In 1896, Guglielmo Marconi gave the first public demonstration of radio at Toynbee Hall, London
In 1901, Marconi's first transatlantic radio signal, sent from Cornwall, England, was received by Percy Paget in St. John's, Newfoundland..
In 1951, jazz singer Mildred Bailey, who sang with the bands of Glen Gray, Benny Goodman, and her husband, xylophonist Red Norvo, died of heart failure at the age of 44.
In 1955, in New York, Bill Haley And His Comets recorded "See You Later, Alligator," popularizing a catchphrase already in use at the time. It became Haley's third and final million-selling single.
In 1957, disc Jockey Al Priddy of KEX, Portland, Oregon, was fired for playing Elvis Presley's rendition of "White Christmas." He had violated the radio station's ban against the song.
In 1957, Frankie Avalon was the guest performer on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."
In 1959, after being overtaken as the best selling record in the US for a couple of weeks, Bobby Darin's "Mack The Knife" returned to the top spot on the Cashbox chart. It is a feat that is seldom duplicated.
In 1962, at the Capital Tower recording studio in Hollywood, the Kingston Trio recorded "Greenback Dollar."
In 1964, Bobby Vinton scored his fourth Billboard chart topper with "Mr. Lonely." It was a song that Bobby co-wrote and had added to his Greatest Hits album as a filler, but the track was quickly released as a single when it started to get airplay.
Also in 1964, the Zombies reached their highest point on the Billboard Pop chart when "She's Not There" topped out at #2. Although they recorded the track in just one take, it would stay on the Hot 100 for 3 months and climbed to #12 in the UK.
In 1965, at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff, Wales, the Beatles gave their last British Isles concert.
In 1965, the Byrds performed "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!," and the Dave Clark Five sang "Catch Us If You Can" on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show."
In 1967, the nine-month prison sentence of the Rolling Stones' Brian Jones was commuted by a London Appeals Court after hearing psychiatric testimony that he could not handle prison. Jones had been arrested for possession of marijuana. He was given three years probation and a £1,000 fine.
In 1968, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles released the single "Baby, Baby Don't Cry."
In 1969, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and the Plastic Ono Band released the album "Live Peace in Toronto 1969," recorded three months earlier at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival.
In 1970, although they had enjoyed 26 previous Top 40 Hits, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles reached number one on the Billboard Pop chart for the first time with "The Tears Of A Clown". It was also a #1 in the UK.
In 1971, filming began on the Diana Ross movie, 'Lady Sings the Blues.'
In 1974, saying that he felt that now was the time to move on and do something new, Mick Taylor quit The Rolling Stones 5½ years after replacing Brian Jones as lead guitarist. Former Faces member, Ron Wood would be named to take his place.
In 1980, in New York City, thousands of people remembered John Lennon by marching peacefully through midtown Manhattan to the Dakota apartment building, site of his murder.
In 1982, Karen Carpenter made her last public appearance, singing Christmas carols at Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California.
In 1985, Ian Stewart, the "Pete Best" of the Rolling Stones, died of a heart attack in his doctor's waiting room. He left the band in May of 1963 when manager Andrew Loog Oldham felt that he didn't fit the bad boy image of the group, but continued to work with them as a road manager and played keyboards on most of The Stones' essential albums from the 1960s until the 1980s.
In 1987, singer/accordionist Clifton Chenier, the "King of Zydeco," died of diabetes-related kidney disease at 62.
In 1991, Cynthia Lennon, as well as Sean and Yoko Ono attended the funeral of John Lennon's Aunt Mimi. Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr all sent floral arrangements. During the service, the funeral home played "Imagine".
In 1994, Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love won past and future royalties plus songwriting credits for 35 of the group's songs. A federal jury unanimously found that band co-founder Brian Wilson and his lawyers failed to make good on a promise to give Love a 30% share of a $10-million settlement Wilson won in connection with the 1969 sale of the band's songs. The $700,000 paid for the catalog is considered a huge bargain today. Some estimate it could be worth $40 million or more.
In 1995, a new Beatles single, "Free As a Bird," was released in the US and Canada, eight days after its release in the UK. The song had been written and recorded as a demo by John Lennon in 1977. Paul McCartney had asked Lennon's widow Yoko Ono for any unreleased material by Lennon, and "Free as a Bird" was chosen as the song to which all three remaining Beatles could contribute, finishing the arrangement and writing extra lyrics. ELO's Jeff Lynne was brought in to produce the record.
In 1998, a seven inch single by the Quarry Men featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison was named as the rarest record of all time. Only 50 copies were made with each one being valued at £10,000 ($20,500).
In 2000, Tony Bennett commemorated the birthday of the late-Frank Sinatra by announcing the September 2001 opening of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts.
In 2000, singer Dotty Todd, of the husband-and-wife duo Art & Dotty Todd, died of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 87.
In 2001, Arthur Lee of Love was released from prison after serving six years of an eleven-year sentence for possession of a firearm and firing it in the air in a dispute with his neighbor.
In 2001, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic countersue Courtney Love who had previously sued Universal Music Group saying all of Nirvanna's rights reverted to her after the death of Kurt Cobain.
In 2002, Les Paul announced he would be donating 2,000 records and pieces of sheet music along with other memorabilia for an exhibit in his hometown of Waukesha, WI.
In 2003, in University Park, Pennsylvania, Dave Matthews began his first solo tour, billed as Dave Matthews & Friends, at Penn State University's Bryce Jordan Center.
In 2007, a copy of John Lennon's book, 'A Spaniard in the Works,' which contained a lock of Lennon's hair, sold at Gorringes Auction House for $48,000. Lennon gave the book and the hair to Betty Glasow, the Fab Four's hairdresser during their heyday. He wrote in the book, "To Betty, Lots of Love and Hair, John Lennon xx."
In 2012, in London, a collection of love letters written by Mick Jagger to American singer Marsha Hunt, believed to have been the inspiration for the Rolling Stones' hit single "Brown Sugar," sold at Sotheby's for £187,250 ($301,000 US). Hunt, with whom Jagger had his first child, told Britain's Guardian newspaper that she was selling the ten letters, written in July and August 1969, because she had been unable to pay her bills.
