New York Mets – Time Rewind

On This Day April 16

Click each item below to learn more!

On This Day April 17

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1837 – Financier J. P. Morgan (d. 1913)

1918 – Actor William Holden (“Stalag 17,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Network”) (d. 1981)

1923 – Network television anchor-reporter Harry Reasoner (d. 1991)

1959 – Actor Sean Bean (“The Field,” “Patriot Games,” “Ronin,” “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “GoldenEye,” “National Treasure,” “Flightplan,” “The Island,” “The Martian”)

1972 – Golden Globe-winning actress Jennifer Garner (“Alias,” “13 Going on 30,” “Juno,” “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” “Miracles from Heaven,” “Daredevil,” “Love, Simon”)

1974 – Singer-actress and fashion designer Victoria Beckham, known as Posh Spice when she performed with The Spice Girls

1985 – Actress Rooney Mara (“The Social Network,” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” ” Side Effects,” “Carol”)

History Highlights

1961 – The Bay of Pigs Invasion sees 1,400 CIA-trained and financed Cuban exiles invade Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow dictator Fidel Castro.

1964 – Jerrie Mock achieves what Amelia Earhart could not, becoming the first woman pilot to fly solo around the world. It takes her 29.5 days to achieve the historic feat. Later, Mock is honored with the Gold Medal Award from President Lyndon Johnson on behalf of what is now the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

1964 – The Ford Mustang is officially unveiled at the World’s Fair in New York. That same day, the the so-called “pony car” debuts in Ford showrooms across the U.S. with buyers immediately snapping up almost 22,000 vehicles. Price tag for the base model is $2,372, half the cost of a Corvette.

1964 – Shea Stadium opens as the new home of the New York Mets in Flushing Queens, just a short distance from the World’s Fair.

1969 – A jury convicts Sirhan Sirhan of first degree murder for the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy a year earlier. Sirhan continues to serve a life sentence at a federal prison in California.

1970 – The Apollo 13 astronauts return safely to earth after an oxygen tank explosion robs them of a moon landing and nearly costs them their lives.

Musical Milestones

1965 – Freddie and the Dreamers wrap up two weeks as chart-toppers with “I’m Telling You Now.”

1970 – At the invitation of President Richard Nixon, country music legend Johnny Cash performs for an invited audience in the East Room of the White House. One of the first songs that Cash plays is a track that Nixon personally requested: “A Boy Named Sue.”

1971 – ”Joy to the World” launches Three Dog Night on a six-week ride atop the singles chart.

1973 – Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon,” which delivers classics like “Money” and “Us and Them,” begins a week at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, but remains on the chart for 15 years — the longest stretch of any rock album.

1982 – Vangelis rules the album chart with the soundtrack to “Chariots Of Fire,” for which he later wins a Best Original Score Oscar.

1998 – Linda McCartney dies at the age of 56 following a long battle with cancer. She was married to Paul McCartney for nearly 30 years, was a member of his band Wings, and was an accomplished photographer and animal rights advocate.

1999 – “No Scrubs” becomes TLC’s third No. 1 single and holds the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. The track also garners the girl group a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year.

2004 – “Yeah,” by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, is in the middle of a 12-week domination of the single chart.

On This Day October 27

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1858 – Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States (d. 1919)

1914 – Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, whose works include the poems “Do not go gentle into that good night,” “And death shall have no dominion”, the “Play for Voices” and “Under Milk Wood” (d. 1953)

1922 – Emmy and Grammy-winning actress and playwright Ruby Dee (“A Raisin in the Sun,” “Do The Right Thing,” “The Stand,” “American Gangster”)(d. 2014)

1939 – Actor-comedian, author and Monty Python founder John Cleese (“Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” “Fawlty Towers,” “A Fish Called Wanda,” “Harry Potter,” “Shrek”)

1942 – Country singer Lee Greenwood, best known for his song “God Bless the USA,” which gained popularity following the September 11, 2001 attacks

1952 – Actor-director Roberto Benigni, best known for his Oscar-winning 1997 film “Life Is Beautiful”

1958 – Musician Simon Le Bon, lead singer of the Grammy-winning band Duran Duran (“Girls on Film,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Save a Prayer,” “Rio,” “The Reflex,” “A View to a Kill,” “Ordinary World”)

1984 – Actress, singer and fashion designer Kelly Osbourne, who rose to fame on the reality show about her family, “The Osbournes”

History Highlights

1904 – America’s first rapid transit system begins operating when the New York City subway opens to the public. More than 100,000 people pay a nickel to take their first ride aboard the Interborough Rapid Transit (I.R.T.) under Manhattan.

1954 – “Disneyland,” Walt Disney’s first TV series, premieres on ABC. It airs for 34 seasons, in later years under different names, including “Walt Disney Presents” and “The Wonderful World of Disney.”

1962 – Thirteen days after an American U-2 spy plane first captures photos of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba aimed at the U.S., a Soviet missile destroys the U.S. Air Force jet during another Cuba flyover. The pilot, Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr., becomes the first casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Anderson’s death is believed to have saved millions of American lives in a potential nuclear attack.

1978 – The Nobel Peace Prize is jointly awarded to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat in honor of the Camp David Agreement which brought about a negotiated peace between Egypt and Israel.

1986 – The New York Mets become world champions of baseball, as they beat the Boston Red Sox in Game Seven of the World Series, 8-5.

Musical Milestones

1960 – Soul and R&B sensation Ben E. King records “Spanish Harlem” and “Stand by Me,” launching his successful solo career after leaving The Drifters.

1973 – Gladys Knight & the Pips have their first No. 1 single with “Midnight Train To Georgia,” which stays on top of the pop chart for two weeks and goes on to capture a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group or Chorus.

1975 – Bruce Springsteen’s early career gets a shot in the arm as he lands on the covers of two national news magazines on the same day — Newsweek and Time.

1982 – Prince releases his breakthrough double-album “1999,” which contains the hits “1999” and “Little Red Corvette.” The album peaks at No. 9 a few months later, but climbs to No. 7 on the Billboard album chart following Prince’s death in 2016.

1984 – “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” by Stevie Wonder, marks its third and final week as a No. 1 single.

1990 – Janet Jackson rules the Billboard Hot 100 for a week with “Black Cat,” off her “Rhythm Nation 1814” album.

2001 – “I’m Real (Murder Remix),” by Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule, is in its second and final week as a No. 1 single.

2006 – Amy Winehouse releases her second and final studio album, “Back to Black,” which spawns five singles, including “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good.” It goes on to capture Album of the Year honors at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

On This Day September 11

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1940 – Director Brian DePalma (“Carrie,” “Dressed to Kill,” “Blow Out,” “Scarface,” “The Untouchables,” “Carlito’s Way,” “Mission: Impossible”)

1961 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Virginia Madsen (“Candyman,” “Ghosts of Mississippi,” “The Rainmaker,” “Sideways,” “Designated Survivor”)

1962 – Emmy-winning actress Kristy McNichol (“Family,” “Empty Nest”)

1965 – Singer-songwriter-producer Moby, born Richard Melville Hall (“Go” and “Porcelain,” “Everything is Wrong and Play”)

1967 – Grammy and Emmy-winning jazz singer, pianist and actor Harry Connick, Jr.

1977 – Grammy-winning rapper and actor Ludacris, born Christopher Brian Bridges and best known for playing Tej Parker in the “The Fast and the Furious” movies

History Highlights

1961 – Packing winds of 175 miles per hour, Hurricane Carla barrels into Texas. It kills 46 people and injures more than 450 others, with many lives spared due to the evacuation of nearly half a million people from the Texas coast. Carla is the first storm to garner live television coverage, featuring a young reporter named Dan Rather, who went on to become an acclaimed CBS News journalist.

1970 – Secret agent Maxwell Smart calls Agent 99 for the last time as the final episode of “Get Smart” airs on CBS.

1971 – One of the most colorful figures of the Cold War dies: former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who went head-to-head with President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

1974 – The St. Louis Cardinals take seven hours, four minutes and 25 innings to beat the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. The contest sets a National League record for innings played in a night game. Fans finally go home after 3 a.m.

1985 – Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds becomes the all-time hit leader with his 4,192nd hit to break Ty Cobb’s record. Rose lined a 2-1 pitch off San Diego pitcher Eric Show to left-center field for a single in the first inning. It was the 57th anniversary of Ty Cobb’s last game in the majors.

2001 – Four coordinated attacks using commercial airliners are launched against the U.S. by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda, leaving thousands dead or injured. New York City’s iconic World Trade Center is destroyed, part of The Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. is damaged, and heroic passengers aboard another jet wrest control from the terrorists and crash it into a rural Pennsylvania field to prevent it from striking a major city.

2003 – Actor John Ritter dies just six days shy of his 55th birthday. Cause of death was an undetected aortic dissection, when the body’s main artery, the aorta, tears. Ritter was best known for playing Jack Tripper on the ABC sitcom Three’s Company (1977–1984), receiving a Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for the role in 1984.

Musical Milestones

1965 – The Beatles conquer the singles chart with “Help!”

1969 – John Lennon tells his business manager he’s quitting The Beatles, but doesn’t inform the band until days later.

1971 – “Go Away Little Girl,” by Donny Osmond, begins a three-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart.

1976 – “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” by KC and the Sunshine Band boogies its way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It’s the band’s third No. 1 single.

1982 – Chicago’s “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” is on top of the singles chart.

1993 – Mariah Carey kicks off an eight-week domination of the singles chart with “Dreamlover.”

1999 – “Bailamos,” by Enrique Iglesias, begins its second and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

2004 – “Goodies,” by Ciara featuring Petey Pablo, kicks off seven weeks on top of the singles chart.

On this Day August 30

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays

1898 – Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actress Shirley Booth (“Come Back, Little Sheba,” “Hazel,” “The Glass Menagerie”) (d. 1992)

1908 – Actor Fred MacMurray (“Double Indemnity,” “My Three Sons”) (d. 1991)

1918 – Baseball legend Ted Williams (d. 2002)

1924 – Fashion designer Geoffrey Beene (d. 2004)

1927 – Actor Bill Daily (“I Dream of Jeannie,” “The Bob Newhart Show”) (d. 2018)

1930 – Investment guru and philanthropist Warren Buffett, a.k.a. “The Oracle of Omaha”

1939 – Tony-winning actress Elizabeth Ashley (“Take Her, She’s Mine,” “The Carpetbaggers,” “Evening Shade”)

1946 – Actress Peggy Lipton (“The Mod Squad,” “Twin Peaks,” “The Postman”) (d. 2019)

1948 – Grammy-winning comedian Lewis Black (“The Daily Show,” “Black on Broadway,” “Red, White, and Screwed,” “The Carnegie Hall Performance”)

1954 – Actor David Paymer (“Mr. Saturday Night,” “Quiz Show,” “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” “City Slickers,” “Crazy People,” “Get Shorty,” “The American President,” “Ocean’s Thirteen,” “Drag Me to Hell”)

1963 – Actor Michael Chiklis (“The Commish,” “The Shield,” “Fantastic Four,” “Vegas,” “American Horror Story”)

1966 – Actress Michael Michele (“ER,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Ali,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”)

1972 – Actress Cameron Diaz (“The Mask,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “There’s Something About Mary,” “Being John Malkovich,” the “Charlie’s Angels” movies, the animated “Shrek” movies,” “Vanilla Sky,” “The Other Woman,” “Sex Tape,” “Annie”)

1982 – Tennis great Andy Roddick

History Highlights

1918 – Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin is shot twice by a member of the Social Revolutionary party, but survives the attack. The attempted assassination triggers a wave of reprisals by Bolsheviks against the Social Revolutionaries and other political opponents. Thousands are executed as Russia falls deeper into civil war.

1963 – A “hotline” linking Moscow and Washington, D.C. is activated to provide instant communication between the Superpowers in case nuclear weapons are accidentally launched. The system consists of a cable with a device resembling a large typewriter on either end.

1965 – New York Mets Manager Casey Stengel announces his retirement, ending a 56-year career in professional baseball.

1967 – The U.S. Senate confirms Thurgood Marshall as the first African American justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In nominating Marshall to the nation’s highest court, President Lyndon B. Johnson said, “It was the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place.” Marshall serves 24 years on the high court before retiring in 1991.

1976 – Tom Brokaw becomes news anchor of NBC’s “Today” show. where he remains for six years. He leaves in 1982 to co-anchor “NBC Nightly News” with Roger Mudd, taking over as sole anchor in 1983 and remaining in that post until 2004.

1983 – U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Guion “Guy” Bluford becomes the first African American to travel into space when the space shuttle Challenger lifts off on its third mission. In 2010, Bluford is inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

2003 – Actor Charles Bronson, best known for his tough-guy roles in movies like “The Dirty Dozen” and the “Death Wish” franchise, dies at the age of 81 in Los Angeles.

Musical Milestones

1969 – The Rolling Stones rule the Billboard Hot 100 with “Honky Tonk Women.” The single was released in the UK the day after the death of founding member Brian Jones, with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” on the B-side. It ends up topping the charts in seven countries, including the band’s native UK, where it becomes their last No. 1.

1975 – “Get Down Tonight,” by KC and The Sunshine Band, struts its way to No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart. It’s the first of five consecutive chart-toppers for the band that hails from Hialeah, Florida.

1980 – “Sailing,” by Christopher Cross, is the hottest single. It goes on to capture Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Arrangement of the Year, and helps Cross capture the Best New Artist award.

1986 – Steve Winwood has the No. 1 single with “Higher Love,” off his “Back in the High Life” album.

1997 – “Mo Money Mo Problems,” by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase, kicks off two weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. It becomes Notorious B.I.G.’s second posthumous chart-topper following “Hypnotize.”