Today in History

Today in History December 1st

In 1974, TWA Flight 514, a Washington-bound Boeing 727, crashed in Virginia after being diverted from National Airport to Dulles International Airport; all 92 people on board were killed.

 

On this Day - 2nd December:
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1859 Abolitionist John Brown

... was hanged for murder, treason,and conspiring slaves to revolt at Charles Town, Virginia

AbolitionistJohn Brown was born in Connecticut in 1800.
He first became militant during the mid-1850s, when as a leader of the Free State forces in Kansas he fought pro-slavery settlers in the sharply divided U.S. territory.

John Brown (abolitionist) - Wikipedia
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1927 Paleoanthropologist Davidson Black



Paleoanthropologist Davidson Black announces to the Geological Society of China that the ancient human fossils from Zhoukoudian, China are a new species which he has named 'Sinanthropus pekinensis' (nw known as 'Homo erectus')

Davidson Black - Wikipedia
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1960 Paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey

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Archaeologist and PaleoanthropologistLouis Leakey


..... discovers 1.4 million year old Homo erectus (Olduvai Hominid 9) in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Louis Leakey - Wikipedia

 

On this Day - 2nd December:
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1957 - Elvis Presley


Al Priddy a DJ on US radio station KEX in Portland was fired after playing Elvis Presley's version of 'White Christmas'
The station management said, 'it's not in the spirit we associate with Christmas'.

1966 - David Bowie
David Bowie released 'Rubber Band', his first single on the Deram label.
David Bowie - Rubber Band - YouTube
It was part of a three-track audition tape Bowie's new manager Kenneth Pitt used to persuade the label to sign him. Despite some good reviews in the music press, the single was a flop, once more failing to break into the UK charts.

1978 - Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy', the singers fifth UK chart topper.
A plagiarism lawsuit by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor confirmed that the song had been derived from his composition 'Taj Mahal'.
Stewart agreed to donate all his royalties from the song to United Nations Children's Fund.

1983 - Michael Jackson
MTV aired the full 14-minute version of Michael Jackson's Thriller video for the first time.
Now regarded as the most influential pop music video of all time, in 2009, the video was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, the first music video to ever receive this honor, for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant.

1995 - Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey went to No.1 on the US singles chart with her duet with Boyz II Men 'One Sweet Day'. It made Carey the first artist in history to have two consecutive single debut at No.1, 'Fantasy' being her first.

2003 - Justin Hawkins
Darkness singer Justin Hawkins was held for two hours at JFK Airport, New York after police mistook him for a wanted man with the same name and looks.
The police only agreed to let him go after Justin's fiance and manager Sue Whitehouse produced a tour schedule to prove that he was in England on July 4th when the crime was committed.

2012 - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin received a prestigious award from Barack Obama for their significant contribution to American culture and the arts. Dressed in black suits and bow ties, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page were among a group of artists who received Kennedy Centre Honours at a dinner event at the White House. In his tribute to the band, Mr Obama said: "When Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham burst onto the musical scene in the late 1960s, the world never saw it coming." The president thanked the former band members for behaving themselves at the White House given their history of "hotel rooms being trashed and mayhem all around".

 

On this Day - 2nd December:
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1963 - The Beatles
The Beatles recorded an appearance on the UK TV comedy program The Morecambe and Wise Show.
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The Beatles played ‘This Boy’, ‘All My Loving’, and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ and also participate in comedy sketches with Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise.
The program was broadcast on April 18, 1964.

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1964 Ringo Starr's tonsils are removed

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Beatles DrummerRingo Starr

 

On this Day - 3rd December:

1926 Agatha Christie

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Detective novelist Agatha Christie mysteriously disappears for 11 days
On the evening of 3rd December following the request for a divorce from husband Archie following the death of Agatha’s mother, he left their home to spend a weekend away with friends, including his mistress.
Agatha is then said to have left her daughter with their maid and departed the house later that same evening, thus beginning one of the most enduring mysteries she had ever masterminded.
The Curious Disappearance of Agatha Christie (historic-uk.com)
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1944 Britain's Home Guard ('Dad's Army')
.... is officially stood down at a special farewell parade in Hyde Park, London.



The Home Guard of Great Britain: General Information - Stand Down Parade, London (staffshomeguard.co.uk)

 

On this Day - 3rd December:
(Testwatch)

• 1961 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

• 1966 US performs underground nuclear test at Hattiesburg, Mississippi

• 1970 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

• 1981 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

• 1983 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll

 

On this Day - 3rd December:

1967 1st human heart transplant
... performed in South Africa by Dr Christiaan Barnard on 53-year-old Louis Washkansky at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

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Dr Chris Barnard performs the world’s first human heart transplant | South African History Online (sahistory.org.za)

 

On this Day - 3rd December:

1965 USSR launches Luna 8; it crashes on the Moon
Launched with the objective of achieving a soft landing on the Moon; however, its retrorocket firing occurred too late, and suffered a hard impact on the lunar surface on the Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms).



Luna 8 - Wikipedia
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1973 Pioneer 10 passes Jupiter (1st fly-by of an outer planet)
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Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to pass through the asteroid belt, considered a spectacular achievement, and then headed toward Jupiter.
Accelerating to a speed of 82,000 mph (131,200 kilometers per hour), Pioneer 10 passed by Jupiter and is currently in the direction of the constellation Taurus.
If left undisturbed, Pioneer 10 and its sister craft Pioneer 11 will join the two Voyager spacecraft and the New Horizons spacecraft in leaving the Solar System to wander the interstellar medium.
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1985 23rd Shuttle Mission (61-B)-Atlantis 2-lands at Edwards AFB

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. . . after a mission lasting 6 days, 21 hours, and 5 minutes.
Atlantis landed one orbit earlier than planned due to lighting concerns at the Edwards AFB.
- Rollout distance on landing was 10,759 feet lasting 78 seconds.
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1999 NASA loses radio contact with the Mars Polar Lander



Moments before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere came the loss of communications, at 14:39:00 UTC, the last telemetry from Mars Polar Lander was sent, just prior to cruise stage separation and the subsequent atmospheric entry. No further signals were received from the spacecraft.
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2017 First pizza party in space held by astronauts of the International Space Station

 

On this Day - 3rd December:
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1955 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley's first release on RCA Victor Records was announced.
The first two songs ‘Mystery Train’ and ‘I Forgot to Remember to Forget’ had been purchased from Sam Phillips of Sun Records.
Elvis was described by his new record company as 'The most talked about personality in recorded music in the last 10 years.'

1965 - The Who
The Who released their debut studio album My Generation in the UK. In the United States, it was released by Decca Records as The Who Sings My Generation in April 1966, with a different cover and a slightly altered track listing.
In 2003 it was named the second greatest guitar album of all time by Mojo magazine.

1966 - The Monkees
The Monkees made their live debut at the International Arena, Honolulu.
The massive success of the TV series and its spin-off records had created intense pressure to mount a touring version of the group.

 

On this Day - 3rd December:
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ROLLING STONES:
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1964: - - - The Rolling Stones had their second UK No.1 single with their version of 'Little Red Rooster'.
The Stones had recorded the song at Chess Studios in Chicago, the same studios where Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Little Walter had recorded their blues classics.
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1965: - - - Rolling Stone Keith Richards was knocked unconscious by an electric shock on stage at the Memorial Hall In Sacramento, California, when his guitar made contact with his microphone.
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1969: - - - The Rolling Stones recorded 'Brown Sugar' at Muscle Shoals studios.
The single went on to be a UK & US No.1.
The song was written by Mick Jagger with Marsha Hunt in mind; Hunt was Jagger's secret girlfriend and mother of his first child Karis.
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1975 - - - Ronnie Wood's wife Krisse was arrested for alleged possession of cannabis and cocaine after a raid on the couple's house in Richmond.
Krissie’s friend Audrey Burgon was also arrested, newspapers reported that the two women were found ‘sleeping together.’
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2009 - - - Ronnie Wood was arrested in Esher, Surrey on suspicion of assault, after a passer-by dialled 999 as a violent argument took place between Wood and his 21-year-old on-off girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova. He was later cautioned by police.

 

On this Day - 3rd December:
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The BEATLES:
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1961: - - - Brian Epstein invited The Beatles into his office to discuss the possibility of becoming their manager. John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Best arrived late for the 4pm meeting, (they had been drinking at the Grapes pub in Matthew Street), but Paul McCartney was not with them, because, as Harrison explained, he had just got up and was "taking a bath".
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1965:- - - The Beatles set out on what would be their last ever UK tour at Glasgow's Odeon Cinema. Also on the bill, The Moody Blues The Koobas and Beryl Marsden. The last show was at Cardiff's Capitol Cinema on 12th December.
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1965: - - - The Beatles sixth studio album Rubber Soul was released. Often referred to as a folk rock album, Rubber Soul incorporates a mix of pop, soul and folk musical styles. The title derives from the colloquialism "plastic soul", which referred to soul played by English musicians.
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1977: - - - Wings started a nine-week run at No.1 in the UK with 'Mull Of Kintyre'.
The first single to sell over 2 million copies in the UK, (it was co-written by Denny Laine who sold his rights to the song when he became bankrupt)

 

On this Day - 3rd December:
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1976 - Bob Marley
An attempt was made on Bob Marley's life when seven gunmen burst into his Kingston home injuring Marley his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor.
The attack was believed to be politically motivated.

Attempted assassination of Bob Marley - Wikipedia
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1979 - The Who
A concert by The Who at The Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, turned to disaster when 11 members of the audience were trampled to death after a stampede to claim unreserved seats, another 26 fans were injured.
The concert was using 'festival seating' where seats are available on a first come-first served basis. When the waiting fans outside the Coliseum heard the band performing a late sound check, they thought that the concert was beginning and tried to rush into the still-closed doors.

The Who concert disaster - Wikipedia
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1986 - Judas Priest
Judas Priest were sued by two family's, alleging that the band were responsible for their son's forming a suicide pact and shooting themselves after listening to Judas Priest records. The parents and their legal team alleged that a subliminal message of 'do it' had been included in the Judas Priest song Better By You, Better Than Me from the Stained Class album and alleged the command in the song triggered the suicide attempt.
The trial lasted from 16 July to 24 August 1990, when the suit was dismissed.

Better by You, Better than Me - Wikipedia
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1999 - Jay-Z
It was reported that rapper Jay-Z had been arrested in connection with the stabbing of music executive Lance Rivera.
The rapper was charged with first-degree assault.
In late 2001, Jay-Z pleaded guilty to a third-degree assault charge and was sentenced to three years of probation.

RAPPER JAY-Z ARRESTED IN STABBING – VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT CHIC CLUB (nypost.com)

 

Today in History December 4th

1954 The first Burger King is opened in Miami, Florida, USA

 

On this Day - 4th December:
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1154 Adrian IV elected Pope.



Eight hundred and fifty years ago, on 4 December 1154, Nicholas Breakspear (d. 1159) became the only Englishman to occupy the throne of St Peter when he was elected pope in succession to Anastasius IV, taking the name Adrian IV.
The only Englishman to become pontiff, Nicholas Breakspear was a member of the family which until recent years brewed beer in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

Pope Adrian IV - Wikipedia

 

On this Day - 4th December:
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1259 Treaty of Paris:
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English King Henry III and French King Louis IX end 100 years of conflict between the Capetian and Plantagenet dynasties
Treaty of Paris (1259) - Wikipedia
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1534 Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent occupies Baghdad



Capture of Baghdad (1534) - Wikipedia
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1791 Britain's Observer, oldest Sunday newspaper in the world, first published
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The first issue, published on 4 December 1791 by W.S. Bourne, was the world's first Sunday newspaper. Believing that the paper would be a means of wealth, Bourne instead soon found himself facing debts of nearly £1,600.
The Observer - Wikipedia
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1927 Duke Ellington opens at the Cotton Club in Harlem



From 1923 to 1927, he and his band lived in New York City and made about 60 recordings.
Their first big break came on December 4, 1927, at the opening night of what would turn out to be a long engagement at the Cotton Club in New York City's Harlem neighborhood.

 

On this Day - 4th December:
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENNIS:
Dennis Wilson:
- Born December 4, 1944 - Inglewood, California, U.S.
- - Died December 28, 1983 (aged 39)



American musician, singer, and songwriter Dennis Wilson who co-founded The Beach Boys.
He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. (1966 UK & US No.1 single 'Good Vibrations', plus over 25 other UK Top 40 singles).
-He was also known for his association with the Manson Family


Wilson drowned while swimming from his boat moored in Marina Del Rey, California on 28th December 1983 after a heavy day's drinking.
Dennis Wilson - Wikipedia

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On this Day - 4th December:
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LED ZEPPELIN:




1971 - - - Led Zeppelin started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK chart with the Four Symbols album, otherwise known as Led Zeppelin IV.
Featuring the 8-minute track 'Stairway To Heaven', the album stayed on the US chart for one week short of five years, selling over 23 million copies in the US alone.
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1980 - - - Two months after the tragic death of drummer John Bonham Led Zeppelin made decision to break up.
The surviving members decided that it was not right to tamper with their legacy by bringing someone else in to play drums. In a statement, the band explained their decision: "We wish it to be known, that the loss of our dear friend and the deep respect we have for his family, together with the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were."