104 years ago – In 1919, The Ringling Brothers merged their circus with Barnum & Bailey to form one combined show. The Ringlings had bought them out a decade earlier, but ran the two circuses separately until after World War I.
94 years ago – In 1929, President Herbert Hoover installed the first telephone in the Oval Office.
87 years ago – In 1936, Adolf Hitler received 98.8% of the votes in Germany’s national elections.
62 years ago – In 1961, the 23rd Amendment gave the people who live in Washington D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections.
50 years ago – In 1973, after protesting (in song) that they were never featured on the cover of “Rolling Stone” magazine, Dr. Hook got their wish. And a week later, their single “Cover of the Rolling Stone“ went Gold.
50 years ago – In 1973, the U.S. withdrew the last of their troops from Vietnam.
48 years ago – In 1975, Led Zeppelin had all six of their albums on the Billboard Top 200 chart at the same time . . .
#124 . . . “Led Zeppelin 3”
#116 . . . “Led Zeppelin”
#104 . . . “Led Zeppelin 2”
#92 . . . . “Houses of the Holy”
#83 . . . . “Led Zeppelin 4”
#1 . . . . . “Physical Graffiti”
47 years ago – The 1976 Academy Award Winners were . . .
Best Picture: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” – Michael Douglas, Producer
Best Actor: Jack Nicholson for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
Best Actress: Louise Fletcher for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
Best Director: Milos Forman for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
Best Supporting Actor: George Burns for “The Sunshine Boys”
Best Supporting Actress: Lee Grant for “Shampoo”
Best Score: John Williams for “Jaws“
41 years ago – The 1982 Academy Award Winners were . . .
Best Actor: Henry Fonda for “On Golden Pond”
Best Actress: Katharine Hepburn for “On Golden Pond”
Best Supporting Actor: John Gielgud for “Arthur”
Best Supporting Actress: Maureen Stapleton for “Reds”
Best Director: Warren Beatty for “Reds”
Best Score: Vangelis for “Chariots of Fire“
Best Picture: “Chariots of Fire”
37 years ago – In 1986, “Rock Me Amadeus“, by Falco, hit #1 on the Hot 100.
36 years ago – In 1987, at the peak of Hulkamania, in front of 93,173 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome, Hulk Hogan body-slammed 520-pound André the Giant to retain the WWF title at Wrestlemania 3.
31 years ago – In 1992, presidential candidate Bill Clinton admitted that he’d experimented with marijuana “a time or two” while attending Oxford University. He said, quote, “I didn’t inhale and I didn’t try it again.” But we know Billy lies.
30 years ago – In 1993, the Supreme Court announced they’d use 2 Live Crew’s case to decide whether copyright holders can ban song parodies. 2 Live Crew won the dispute with Roy Orbison’s publishing company over their naughty song (“Pretty Woman“) . . . a parody of Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman“.
30 years ago – The 1993 Academy Award Winners were . . .
Best Picture: “Unforgiven”
Best Director: Clint Eastwood for “Unforgiven” – (His first Oscar)
Best Supporting Actor: Gene Hackman for “Unforgiven”
Best Actor: Al Pacino for “Scent of a Woman”
Best Actress: Emma Thompson for “Howard’s End”
Best Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei for “My Cousin Vinny”
Best Original Song: “A Whole New World“ from “Aladdin”
27 years ago – In 1996, Tommy and Pamela Lee sued “Penthouse” for $10 million. They were asking a judge to stop the magazine from marketing the stolen home video showing them getting in on. They failed. We won.
18 years ago – In 2005, former O.J. Simpson attorney Johnnie Cochran died of an inoperable brain tumor. He was 67 years old.
17 years ago – In 2006, Tom Jones was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.
