The database currently contains 4349 historical events.
No events found for this day.
Unable to load events from the database.
Events for this day
- The prominent Baroque composer Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber was born.
- English composer Maurice Greene was born.
- Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and made the first sound recording.
- Rhythm and blues singer and songwriter Percy Mayfield was born, known for the songs “Please Send Me Someone to Love” and “Hit the Road Jack.”
- R&B singer and songwriter Joe Jones was born, best known for the hit “You Talk Too Much.”
- Country singer and television host Porter Wagoner was born; he later introduced Dolly Parton on his television show.
- Country singer, songwriter, guitarist and bandleader Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. was born, later becoming known as Buck Owens and as a pioneer of the Bakersfield sound.
- Blues guitarist Roy Gaines was born; he later worked as a session musician and collaborated with numerous prominent artists.
- American singer Rod Bernard was born; he was a pioneer of the swamp pop genre.
- Pop singer Terence Perkins, known as Craig Douglas, was born; he became famous for his successful cover version of “Only Sixteen.”
- Keyboardist, songwriter and co-founder of Sparks Ron Mael was born.
- Mark Knopfler, guitarist, singer and frontman of Dire Straits, was born; he later became known for film music and collaborations with numerous prominent musicians.
- Singer, songwriter and bandleader August Darnell, known as Kid Creole, was born.
- Jerry Speiser, a founding member and drummer of Men at Work, was born.
- Jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny was born.
- Frankie Lymon officially left his group and began a solo career.
- Columbia Records released the single “Chances Are” in both 45 and 78 RPM formats. The song later reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 and spent 22 weeks in the Top 40.
- Pete Best became the new drummer of The Silver Beetles, replacing Norman Chapman.
- Rapper and producer Sir Mix-a-Lot, whose real name is Anthony Ray, was born; he is best known for the hit “Baby Got Back.”
- “Sweets for My Sweet” by The Searchers reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart.
- A Hard Day's Night was released in U.S. theaters and became a major film success for The Beatles.
- At a press conference in Chicago, John Lennon explained his controversial remark that The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus” and clarified that he had intended to describe the group’s influence on young people in England at the time.
- The Beatles began the American leg of their final concert tour with a performance at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago.
- They made their first public appearance at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Windsor, England; the lineup consisted of Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer and Bob Brunning, and they performed alongside Donovan, Cream and The Small Faces.
- “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles was the best-selling single in the U.S. according to Cashbox magazine. A week later, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart and later topped the charts in nine other countries.
- Grateful Dead performed as the headlining act at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit.
- They performed at the Boston Tea Party in Boston.
- They performed at Convention Hall in Asbury Park; before the concert, Keith Moon jumped from a pier into the rough sea and nearly drowned.
- Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham met together in the studio on Lisle Street in London's West End for the first time. The first song the future Led Zeppelin members created together was “Train Kept A-Rollin’.”
- The group was performing under the name The New Yardbirds at the time; later that year, it adopted the name Led Zeppelin.
- British pop and folk singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram was born, known for the songs “Twist in My Sobriety” and “Good Tradition.”
- Janis Joplin played her final concert at Harvard Stadium before an audience of approximately 40,000.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening show and a midnight show at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.
- Fleetwood Mac began a five-day series of concerts at the Whisky A Go-Go in Hollywood.
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono donated £1,000 to a support fund for Scottish shipyard workers' unions.
- Queen performed at the Tregye Hotel in Truro during their British tour.
- The Festival of Hope was held at Roosevelt Raceway on Long Island, the first rock festival organized to raise funds for an established charitable organization; it was sponsored by the Nassau Society of Crippled Children and Adults.
- Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers performed at the Corral Club in Topanga, California.
- They performed alongside Joni Mitchell and Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers at the Corral Club in Topanga, California.
- Rory Gallagher performed at The Agora club in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Yes performed at Louisville Gardens in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Henri Padovani left The Police after nine months, and the band continued as a trio.
- The departure of guitarist Henri Padovani reduced The Police to a trio.
- The Commodores achieved their first No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Three Times A Lady”; the song remained at the top for two weeks.
- Lionel Richie later said that the inspiration for “Three Times a Lady” came from his father's speech at his parents' 37th wedding anniversary celebration.
- KISS performed at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Indiana, a suburb of Chicago.
- Columbia Records released his 21st studio album, “Shot of Love,” which reached No. 6 in the UK and No. 33 in the US; its religious themes drew mixed critical reactions.
- Grateful Dead performed at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- The Museum of Modern Art in New York opened the Performance Video exhibition, which featured, among others, the music videos “Mickey” by Toni Basil and “Once in a Lifetime” by Talking Heads.
- Lionel Richie closed the Los Angeles Olympic Games with an extended nine-minute version of his hit “All Night Long.” The lyrics were specially adapted for the occasion.
- The two-day festival began at Lenin Stadium in Moscow, featuring Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, Skid Row and The Scorpions. According to the source, it was the first Soviet stadium rock concert where spectators were allowed to stand and dance.
- “Right Here Waiting” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming Richard Marx's third consecutive U.S. No. 1 hit.
- The Rolling Stones played a surprise concert at Toad's Place in New Haven for approximately 700 people, 19 days before the official start of the Steel Wheels Tour.
- They released their fifth studio album Metallica, known as The Black Album, which reached No. 1 in eight countries and sold 16 million copies in the U.S.
- John Cage died in New York from complications following a stroke at the age of 79.
- RCA and the RIAA presented 110 gold and platinum records to the estate of Elvis Presley.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers replaced guitarist Arik Marshall with Jesse Tobias.
- Woodstock '94 began in Saugerties, New York. The festival began exactly 25 years after the original Woodstock Music and Art Fair.
- Woodstock '94 began in Saugerties, New York, with performances by Sheryl Crow, Todd Rundgren and Violent Femmes. The festival was a success, drawing a crowd of about 350,000.
- Radiohead began a series of 13 concerts at Darien Center in New York as the opening act for Alanis Morissette. During the tour, they tested new songs including “No Surprises” and “Paranoid Android,” which later appeared on the album OK Computer.
- Performed at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York, with Radiohead as the opening act.
- Blues guitarist Luther Allison died of cancer in Madison, Wisconsin, at the age of 57.
- Scott Weiland pleaded guilty to heroin possession and was sentenced to three months of treatment.
- The film “Detroit Rock City,” produced by KISS, received its nationwide theatrical release in the United States.
- Shania Twain and her husband and producer, Mutt Lange, welcomed their son Eja.
- Good Charlotte released the single “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”
- Mobile Graceland began its journey through 31 cities in Memphis.
- Blue singer Lee Ryan was arrested in London while driving a Porsche and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
- She reached No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with her debut solo album “LeToya.”
- Mark David Chapman was denied parole for the fifth time.
- The Jonas Brothers released the album “A Little Bit Longer,” which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart.
- Les Paul, a pioneering guitarist, inventor and recording innovator, died at the age of 94 from complications related to pneumonia.
- Richie Hayward, drummer and co-founder of Little Feat, died at the age of 64.
- The closing ceremony of the London Olympics featured a three-hour musical program with performances by a number of prominent British artists.
- The London Olympics concluded with an extensive musical closing ceremony featuring performances by the Spice Girls, George Michael, The Who, Take That, Muse, One Direction, Queen and others.
- Lauren Bacall died at the age of 89; the source describes her as the last surviving film star mentioned in Madonna's song “Vogue.”
- Elvis Presley Forever, the second US postage stamp featuring his likeness, was unveiled at Graceland, featuring a 1955 black-and-white portrait by photographer William Speer; it was part of the Music Icons series.
- She died at the age of 95; she was the mother of Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb and Andy Gibb.
- The auction house Gotta Have Rock & Roll offered for sale the BTR2 recording console used at EMI Abbey Road Studios to record The Beatles, Pink Floyd and other artists.
- The Jonas Brothers launched their Five Albums, One Night tour at Yankee Stadium with a 66-song setlist.