General Chat

On this Day 19/12/2012

1653 - Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.

1773 - Nearly 350 chests of tea were dumped into Boston Harbor off of British ships by Colonial patriots. The patriots were disguised as Indians. The act was to protest taxation without representation and the monopoly the government granted to the East India Company.

1809 - Napoleon Bonaparte was divorced from the Empress Josephine by an act of the French Senate.

1835 - In New York, 530 buildings were destroyed by fire.

1838 - The Zulu chief Dingaan was defeated by a small force of Boers at Blood River celebrated in South Africa as 'Dingaan's Day'.

1850 - The first immigrant ship, the Charlotte Jane, arrived at Lyttleton, New Zealand.

1901 - "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," by Beatrix Potter, was printed for the first time.

1903 - Women ushers were employed for the first time at the Majestic Theatre in New York City.

1905 - Sime Silverman published the first issue of "Variety".

1912 - The first postage stamp to depict an airplane was issued was a 20-cent parcel-post stamp.

1916 - Gregory Rasputin, the monk who had wielded powerful influence over the Russian court, was murdered by a group of noblemen.

1940 - French Premier Petain arrested Pierre Laval after learning of a plan for Laval to seize power and set up a new government with German support.

1944 - During World War II, the Battle of the Bulge began in Belgium. It was the final major German counteroffensive in the war.

1950 - U.S. President Truman proclaimed a national state of emergency in order to fight "Communist imperialism."

1951 - NBC-TV debuted "Dragnet" in a special preview on "Chesterfield Sound Off Time". The show began officially on January 3, 1952.

1960 - A United Air Lines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation collided over New York City, killing 134 people.

1972 - The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go unbeaten and untied in a 14-game regular season. The Dolphins went on to defeat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.

1973 - O.J. Simpson broke Jim Brown’s single-season rushing record in the NFL. Brown had rushed for 1,863 yards, while Simpson attained 2,003 yards.

1981 - The U.S. Congress restored the $122 minimum monthly social security benefit for current recipients.

1984 - The play "Diamonds" opened in New York City.

1985 - Reputed organized-crime chief Paul Castellano was shot to death outside a New York City restaurant.

1990 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a leftist priest, was elected president in Haiti's first democratic elections.

1991 - The U.N. General Assembly rescinded its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism by a vote of 111-25.

1993 - The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for negotiations on a comprehensive test ban.

1995 - Many U.S. government functions were again closed as a temporary finance provision expired and the budget dispute between President Clinton and Republicans in Congress continued.

1995 - NATO launched a military operation in support of the Bosnia peace agreement.

1996 - Britain's agriculture minister announced the slaughter of an additional 100,000 cows thought to be at risk of contracting BSE in an effort to persuade the EU to lift its ban on Britain.

1998 - The U.S. and Britain fired hundreds of missiles on Iraq in response to Saddam Hussein's refusal to comply with U.N. weapons inspectors.

1999 - Sigourney Weaver received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1999 - Torrential rains and mudslides in Venezuela left thousands of people dead and forced at least 120,000 to leave their homes.

2000 - Researchers announced that information from NASA's Galileo spacecraft indicated that Ganymede appeared to have a liquid saltwater ocean beneath a surface of solid ice. Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter, is the solar system's largest moon. The discovery is considered important since water is a key ingredient for life.

2000 - U.S. President-elect George W. Bush selected Colin Powell to be the first African-American secretary of state. Powell was sworn in January 20, 2001.

2001 - In Tora Bora, Afghanistan, tribal fighters announced that they had taken the last al-Quaida positions. More than 200 fighters were killed and 25 captured. They also announced that they had found no sign of Osama bin Laden.

2001 - Cuba received the first commercial food shipment from the United States in nearly 40 years. The shipment was sent to help Cuba after Hurrican Michelle hit Cuba on November 4, 2001.

2001 - A British newspaper, The Observer, reported that a notebook had been found at an al-Quaida training camp in southern Afghanistan. The notebook contained a "blue print" for an bomb attack on London's financial district.

2002 - Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol. The 1997 treaty was aimed a reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

2009 - Astronomers discovered GJ1214b. It was the first-known exoplanet on which water could exist.

On this day = 25/11/??

1963: John F Kennedy is laid to rest
The funeral of the assassinated President, John F Kennedy, takes place in Washington.

George Papadopoulos 1973: Army deposes 'hated' Greek president
The Greek government is toppled by the armed forces after weeks of unrest.

Mesut Yilmaz 1998: 'Corrupt' Turkish government falls
The government of Turkey collapses after losing a no-confidence motion over corruption allegations.

Winston Silcott 1991: Silcott not guilty of PC's murder
The man who was jailed for life in 1987 for killing a police officer is cleared of the crime.

Brixton riots 1981: Brixton riots report blames racial tension
The inquiry into the Brixton riots in April blames serious social and economic problems affecting Britain's cities.

1998: Iraqi climbdown averts air strikes
Britain and America have pulled back from the brink of war with Iraq after an offer to let UN weapons inspectors back into the country.

American and British bombers were on their way to Baghdad when they were called off after Iraq's letter was delivered to the United Nations Security Council on Saturday.

But US President Bill Clinton warned military strikes would take place if Iraqi President Saddam Hussein broke his word.

"Now Iraq must live up to its obligations," Mr Clinton said.

After a night of intense diplomatic activity the Security Council adjourned until later on Sunday after failing to decide its response.

France, Russia and China welcomed the Iraqi move but the United States and Britain said their forces remain on alert for possible attacks on Iraq.




1977: Princess Anne gives birth to Master Phillips
Princess Anne has given birth to a boy - the first royal baby to be born a commoner for more than 500 years.

Both baby and mother are said to be in good health.

Princess Anne was driven to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, west London at 0400 on Tuesday by her husband, Captain Mark Phillips.

He was with the princess when their son was born less than six hours later at 1046 in the hospital's maternity unit.

The royal gynaecologist, George Pinker, was also at the birth.

But fortunately for the princess the tradition requiring a government minister to witness royal births was ended before the birth of Prince Charles.

The name of the child, who weighed 7lb 9oz, has not yet been announced.

Shortly afterwards the princess telephoned her mother with the news and Captain Phillips rang his parents in Great Somerford in Wiltshire where the church bells were rung in celebration.

Official announcements of the birth were posted on the railings of Buckingham Palace and the Home Office in Whitehall.

A 41-gun salute was fired at the Tower of London to welcome the baby, who is fifth in line to the throne.

He was born plain Master Phillips because, in spite of being the Queen's daughter, Princess Anne possesses no hereditary title.

Both the princess and her husband are said to have rejected an offer from the Queen of titles which would have enabled their children to be born into the peerage.

The Queen was among the first to visit her daughter and new grandson in a private wing of the hospital.

She smiled broadly and waved to a crowd of about 200 people as she arrived.

Speaking to reporters as he left after visiting his wife and new son, Captain Phillips said he was "relieved it's all over and very pleased".

On being asked what his son was like Captain Phillips replied: "About the same as any other baby I should think".





1940: Germans bomb Coventry to destruction
The German Luftwaffe has bombed Coventry in a massive raid which lasted more than 10 hours and left much of the city devastated.

Relays of enemy aircraft dropped bombs indiscriminately. One of the many buildings hit included the 14th century cathedral, which was all but destroyed.

Initial reports suggest the number of casualties is about 1,000. Intensive anti-aircraft fire kept the raiders at a great height from which accurate bombing was impossible.

Reports say 4,330 homes were destroyed and three-quarters of the city's factories damaged.

News on this day August 21


1680 - The Pueblo Indians drove the Spanish out and took possession of Santa Fe, NM.

1831 - Nat Turner, a former slave, led a violent insurrection in Virginia. He was later executed.

1841 - A patent for venetian blinds was issued to John Hampton.

1878 - The American Bar Association was formed by a group of lawyers, judges and law professors in Saratoga, NY.

1888 - The adding machine was patented by William Burroughs.

1912 - Arthur R. Eldred became the first American boy to become an Eagle Scout. It is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.

1923 - In Kalamazoo, Michigan, an ordinance was passed forbidding dancers from gazing into the eyes of their partner.

1929 - The Chicago Cardinals traveled out of town for training camp. They were the first professional football team to do this.

1940 - Exiled Communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky died in Mexico City from wounds that had inflicted by an assassin.

1943 - Japan evacuated the Aleutian island of Kiaska. Kiaska had been the last North American foothold held by the Japanese.

1945 - U.S. President Truman ended the Lend-Lease program that had shipped about $50 billion in aid to America's Allies during World War II.

1959 - Hawaii became the 50th state. U.S. President Eisenhower also issued the order for the 50 star flag.

1963 - In South Vietnam, martial law was declared. Army troops and police began to crackdown on the Buddhist anti-government protesters.

1971 - Laura Baugh, at the age of 16, won the United States Women's Amateur Golf tournament. She was the youngest winner in the history of the tournament.

1983 - Philippine politician Benigno Simeon Aquino was assassinated as he deplaned in Manila.

1984 - Victoria Roche, a reserve outfielder, became the first girl to ever compete in a Little League World Series game.

1984 - Clint Eastwood was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1986 - In Cameroon, a nation in West Africa, toxic gas erupted from a volcanic lake. The gas killed more than 1,700 people.

1987 - A U.S. Marine was convicted for spying for the first time. Sergeant Clayton Lonetree was giving secrets to the KGB while working as a guard at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. He served eight years in a military prison.

1988 - An earthquake on the Nepal-India border killed over 1,000 people.

1989 - Voyager 2, a U.S. space probe, got close to the Neptune moon called Triton.

1989 - In Columbia, The estates of drug lords were raided in a crackdown that occurred after the killing of a presidential candidate.

1991 - The hard-line coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev ended. The uprising that led to the collapse was led by Russian federation President Boris Yeltsin.

1992 - Randall Weaver, a neo-Nazi leader, opened fire on U.S. marshals from his home in Idaho. Weaver surrendered 11 days later ending the standoff. During the standoff a deputy marshal, Weaver's wife and his son were killed.

1992 - NBC News fired Authur Kent two weeks after he refused an assignment to war-torn Croatia.

1993 - NASA lost contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft. The fate of the spacecraft was unknown. The mission cost $980 million.

1994 - Ernesto Zedillo won the Mexican presidential election.

1995 - In Jerusalem, Israel, a bus bombing by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) killed four and wounded more than 100.

1995 - Nine people died in a plane crash in Georgia.

1996 - The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was signed by U.S. President Clinton. The act made it easier to obtain and keep health insurance.

1997 - Hudson Foods Inc. closed a plant in Nebraska after it had recalled 25 million pounds of ground beef that was potentially contaminated with E. coli 01557:H7. It was the largest food recall in U.S. history.

1997 - Afghanistan suspended its embassy operations in the United States.

1997 - Cicely Tyson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1998 - Samuel Bowers, a 73-year-old former Ku Klux Klan leader, was convicted in Hattiesburg, MS, of ordering a firebombing that killed civil rights activist Vernon Dahmer in 1966.

1998 - Wesley Snipes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2002 - In Pakistan, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf unilaterally amended the Pakistani constitution. He extended his term in office and granted himself powers that included the right to dissolve parliament.

2003 - In Ghana, businessman Gyude Bryant was selected to oversee the two-year power-sharing accord between Liberia's rebels and the government. The accord was planned to guide the country out of 14 years of civil war.



Birthdays for August 21st

Aubrey Beardsley 1872

William Count Basie 1904

Chris Schenkel 1923

Jack Weston 1924

Art Farmer 1928

Princess Margaret (Britain) 1930

Melvin Van Peebles 1932

Wilt Chamberlain 1936

Kenny Rogers 1938

James Burton 1939

Clarence Williams III 1939

Harold Reid (The Statler Brothers) 1939

Ernie Maresca 1939 - Musician

Jackie DeShannon 1944

Willie Lanier 1945

Patty McCormack 1945

Carl Giammarese (The Buckinghams) 1947

Harry Smith 1951

Joe Strummer (The Clash) 1952

Nick Kane (The Mavericks) 1954

Kim Cattrall 1956

Kim Sledge (Sister Sledge) 1957

Budgie (Siouzie and the Banshees) 1957

Jim McMahon 1959

Carrie-Anne Moss 1970

Liam Howlett (Prodigy) 1971

Gary Whitta 1972 - Screenwriter, author, video game designer

Alicia Witt 1975

Hayden Panettiere 1989



Music History for August 21st

1893 - Composer Juliette Marie Olga Lili Boulanger was born.

1923 - In Kalamazoo, Michigan, an ordinance was passed forbidding dancers from gazing into the eyes of their partner.

1938 - The classic song "Ain't Misbehavin'" was recorded by Fats Waller.

1965 - Barry McGuire's "Eve Of Destruction" was released.

1965 - The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe In Magic" was released.

1976 - It was announced by RCA Victor records that the sales of Elvis Presley records passed the 400 million mark.
Today in Elvis History

1980 - Linda Rondstadt made her debut on Broadway. The production was Gilber & Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance."

1990 - Prince released the soundtrack to "Graffiti Bridge."
Today in Prince History

1990 - Ratt released the album "Detonator."

1992 - Sting and Trudi Styler were married.

1993 - Bernie Taupin, Elton John's lyricist, married Stephanie Haymes.

1994 - John Denver was charged with drunken driving after crashing his Porsche into a tree.

1995 - R.E.M. sued Hershey Foods, claiming the company exploited its name when it ran a "Kit Kat - R.E.M. Concert" sweepstakes in Hershey candy bars. The suit was eventually dropped.

1996 - Former Talking Heads lead singer David Byrne sued to prevent the rest of the group from touring as "The Heads." The suit was settled out of court.

1997 - At a press conference in the San Francisco Hard Rock Cafe, Carlos Santana unveiled a limited-edition t-shirt bearing his artwork. He autographed 500 of the shirts for distribution to foreign and domestic markets.

2006 - German prosecutors announced that they had decided against opening an investigation into Madonna after she performed a controversial mock crucifixion scene at a concert on August 20.

Reported: MISSING in ACTION on August 20th

1966 MILIKIN RICHARD M.III MIAMI FL
1968 LINDBLOOM CHARLES DAVID ATLANTA GA
1968 RISNER RICHARD F. 08/22/68 ESCAPED ALIVE IN 99
1972 MOSSMAN HARRY S. MANHASSET NY

Birthdates which occurred on August 20:

1778 Bernardo O'Higgins won independence for Chile
1785 Oliver Hazard Perry US Naval hero ("We have met the enemy")
1833 Benjamin Harrison North Bend, Ohio (R) 23rd Pres (1889-1893)
1860 Raymond Poincar‚ France, PM (1912), president
1873 Eliel Saarinen Finland, architect (GM Tech Institute, Mich)
1881 Edgar Albert Guest Detroit Mich, poet/newspaperman
1890 H.P. Lovecraft US, Gothic novelist (At the Mountains of Madness)
19-- "Diamond" Darrell rocker (Pantera-Cowboys From Hell)
19-- Louis Svitek rocker (Mind Funk-Sugar Aint So Sweet, Fire)
19-- Norma Connolly Boston, Mass, actress (Ruby Anderson-General Hospital)
19-- Peter Davies actor (Loving)
19-- Phyllis Lyons actress (Arlene Vaughan-All My Children)
1901 Salvatore Quasimodo Italy, poet/critic/translator (Nobel 1959)
1907 Alan Reed NYC, actor (Mr Adams & Eve/voice (Fred Flintstone)
1907 Shirley Booth NYC, actress (Hazel-Hazel, A Touch of Grace)
1908 Alfonso Lopez baseball player (AL Manager of the year 1959)
1920 Istv n Sziv¢s Hungary, water polo player (Olympic-gold-1976)
1921 Jacqueline Susann Phila Pa, author (Valley of the Dolls)
1931 Don King boxing promoter, shocking hairstyle
1933 George Mitchell (Sen-D-Me, Senate Whip 1989- )
1935 Justin Tubb San Antonio Tx, country singer (Grand Ole Opry)
1937 George Thoma German FR, cross country ski jumper (Olympic-gold-1960)
1938 Jean-Loup Chr‚tien 1st French traveler in space (on Soyuz T-6)
1940 Sam Melville Utah, actor (Mike Danko-Rookies, Roughnecks)
1941 William H Gray III Baton Rouge La, (Rep-D-Pa, 1978- )
1942 Hans-Joachim Klein German FR, 100m swimmer (Olympic-bronze-1964)
1942 Isaac Hayes composer (Shaft)
1944 Graig Nettles 3rd baseman (NY Yankees, SD Padres, Cleve Indians)
1944 Rajiv Gandhi PM of India (1984- )
1946 Connie Chung TV newscaster (NBC, CBS)
1948 Robert Plant rocker (Led Zeppelin-Stairway to Heaven)
1953 Peter Horton Bellevue Wash, actor (Gary-30 Something)
1955 Jay Acovone Mahopac NY, actor (Det Rado-Hollywood Beat)
1957 Cindy Nicholas Canada, swimmer, swam English Channel 19 times
1957 Jim "Bullseye" Bowen British TV game show host
1958 Lenny Henry British comedian (3 of a Kind)
1960 Elizabeth Alda daughter of Alan Alda, actress (Beth-Four Seasons)
1961 Linda Mantz NYC, actress (Frankie-Dorothy)
1961 Rick Rael heavy metal rocker
1964 Giuseppe Giannini Rome Italy, soccer player (Rome A Team)
1966 Courtney Gibbs Miss USA (1988)/actress (Baywatch)
1971 Ke Huy Quan Saigon Vietnam, actor (Sam-Together We Stand)

2011- Somebody started a thread about things that happened on this date.

August 20


1641 - Scotland and Britain signed the Treaty of Pacification.

1741 - Danish navigator Vitus Jonas Bering discovered Alaska.

1862 - Horace Greeley's "The Prayer of Twenty Millions" was published.

1866 - The National Labor Union in the U.S. advocated an eight-hour workday.

1866 - It was formally declared by U.S. President Andrew Johnson that the American Civil War was over. The fighting had stopped months earlier.

1882 - Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" debuted in Moscow.

1885 - "The Mikado", by Gilbert and Sullivan, opened at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City.

1914 - German forces occupied Brussels, Belgium, during World War I.

1918 - The British opened its Western Front offensive during World War I.

1923 - The first American dirigible, the "Shenandoah," was launched in Lakehurst, NJ. The ship began its maiden voyage from the same locatoin on September 4.

1939 - Johnny Weissmuller married Beryl Scott.

1939 - The National Bowling Association was founded in Detroit, MI. It was the first bowling association in the U.S. for African-Americans.

1940 - France fell to the Germans during World War II.

1945 - Tommy Brown of the Brooklyn Dodgers became the youngest player to hit a home run in a major league ball game. Brown was 17 years, 8 months and 14 days old.

1949 - Cleveland’s Indians and Chicago’s White Sox played at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland before the largest crowd, 78,382 people, to see a nighttime major-league baseball game.

1953 - It was announced by the Soviet Union that they had detonated a hydrogen bomb.

1955 - In Morocco and Algeria hundreds of people were killed in anti-French rioting.

1955 - Col. Horace A. Hanes, a U.S. Air Force pilot, flew to an altitude of 40,000 feet. Hanes reached a speed of 822.135 miles per hour in a Super Sabrejet.

1955 - Bo Diddley made his first appearance at the Apollo Theater in New York City.

1964 - A $1 billion anti-poverty measure was signed by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.

1967 - The New York Times reported about a noise reduction system for album and tape recording developed by technicians R. and D.W. Dolby. Elektra Record's subsidiary, Checkmate Records became the first label to use the new Dolby process in its recordings.

1968 - The Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations began invading Czechoslovakia to crush the "Prague Spring" liberalization.

1977 - Voyager 2 was launched by the United States. The spacecraft was carrying a 12 inch copper phonograph record containing greetings in dozens of languages, samples of music and sounds of nature.

1985 - The original Xerox 914 copier was presented to the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of American History. Chester Carlson was the man who invented the machine.

1986 - Patrick Henry Sherril, postal employee, killed 14 co-workers in a shooting spree at the post office in Edmond, OK.

1988 - Eight British soldiers were killed by a landmine while in a military bus in Northern Ireland. The mine belonged to the Irish Republican Army.

1989 - Jose and Kitty Menendez were shot to death by their sons Lyle and Erik. The first trials ended in hung juries.

1989 - British conservationist George Adamson was killed by bandits in Kenya. Adamson was 83.

1989 - In London, a pleasure boat sank in the Thames River killing 51 people.

1991 - A rally of more that 100,000 people occurred outside the Russian parliament building to protest the coup that removed Gorbachev from power.

1995 - 348 people were killed in a train incident in northern India.

1997 - NATO troops seized six police stations in Banja Luka that had been held by troops controlled by former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic.

1997 - Britain began voluntary evacuation of its Caribbean island of Montserrat due to the volcanic activity of the Soufriere Hills.

1998 - Canada's Supreme Court announced that Quebec could not secede without the federal government's consent.

1998 - U.S. military forces attacked a terrorist camp in Afghanistan and a chemical plant in Sudan. Both targets were chosen for cruise missile strikes due to their connection with Osama bin Laden.

1998 - The U.N. Security Council extended trade sanctions against Iraq for blocking arms inspections.

August 20th: On this day
1963, The Rolling Stones appeared at The Star & Garter Hotel Windsor, England.

1965, The Rolling Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham and his partner Tony Calder launched Immediate records. Their first release was The McCoy’s ‘Hang On Sloopy’, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Nico (later to join Velvet Underground), all attended the launch party. The label became the home of The Small Faces, Nice, Amen Corner and Chris Farlowe and a young producer - guitarist Jimmy Page.

1966, The Beatles, touring America for the last time, were forced to cancel and reschedule their performance in Cincinnati's open-air stadium, Crosley Field. Heavy rain (and no cover provided) made electrocution a virtual certainty if The Beatles had attempted to perform.

1968, The University of Tennessee reported that a guinea pig subjected to days of rock music played at 120 decibels had suffered acute hearing damage.
1969, After finishing ‘I Want You, (She’s So Heavy), The Beatles worked on the running order for the Abbey Road album. A preliminary master tape was compiled, the medley was originally slated for side one of the album, and the placement of ‘Octopus's Garden’ and ‘Oh! Darling’ were reversed from the final version. The album was to end with the slashed guitar chord that finishes ‘I Want You (She's So Heavy)’. This was the last time all four Beatles were together in Abbey Road studios.

1971, On the second night of a North American tour, Led Zeppelin appeared at the Seattle Centre Coliseum, Seattle, Washington.

1973, Bruce Springsteen played the first of a seven night run at Oliver’s in Boston, Massachusetts playing two 60-minute sets each night.

1977, The Brotherhood Of Man had the No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Angelo', their second UK chart topper.

1977, The Emotions started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Best Of My Love', it made No.4 in the UK.

1980, During a North American tour, Queen appeared at the Civic Centre, Hartford, Connecticut.

1983, The compilation album '18 Greatest Hits' by Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five started a three week run at No.1 on the UK chart.

1983, Madness, Joan Jett, The Police and R.E.M. all appeared at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.

1986, Rick Allen drummer with Def Leppard made his first live appearance with the band after losing an arm in a car accident, when they appeared at the Monsters Of Rock Festival, Castle Donington, England.

1988, Steve Winwood went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Roll With It'.
1988, Iron Maiden, Kiss, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, Guns N' Roses and Helloween all appeared at this year's 'Monsters Of Rock' Festival, Castle Donington, England. Two rock fans died while 'slam dancing' as Guns N' Roses played.

1990, Aerosmith appeared at the Marquee Club London. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page joined the band on stage for a blues jam.

1991, Nirvana and Sonic Youth kicked off a joint European tour at Sir Henry’s Pub, Cork, Ireland.

1992, A US Doctor filed a $35m lawsuit against the Southwest Bell phone company. He alleged that his wife died because he could not reach 911 due to all lines being jammed by demand of Garth Brooks concert tickets.

1997, BBC TV aired the documentary 'Oasis; Right Here Right Now', with the group talking about their troublesome last year plus performances of three new songs from the Manchester band.

2000, Craig David started a two week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with his debut release 'Born To Do It'.

2000, Janet Jackson went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Doesn't Really Matter'. Nelly started a five week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Country Grammar'.

2000, Spiller went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Groovejet'. The Italian DJ and producer mixed the track based on an old 1970's hit 'Love Is You' by Carol Williams, with new vocals by Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

2003, Madame Tussauds in London opened an interactive Pop Idol display with a speaking waxwork of judge Simon Cowell. The waxwork made comments such as: 'That was extraordinary. Unfortunately extraordinarily bad.' 'Do you really think that you could become a Pop Idol' Well then you're deaf.' 'Thank you. Goodbye and That was the worst performance I've ever seen.'

2004, A man from Stoke-on-Trent, England, named Bryan Adams as the ‘other man’ in his divorce papers after years spent trying to cope with his wife’s obsession with the singer. Rob Tinsley said he had to live with a 6ft cut-out of Adams which stood at the foot of the bed and posters on the bedroom walls.

2006, The Rolling Stones played the first of two nights at Twickenham Stadium on their ‘A Bigger Bang’ world tour. Feeder and The Charlatans also appeared.

2006, Christina Aguilera went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Back To Basics' the singers third UK release. Also a No.1 album in 13 other countries.

2007, The funeral of Manchester music mogul and broadcaster, Tony Wilson was held at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Manchester. Peter Hook and Stephen Morris - two members of first Factory signing Joy Division, and later incarnation, New Order attended along with Happy Mondays front man, Shaun Ryder.

2008, The daughter of late country star Johnny Cash called the use of her father's name to endorse a US presidential candidate ‘appalling’. Country star John Rich implied Mr Cash would have backed Republican hopeful John McCain while appearing at a rally in Florida, according to media reports. Writing on her website, Roseanne Cash called the remarks ‘presumptuous’. ‘Even I would not presume to say publicly what I 'know' he thought or felt,’ she added.

On this day 18th August in...

1964: South Africa banned from Olympics
South Africa are barred from taking part in the 18th Olympic Games in Tokyo over its refusal to condemn apartheid.

1969: Woodstock music festival ends
Three days and nights of sex, drugs and rock and roll come to a peaceful end as the Woodstock music festival winds down.

1971: British Army shot 'unarmed' disabled man
The British Army is accused of shooting dead an unarmed, disabled man during disturbances in Northern Ireland.

1989: Man U sold in record takeover deal
Manchester United Football Club is sold for £20m in the biggest takeover deal in the history of British football.

1992: Serbian prison camps condemned
Conditions in two Serbian detention camps are condemned as "hell on earth" by the man leading a delegation to inspect them.

17 August 1859 French acrobat Charles Blondin crosses the Niagra Falls on a tightrope.

On this day17th August

MUSIC

1686 - Composer Nicola Antonio Porpora was born.

1838 - 138 singing teachers traveled to Boston, MA, to attend the first music convention.

1960 - The Beatles began their first engagement away from England.
Today in Beatles History - Beatles apparel and gear

1964 - The Kinks "You Really Got Me" was released.

1968 - Deep Purple's "Hush" was released.

1969 - After three days, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in New York came to an end.

1970 - Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac as the group's first female member.
Fleetwood Mac Store

1973 - Paul Williams (Temptations) was found dead by police. It was ruled a suicide.

1974 - Patrick Moraz replaced Rick Wakeman in Yes.

1974 - Bad Company's "Can't Get Enough" was released.

1977 - Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) reported that in one day the number of orders for flowers to be delivered to Graceland had surpassed the number for any other event in the company's history.

1977 - The Police played their first gig without original guitarist Henri Padovani at Rebecca's Club in Birmingham, England.

1983 - Prince's song "Delirious" was released.

1984 - The first night of his Breaking Hearts Tour, Elton John announced that he was retiring from touring.

1984 - Motley Crue gave its performance debut at the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington, England.
Motley Crue Store

1986 - Rick Allen (Def Leppard) played his first concert with his band since losing his left arm in a car accident.
Def Leppard Store

1986 - 42 people were beaten or stabbed at a Run D.M.C. concert in Long Beach, CA.

1995 - Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) attempted suicide by slashing his wrists at a Sunset Strip hotel. He was hospitalized and recovered.

1995 - Security guards carried Courtney Love offstage after she began fighting with Hole fans because they weren't cheering loud enough during the last night of the Lollapalooza tour in Mountain View, CA.

1998 - Eddie Serrano, a former member of Cannibal and the Headhunters, was injured in a hit-and-run accident. Serrano was on a bicycle or a motorcycle when a car hit him.

1998 - Carlos Santana received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On This Day 17th August

1998: Clinton admits Lewinsky affair
President of the United States, Bill Clinton, admits having an inappropriate relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Hess, top right, at the Nuremburg War Crimes trial, September 1946.

1987 : Hitler's deputy found dead. Rudolf Hess, Hitler's former right-hand man, is found dead in Spandau Prison.

1999: Turkey hit by huge earthquake
The most powerful earthquake to hit Turkey leaves at least 1,000 people dead.

2000: Prince William makes the grade
Prince William passes three A-levels and secures a place to study history of art at the oldest university in Scotland, St Andrews.

1978: US balloonists' record Atlantic crossing
Three Americans make the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by hot air balloon

Add if you know something that happened on this day.


2004: Dozens stranded in Cornish floods
Flash floods devastate a north Cornwall coastal village after the area's average August rainfall fell in just two hours.

Elvis in concert 1977: Rock and roll 'king' Presley dies
Elvis Presley, whose singing and style revolutionized popular music in the 1950s, dies after collapsing at his home.

1952: Flood devastates Devon village
Twelve bodies are recovered and 24 people are missing feared dead in the flood which has swept through Lynmouth in north Devon.