Dec 19, 2023 11:21:47 GMT jackinthegreen said:

Dec 19, 2023 8:40:26 GMT bunkerfan said:

19th December



In 1987 The Pet Shop Boys had their third UK No.1 single with their version of 'Always On My Mind. The duo had performed a version of 'Always on My Mind' on Love Me Tender, an TV special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, their performance was so well-received that the group decided to record the song and release it as a single.

It was this song that kept the brilliant Fairytale of New York by The Pogues, getting the number one spot

Thanks for that JITG and congratulations on your 1,000th post

[jackinthegreen]

Dec 19, 2023 14:08:19 GMT bunkerfan said:

Dec 19, 2023 11:21:47 GMT jackinthegreen said:

It was this song that kept the brilliant Fairytale of New York by The Pogues, getting the number one spot

Thanks for that JITG and congratulations on your 1,000th post

Thank you bunkerfan

I hadn't noticed that

[bunkerfan]

20th December


In 1920 Bob Hope becomes an American citizen aged 17 (emigrated from England aged four)




In 1946 Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life" film, directed by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore premieres in New York.




In 1963 Berlin Wall opens for 1st time to West Berliners.




In 1967 The best band ever, "Jethro Tull" form in Blackpool, England.

[bunkerfan]

21st December


In 1913 1st crossword puzzle (with 32 clues) printed in NY World.




In 1937 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", the first full-length animated feature film and the earliest in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, premieres at the Carthay Circle Theatre, Los Angeles.




In 1970 Elvis Presley meets US President Richard Nixon in the White House - the image of this meeting is the most requested photo from the entire National Archives.




In 1991 'These Are The Days Of Our Lives' by Queen started a five week run at No.1 in the UK, the 1975 word-wide hit had been re-released following the death of Freddie Mercury.

[bunkerfan]

22nd December


In 1910 US postal savings stamps 1st issued.




In 1941 Winston Churchill arrives in Washington, D.C. for a wartime conference.




In 1964 Ballon d'Or: Manchester United striker Denis Law wins award for best European football player.




In 2010 The Abbey Road zebra crossing in north London, made famous after appearing on a Beatles album cover was given Grade II listed status. The crossing, the first of its kind to be listed, was being recognised for its "cultural and historical importance" following advice from English Heritage. The Beatles were photographed on Abbey Road in Ian Macmillan's iconic cover shot for the 1969 album Abbey Road.

[bunkerfan]

23rd December


In 1888 Vincent van Gogh cuts off his left ear with a razor, after argument with fellow painter Paul Gauguin, and sends to a female courtesan for safe keeping.




In 1930 Bette Davis arrives in Hollywood under contract to Universal Studios.




In 1977 British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens formally converts to Islam, taking the name Yusuf Islam.




In 1989 Phil Collins started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Another Day In Paradise', his 7th US solo No.1. Taken from his No.1 album ...But Seriously 'Another Day in Paradise' was written to bring attention to the problem of homelessness.

[bunkerfan]

24th December


In 1922 London Coliseum opens.




In 1948 First US completely solar heated house is occupied (Dover, Mass)




In 1974 Former US astronaut John Glenn joins the US Senate representing Ohio.




In 1988 American glam metal band Poison started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn.' Bret Michaels from the band said the inspiration for the song came from a night when he was in a laundromat in Dallas waiting for his clothes to dry, and called his girlfriend on a pay phone. Michaels said he heard a male voice in the background and was devastated; he said he went into the laundromat and wrote 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' as a result.

[bunkerfan]

Christmas Day


In 1711 St Paul's Cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, is officially declared complete after 35 years construction, by the British parliament.




In 1950 Coronation Stone, taken from Scone in Scotland by Edward I in 1296, stolen from Westminster Abbey & smuggled back to Scotland.




In 1967 Beatle Paul McCartney and British actress Jane Asher get engaged; engagement publicly broken six months later.




In 1976 American MOR singer Johnny Mathis was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'When A Child Is Born', the singers only UK No.1 and the Christmas hit of 1976.

[bunkerfan]

Boxing Day


In 1933 FM radio patent granted to American engineer Edwin Howard Armstrong.




In 1940 "The Philadelphia Story" film directed by George Cukor, based on the Broadway play of the same name, starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart, is released (Academy Awards Best Actor 1941)




In 1970 George Harrison started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'My Sweet Lord', making him the first Beatle to score a No.1 US hit. The song was originally intended for Billy Preston.




In 2007 Amy Winehouse's second album ‘Back to Black’ was named as the biggest-selling album of the year. Released at the end of 2006 the album had now sold more than 1.5m copies in the UK, achieving five platinum sales awards, Winehouse was also nominated for six Grammys including song of the year.

[bunkerfan]

27th December


In 1900 Carrie Nation's 1st public smashing of a bar (Carey Hotel, Wichita, Kansas)




In 1943 Montgomery discusses Operation Overlord (D-day landings) with Eisenhower & Bedell Smith.




In 1960 The Beatles appeared at Litherland Town Hall Ballroom in Liverpool. Added to the bill at the last minute, The Beatles were not advertised to appear, so banners had been pasted onto advertising posters, saying "Direct From Hamburg, The Beatles!" Since The Beatles were playing in an area they'd only played in once before, most of the audience assumes they were a German group.




In1986 Jackie Wilson had the UK Christmas No.1 single with 'Reet Petite' two years after Wilson's death, following its use in a commercial for Levi's. Written in 1957 by Berry Gordy and Tyran Carlo, the success of the song helped Gordy fund the launch of Motown Records.

[JTull 007]

Dec 27, 2023 7:59:24 GMT bunkerfan said:

27th December In 1900 Carrie Nation's 1st public smashing of a bar (Carey Hotel, Wichita, Kansas)

    I can understand part of her reasoning, but I blame the individual that drinks not the bar.
                                                             Moderation in all things ... 

[bunkerfan]

28th December


In 1895 Filmmakers the Lumiere brothers, hold the first commercial film screening at Salon Indien du Grand Café, Paris.




In 1934 First ever Women's cricket international begins England vs Australia in Australia.




In 1968 100,000 attend Miami Pop Festival; performers included: The Jimi Hendrix Experience; The Mothers of Invention; Chuck Berry; John Lee Hooker; The Crazy World of Arthur Brown; and Blues Image.




In 1974 Helen Reddy went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Angie Baby', the singers third US No.1. The song was turned down by Cher.

[bunkerfan]

29th December


In 1867 1st telegraph ticker used by a brokerage house, Groesbeck & Co, New York.




In 1952 1st transistorized hearing aid offered for sale.




In 1965 "Thunderball", 4th James Bond film starring Sean Connery and Claudine Auger premieres in Tokyo, Japan.




In 1966 Working at Abbey Road studios, London, Paul McCartney began work on his new song ‘Penny Lane’, recording six takes of keyboard tracks and various percussion effects. The song's title is derived from the name of a street near John Lennon's house, in the band's hometown, Liverpool. McCartney and Lennon would meet at Penny Lane junction in the Mossley Hill area to catch a bus into the centre of the city.

[JTull 007]

Dec 29, 2023 6:37:39 GMT bunkerfan said:

29th December In 1965 "Thunderball",
4th James Bond film starring Sean Connery and Claudine Auger premieres in Tokyo, Japan.

                          My first Bond movie in a theater... I was 8 years old
   

[bunkerfan]

30th December


In 1924 Astronomer Edwin Hubble formally announces existence of other galactic systems at meeting of the American Astronomical Society.




Born on this day in 1946 - Clive Bunker British rock drummer,born in Luton, Bedfordshire, and played in his first band The Warriors in the 1960s. With Mick Abrahams he later formed the band known as McGregor's Engine. In this early career, playing in small venues, Bunker had an extraordinary non-matching drum kit, composed of bits and pieces of various manufacturers’ equipment. Between 1967 and 1971 he drummed for Jethro Tull. But he left after the band released its most popular album to that date, Aqualung, to get married and spend more time with his new wife.




In 1968 Frank Sinatra first records "My Way" with lyrics were written by Paul Anka and based on the French song "Comme d'habitude."




In 2016 British singer-songwriter Ray Davies, of The Kinks, is awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II.

[bunkerfan]

31st December


In 1921 Last San Francisco fire horses retired.




In 1950 American thoroughbred jockeys Bill Shoemaker and Joe Culmone end the year tied, leading the nation with record 388 wins.




In 1961 The Beach Boys made their live debut using their new name when they appeared at Long Beach Civic Auditorium, California.




In 1966 The Monkees started a 7-week run at No.1 on the US singles charts with the Neil Diamond song 'I'm A Believer'. Also No.1 in the UK in 1967.

[bunkerfan]

1st January


In 1907 US President Theodore Roosevelt shakes a record 8,513 hands in 1 day.




In 1946 ENIAC, US 1st computer finished by Mauchly/Eckert.




In 1960 Johnny Cash plays first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin Prison, California; Merle Haggard among the inmate audience.




In 1969 Marmalade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of The Beatles song 'Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da', which features on The White Album.

[bunkerfan]

2nd January


In 1842 1st US wire suspension bridge for general traffic opens in Penn.




In 1941 World War II: German bombing severely damages the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales.




In 1972 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Virginia Wade of England wins her first Grand Slam title; beats home favourite Evonne Goolagong 6-4, 6-4.




In 2007 Gnarls Barkley's song 'Crazy' was confirmed as the biggest selling UK single of 2006 selling over 700,000 copies. The track, which was the first to reach number one on downloads alone.

[bunkerfan]

3rd January


In 1853 Solomon Northup, author of the memoir "Twelve Years a Slave, is freed after 7 illegal years in slavery with aid of Washington Hunt, Governor of New York.




In 1956 A fire damages the top part of the Eiffel Tower.




In 1981 American golfer Johnny Miller wins the sport's first $1 million tournament when he beats Seve Ballesteros of Spain in a playoff in the inaugural Million Dollar World Challenge at Sun City, South Africa.




In 1987 Aretha Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite the enormity of the milestone, Franklin wasn't actually able to attend the ceremony herself, so instead, Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards, Clive Davis and her brother Cecil inducted Franklin with her poignant speech, "To be the first woman inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a historical moment and indeed a milestone in my career..."

[bunkerfan]

4th January


In 1863 Four wheeled roller skates patented by James Plimpton in New York.




In 1954 Elvis Presley records his second demo at Sun Studios, a recording studio in Memphis, "It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You" and "I'll Never Stand In Your Way."




In 1968 Leo Fender sells Fender Guitars for $13 million to CBS.




In 1970 Beatles last recording session at Abbey Road studios, completing George Harrison's tune "I Me Mine."

[bunkerfan]

5th January


In 1859 1st steamboat the North Star sails up the northern Red River, America.




In 1933 "Cavalcade" based on the play by Noël Coward, directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook premieres in New York (Best Production/Picture 1934)




In 1973 Bruce Springsteen released his debut album 'Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.' Recorded in a single week the album only sold about 25,000 copies in the first year of its release.




In 2001 Kirsty MacColl was laid to rest at a private funeral ceremony, ahead of a public memorial to pay tribute to her life. The singer songwriter was killed in a boating accident on 18th Dec 2000.

[bunkerfan]

6th January


In 1838 Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail demonstrate their telegraph machine in New Jersey.




In 1938 Bronze memorial statue of explorer Henry Hudson erected in the Bronx, New York.




In 1968 The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour started an eight week run at No.1 on the US album chart, the group's 11th US chart topper.




In 1979 The Village People scored their only UK No.1 single with 'Y.M.C.A.' At its peak the single was selling over 150,000 copies a day. In the gay culture from which the group sprang, the song was understood as celebrating the YMCA's reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot.

[bunkerfan]

7th January


In 1934 "Flash Gordon" comic strip created and drawn by Alex Raymond debuts.




Born on this day in 1945 - Dave Cousins, singer songwriter with English folk rock group The Strawbs. They formed in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys while the founder members were at St Mary's Teacher Training College, Strawberry Hill, London. The Strawbs scored two hits in 1973, the UK No.2 single with 'Part Of The Union' and the UK No.12 hit 'Lay Down'.




In 1968 "GE College Bowl" quiz show premieres on NBC TV.




In 1971 Black Sabbath released 'Paranoid' their second studio album in the US. The album features the band's best-known signature songs, including the title track, 'Iron Man' and 'War Pigs'. The album was originally titled War Pigs, but allegedly the record company changed it to Paranoid, fearing backlash from supporters of the ongoing Vietnam War.

[bunkerfan]

8th January


In 1894 Columbus World's fair in Chicago destroyed by fire.




Born on this day in 1937 - Welsh singer Shirley Bassey. In January 1959, Bassey became the first Welsh person to gain a No. 1 single and later had the 1970 UK No.4 single with a cover of The Beatles George Harrison song 'Something' as well as hits with the James Bond themes 'Goldfinger' (1964) 'Diamonds are Forever', (1971) and Moonraker (1979). Bassey received the first award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 1st Brit Awards in 1977 and she was appointed a Dame in 1999 for services to the performing arts. Bassey has sold over 140 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female artists of all time. She is the first woman in history to claim a Top 40 album in seven consecutive decades in the United Kingdom.




In 1978 TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert hardy and Christopher Timothy.




In 2016 ISO/Columbia Records/Sony Music release David Bowie's 26th and final studio album "Blackstar" on his 69th birthday; enters charts in US and UK at No 1.

[bunkerfan]

9th January


In 1879 Kirland Warbler discovered on Andros Island in Bahamas.




Born on this day in 1944 - Jimmy Page guitarist and producer, member of the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin. The bands fourth album released in 1971 featuring the rock classic Stairway To Heaven has sold over 37 million copies. Formed The Honeydrippers, (with Robert Plant, Jeff Beck & Nile Rodgers) who had the 1984 US No.3 single Sea Of Love. As a session guitarist in the 60s Page played on Here Comes The Night by Them, Shout by Lulu and The Who's 'Can't Explain'.




In 1972 Retired passenger liner Queen Elizabeth destroyed by fire in Hong Kong harbour.




In 1984 John Lennon single "Nobody Told Me" released posthumously.

[bunkerfan]

10th January


In 1897 Ukrainian bacteriologist Waldemar Haffkine performs the first human trial for a vaccine for the plague on himself during the Bombay epidemic.




In 1946 UN General Assembly meets for the first time in London.




In 1972 George Harrison and Friends' triple live album set "The Concert for Bangladesh" released in UK.




In 1999 Fatboy Slim's music single "Praise You" hits #1 in the UK.

[bunkerfan]

11th January


In 1913 1st sedan-type car (Hudson) goes on display at 13th Auto Show (NYC)




Born on this day in 1946 - English keyboardist, songwriter, producer and manager Tony Kaye. He was a founding member of the rock band Yes and later played in Badfinger. He formed the band Detective with singer Michael Des Barres who were signed to Led Zeppelin's label Swan Song Records.




In 1964 Ring Of Fire The Best of Johnny Cash became the first No.1 album when Billboard debuted their Country Album Chart. It was his sixteenth album in total and the first compilations album by Cash.




In 1986 The Pet Shop Boys scored their first UK No.1 single with 'West End Girls.' The first version of the song was released in April 1984, becoming a club hit in the United States, after the duo signed with EMI, the song was re-recorded with producer Stephen Hague.