1949 Hank Williams makes his debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where he plays his new single "Lovesick Blues" and earns an amazing six encores.
1948 Rock drummer Skip Alan (of The Pretty Things, Them) is born in England.
1947 Richard Palmer-James (vocalist, guitarist for Supertramp, songwriter for King Crimson) is born in Bournemouth, England.
1947 Glenn Leonard of The Temptations is born in Washington, DC.
1940 Joey Dee of Joey Dee and the Starliters is born Joseph DiNicola in Passaic, New Jersey.
1939 Country singer Wilma Burgess, known for hit singles like "Misty Blue" throughout the '60s and '70s, is born in Orlando, Florida.
1936 Jud Strunk, comedian and songwriter known for the 1973 ballad "Daisy A Day," is born in Jamestown, New York.
1934 R&B singer James "Pookie" Hudson (of The Spaniels) is born in Des Moines, Iowa.
1864 Composer Richard Strauss is born in Munich, Germany.
1988Dozens of big-name acts, including Peter Gabriel, Sting, Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder, rock the stage at the Free Nelson Mandela Concert at Wembley Stadium in London.
Read more2004 Faith Hill makes her film debut in the comedic remake of the 1975 thriller The Stepford Wives. Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, and Bette Midler also star.
2002 Paul McCartney marries former model Heather Mills in Glaslough, Ireland. Among the guests: Elton John, David Gilmour, Chrissie Hynde and Ringo Starr. The couple divorces in 2008.
2002 American Idol premieres on the FOX network. A singing competition judged by three hosts, it becomes one of the most popular network reality shows and launches a number of careers, with many contestants - and not just winners - becoming stars.More
1990 The United Nations appoints Olivia Newton-John its first Goodwill Ambassador to the environment. At first, she uses her position to encourage recycling and avoid chemicals harmful to animals, but later takes a more forceful and controversial stand in opposing fracking, which puts her at odds with the Australian mining industry.
1986 Ferris Bueller's Day Off his theaters. When Matthew Broderick leads a parade through downtown Chicago to The Beatles "Twist And Shout," it renews interest in the group, and the song soon returns to the charts.
1969 Glen Campbell stars opposite John Wayne in the movie True Grit. His role of Texas Ranger La Boeuf is played by Matt Damon in the 2010 remake.
1968 During a recording session while The Rolling Stones are working on "Sympathy For The Devil," a fire breaks out in the studio. While many are quick to blame Lucifer, the blaze is actually caused by a light being used by a camera crew documenting the sessions.
1966 Donovan becomes the first rock star busted for drugs by the newly vigilant London drug squad.More
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