On This Day

[bunkerfan]

12th January


In 1866 The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London.




In 1948 1st Supermarket in the UK opens - the Co-op, the country’s first permanent self-service store, in East London’s Manor Park.




In 1969 Led Zeppelin's debut album was released in the UK. Recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London, the album took only about 36 hours of studio time to complete at a cost of just £1,782, most of the tracks being recorded 'live' in the studio with very few overdubs. The album spent a total of 71 weeks on the UK chart.




In 2004 American songwriter and guitarist Randy VanWarmer died from leukaemia aged 48. (1979 US No.4 & UK No.8 single 'Just When I Needed You Most'). Also wrote The Oak Ridge Boys No.1 US Country hit 'I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes.' VanWarmer's had arranged for a space burial and his cremated remains were sent into space in 2007.

[bunkerfan]

13th January


In 1930 "Mickey Mouse" comic strip 1st appears.




In 1948 1st country music TV show, "Midwestern Hayride", premieres on WLW-T in Cincinnati, Ohio.




In 1967 London/Decca Records release Rolling Stones' single "Let's Spend the Night Together."




In 1969 Elvis Presley began a ten day recording session that would produce his final US number one record, 'Suspicious Minds'. The tracks were laid down at American Sound Studios in Memphis and marked the first time Presley had recorded in his hometown since his Sun Records days in 1956.

[bunkerfan]

14th January


In 1932 Racing Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro wins his 1st race at Agua Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico - aged 16 years.




In 1943 World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt travels from Miami to Morocco to meet with Winston Churchill, becoming the first American president to travel overseas by airplane.




In 1971 Cricketer John Snow takes 7-40 for England to beat Australia by 299 runs.




In 1977 David Bowie released his eleventh studio album Low, the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno termed the "Berlin Trilogy". The track 'Sound and Vision' was released as a single and used by the BBC in the UK on trailers at the time, providing much needed exposure, as Bowie opted to do nothing to promote the single himself, and helped the song reach No.3 on the UK charts.

[bunkerfan]

15th January


In 1797 1st top hat worn by John Etherington of London.




In 1942 US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sends his famed "Green Light Letter" to MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, encouraging baseball to continue playing during World War II.




In 1974 TV sitcom "Happy Days" created by Garry Marshall and starring Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, and Tom Bosley, begins an 11 year run on ABC.




In 1994 American singer songwriter Harry Nilsson died in his sleep of heart failure after spending the previous day in the recording studio. He recorded 'Everybody's Talkin' from the film Midnight Cowboy and wrote hits for Three Dog Night and The Monkees. Had the UK & US No.1 single with his version of the Badfinger Evans & Ham song 'Without You.'

[bunkerfan]

16th January


In 1909 Antarctic explorers Douglas Mawson, Edgeworth David and Alistair Mackay reach south magnetic pole as part of the Nimrod Expedition.




In 1945 Adolf Hitler moves into the Fuhrerbunker, his underground bunker in Berlin, where he lives until his suicide April 30.




In 1957 Cavern Club opens on Matthews Street in Liverpool, England, home of many performances by The Beatles.




In 1992 Eric Clapton recorded his unplugged session for MTV. The set which included his current hit single 'Tears in Heaven' and a reworked acoustic version of 'Layla', earned six Grammy Awards for the album including Record of the Year.

[jackinthegreen]

Jan 16, 2024 6:37:04 GMT bunkerfan said:

16th January


In 1909 Antarctic explorers Douglas Mawson, Edgeworth David and Alistair Mackay reach south magnetic pole as part of the Nimrod Expedition.

These early explorers were so brave
Amazing achievement

[bunkerfan]

17th January


In 1938 Joseph P. Kennedy becomes the 44th United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom.




In 1950 The Great Brinks Robbery - 11 men rob $1.2M cash & $1.5M securities from armored car company Brink's offices in Boston, Massachusetts.




In 1981 Motley Crue formed when bass guitarist Nikki Sixx left the band London and began rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist, guitarist Greg Leon, (who later left). Sixx and Lee then added guitarist Bob "Mick Mars" Deal. Vince Neil accepted an offer to join (after turning them down) in April of this year.




In 1987 Kate Bush started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with The Whole Story. The compilation album was Bush's third UK No.1 album as well as her best-selling release.

[bunkerfan]

18th January


In 1886 Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England.




In 1948 TV talent show "The Original Amateur Hour" hosted by Ted Mack premieres on the DuMont Television Network.




In 1975 "The Jeffersons" spinoff from "All in the Family" premieres on CBS.




In 2009 "We Are One" concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington prior to Barack Obama's inauguration attracts an estimated crowd of 400,000; performers include.

[bunkerfan]

19th January


In 1915 Neon Tube sign patented by George Claude.




In 1940 The Three Stooges film "You Nazty Spy!" about the Nazis released with the disclaimer "Any resemblance between the characters in this picture and any persons, living or dead, is a miracle."




In 1963 The Beatles made their first national TV appearance in the UK on Thank Your Lucky Stars performing 'Please Please Me'. Thank Your Lucky Stars was a hugely popular programme at the time, and it was a major coup for The Beatles to be appearing. Their presence was secured by Dick James, who later became The Beatles’ publisher.



In 1971 The Beatles' "Helter Skelter" is played at Charles Manson trial.

[bunkerfan]

20th January


In 1869 Elizabeth Cady Stanton becomes 1st woman to testify before US Congress.




In 1949 1st inaugural parade televised, for Harry Truman, watched by 10 million people.




In 1968 Arthur Penn's film "Bonnie and Clyde" premieres in Paris, France with stars Warren Beatty & Faye Dunaway in attendance.




In 1987 Rhino Records 1st #1, Billy Vera & Beaters' "At This Moment."

[bunkerfan]

21st January


In 1903 Harry Houdini escapes from Halvemaansteeg police station in Amsterdam.




In 1942 Bronx magistrate rules all pinball machines illegal.




In 1971 "Alias Smith & Jones" premieres on ABC TV.




In 2003 Dee Palmer, former keyboard player for Jethro Tull, came out as transgender. Palmer was born with genital ambiguity and assigned male at birth, and experienced gender dysphoria for her entire life, before undergoing several surgeries after the death of her wife, Maggie, in 1995. Palmer was the keyboard player for Jethro Tull between 1969 and 1980, playing on all the Tull classics including 'Thick As A Brick' and 'Aqualung'.

[bunkerfan]

22nd January


In 1889 Columbia Phonograph was formed in Washington, D.C.




In 1941 British and Australian troops capture Tobruk.




In 1971 John Lennon and Plastic Ono Band record "Power to the People" at his Ascot Sound home studio at Tittenhurst Park, England.




In 1994 D:Ream had their first UK No.1 single with 'Things Can Only Get Better', it stayed at No.1 for four weeks. In 1997 the track was adopted by the UK Labour Party as their theme for the 1997 UK General Election. Keyboard player Brian Cox became a renowned physicist and science broadcaster on the BBC.

[bunkerfan]

23rd January


In 1930 Clyde Tombaugh photographs dwarf planet Pluto.




In 1943 Duke Ellington plays at Carnegie Hall in New York City for the first time.




In 1973 US President Richard Nixon announces an accord has been reached to end the Vietnam War.




In 1976 David Bowie released his tenth studio album Station to Station, which was the vehicle for his last great character, the Thin White Duke. The album was recorded after he completed shooting Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell to Earth, and the cover artwork featured a still from the movie. The album made the top five in both the UK and US charts.

[bunkerfan]

24th January


In 1890 World's oldest wooden sculpture the Shigir Idol - radiocarbon dated to 12,500 years old, is discovered in a peat bog near Kalata, Middle Urals.




In 1940 "The Grapes of Wrath", directed by John Ford and based on John Steinbeck's novel of the same name, starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell, is released.




In 1969 Students protest the erection of steel gates around the London School of Economics.




In 1972 Columbia Records releases "Paul Simon", the second solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon; it includes singles "Mother and Child Reunion" and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard."

[bunkerfan]

25th January


In 1858 Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" first played, at wedding of Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Victoria, to crown prince of Prussia.




In 1939 1st nuclear fission experiment (splitting of a uranium atom) in the US, in basement of Pupin Hall, Columbia University by a team including Enrico Fermi.




In 1970 Dark comedy film "M*A*S*H", directed by Robert Altman, starring Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould, and based on novel by Richard Hooker, premieres (Palme d'Or 1970)




In 1988 George Harrison releases single "When We Was Fab."

[bunkerfan]

26th January


In 1875 Electric dental drill is patented by George F Green.




In 1929 Rube Goldberg's "The Inventions of Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts, A.K.," cartoon series first published in "Colliers Weekly."




In 1962 Bishop Burke of Buffalo Catholic dioceses declares Chubby Checker's "The Twist" to be impure and bans it from all Catholic schools.




In 1973 Sweet were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Blockbuster'. The glam rockers only UK No.1 of 15 Top 40 hits.

[bunkerfan]

27th January


In 1918 "tarzan of the Apes", 1st Tarzan film, premieres at Broadway Theater.




In 1948 1st tape recorder sold.




In 1962 The Beatles appeared at Aintree Institute in Aintree, Liverpool. The group had played here many times before but this was their last performance at the venue. Brian Epstein became infuriated when the promoter paid The Beatles fee (£15 pounds) with handfuls of loose change. Epstein took this as an insult to the group and made sure that The Beatles never played for that promoter (Brian Kelly) again.




In 1996 Babylon Zoo started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Spaceman', the fastest selling single by a debut artist in the UK, (420,000 copies in 6 days). The song was used for a Levi Jeans TV commercial. The single also went to Number 1 in twenty-three other countries.

[bunkerfan]

28th January


In 1911 Frenchman Henri Rougier wins 1st Rally of Monte Carlo.




In 1947 "Bay Psalm" book auctioned for a record $151,000.




In 1985 Charity single "We Are the World" recorded by supergroup USA for Africa (Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and other pop stars)




In 2005 English drummer and singer songwriter Jim Capaldi died of stomach cancer aged 60. He co-founded Traffic with Steve Winwood who had the 1967 UK No.2 single 'Hole In My Shoe'. Capaldi also had the solo 1975 UK No.4 single 'Love Hurts'. Capaldi also worked with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and George Harrison.

[bunkerfan]

29th January


In 1886 Karl Benz patents the "Benz Patent-Motorwagen" in Karlsruhe, Germany, the world's 1st automobile with a burning motor.




In 1942 1st broadcast of Roy Plomley's "Desert Island Discs" on BBC radio.




In 1964 IX Winter Olympic Games open in Innsbruck, Austria.




In 1969 Fleetwood Mac had their only UK No.1 single with the instrumental 'Albatross' which was composed by guitarist Peter Green. 'Albatross' is the only Fleetwood Mac composition with the distinction of having inspired a Beatles song, 'Sun King' from 1969's Abbey Road.

[bunkerfan]

30th January


In 1894 Pneumatic hammer patented by Charles King of Detroit.




In 1931 "City Lights", American silent romantic comedy film directed by Charlie Chaplin, starring himself and Virginia Cherrill, premieres at Los Angeles Theater.




In 1969 The Beatles perform their last live gig, a 42 minute concert on the roof of Apple Corps HQ in London.




In 1970 Edison Lighthouse were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes).' The group's only Top 40 hit spent five weeks at the top of the charts.In February 1970, Tony Burrows became the first (and still the only) person to appear on BBC Television's Top Of The Pops fronting three different acts in one show: Edison Lighthouse (who were number one that week), White Plains, and Brotherhood of Man.

[jackinthegreen]

In 1969 Fleetwood Mac had their only UK No.1 single with the instrumental 'Albatross' which was composed by guitarist Peter Green. 'Albatross' is the only Fleetwood Mac composition with the distinction of having inspired a Beatles song, 'Sun King' from 1969's Abbey Road.

[/quote]

I was 14 and still at school when this came out...wonderful track, it is so unique

[bunkerfan]

31st January


In 1924 Herma Szabo of Austria wins the ladies figure skating gold medal at the Chamonix Winter Olympics; only women's event at the Games.




In 1955 RCA demonstrates 1st music synthesizer.




In 1970 The Jackson Five went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Want You Back'. The song was originally written for Gladys Knight & The Pips and was the first of four No.1's for the group. It made No.2 in the UK.




In 2012 Leonard Cohen releases his album "Old Ideas", becomes No.1 in 10 countries.

[bunkerfan]

1st February


In 1862 Julia Howe publishes "Battle Hymn of Republic."




In 1946 Norwegian politician Trygve Lie elected the 1st Secretary General of the United Nations.




In 1972 Reprise Records releases "Harvest", the 4th studio album by Neil Young; becomes best selling album in US, 1972.




In 2013 Coldplay's 'Clocks' topped a list by BBC Radio 6 Music's top 100 tracks of the past 10 years. More than 100,000 votes were cast in the poll which looked back over the 10 years since the station began in 2002. Arctic Monkeys' 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' was voted into second place, and Elbow's 'One Day Like This' in third.

[JTull 007]

     February 2nd The origins of Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil
   
   

[bunkerfan]

2nd February


In 1901 Queen Victoria's funeral takes place in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.




In 1942 US auto factories switch from commercial to war production.




In 1962 The Beatles played their first professionally organised gig outside of Liverpool at The Oasis Club, Manchester. The groups set started with their version of 'Hippy Hippy Shake'.




In 2003 Girl duo Tatu started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'All The Things She Said'. The song had been a hit on the Russian charts three years earlier. Tatu were the first Russian act to score a UK No 1.

[bunkerfan]

3rd February


In 1894 1st US steel sailing vessel, Dirigo, launched at Bath, Maine.




In 1945 Walt Disney's "3 Caballeros" released.




In 1966 1st operational weather satellite, ESSA-1 launched US.




In 1967 Jimi Hendrix adds vocals and overdubs for "Purple Haze" at Olympic Studios in London; basic track had been recorded by the band in January.

[bunkerfan]

4th February


In 1924 Jacob Tullin Thams of Norway wins ski jumping gold at the Chamonix Winter Olympics; in 1936 he earns a silver medal in sailing at Berlin Summer Games.




In 1957 1st electric portable typewriter placed on sale (Syracuse NY)




In 1970 "Patton" directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring George C. Scott premieres in New York (Academy Awards Best Picture 1971)




In 2017 Black Sabbath the band credited with inventing heavy metal music, played their last concert. The two-hour gig at the NEC Arena in their home city of Birmingham saw the rock veterans play 15 songs ending with their first hit, 'Paranoid'. Ticker tape and balloons fell as singer Ozzy Osbourne, 68, thanked fans for nearly five decades of support. Sabbath's The End Tour began in the US in January last year and took in 81 dates across the world.

[JTull 007]

                            On This Day Friday February 2nd 2024
Groundhog Day 2024 Prediction: Punxsutawney Phil does NOT see his shadow
   

[bunkerfan]

5th February


In 1861 Kinematoscope patented by Coleman Sellers, Philadelphia.




In 1944 "Captain America" serial film premieres starring Dick Purcell, first appearance of a Marvel superhero outside a comic.




In 1971 Apollo 14, 3rd US manned Moon expedition, lands near Fra Mauro Alan Shepard & Edward Mitchell (Apollo 14) walk on Moon for 4 hrs.




In 1972 T Rex were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Telegram Sam', the group's third UK No.1 which was taken from their album The Slider. The song is also known for bringing the term "main man" into popular culture.

[bunkerfan]

6th February


In 1921 Charlie Chaplin releases his first full-length feature - "The Kid", a silent film starring Charlie Chaplin & 6-year old Jackie Coogan.




In 1947 Magnum Photos founded in Paris by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and David Seymour.




In 1968 X Winter Olympic Games opens in Grenoble, France.




In 1982 Kraftwerk were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Model / Computer Love', the first German act to score a UK No.1 single. The single spent 21 weeks on the UK chart.