Thursday, October 25, 2012

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS:

• Katy Perry (pop singer, "I Kissed A Girl") (28)
• James Carville (former Democratic political consultant and TV pundit, advised President Bill Clinton; husband of Republican operative Mary Matalin) (68)
• Bobby Knight (famously abrasive, now retired, college basketball coach) (72)
• Pedro Martinez (former Majoe League New York Mets pitching ace) (41)
• Helen Reddy (Singer, "I Am Woman") (71)
• Marion Ross (Actress, played Mrs. Cunningham on Happy Days, Gilmore Girls) (84)
• Adam Goldberg (Actor and director, Friends, Saving Private Ryan, Head Cases) (42)
• Ed Robertson (of Barenaked Ladies ) (42)
• Chad Smith (drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers) (51)
• Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson on The Simpsons) (55)
• Jon Anderson (singer of Yes) (68)
• Michael Boatman (actor, Hamburger Hill, China Beach, Spin City, Arli$$) (48)
• Robbie McIntosh (guitarist, the Pretenders, Paul McCartney) (55)
• Austin Winkler (lead singer, Hinder) (31)
• Glenn Tipton (lead guitarist, Judas Priest) (65)
• Matthias Jabs (lead guitarist, Scorpions) (57)

ON THIS DAY:

• 1881 Artist Pablo Picasso is born. He dies in 1973.
• 1917, Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin seized power inRussia in what became known as the October Revolution.
• 1933 Eugene "Gordon" Lee (actor, the Little Rascals' Porky) is born. He dies in October 2005.
• 1962, American author John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.
• 1964, the Rolling Stones made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
• 1971, Roy Disney dedicated Walt Disney World.
• 1971, the U.N. General Assembly voted to admit Communist mainlandChina and expelTaiwan.
• 1972, the first female agents graduated from the FBI's training academy.
• 1978 The movie Halloween, starring Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, and P.J. Soles, opens.
• 1983, a U.S.-led force along with those from six countries in the Caribbean invaded Grenada at the order of President Ronald Reagan, who said the action was needed to protect U.S. citizens there.
• 1986 Actor Forrest Tucker (F Troop's Sergeant O'Rourke) dies at age 67.
• 1986, the New York Mets, who were one strike away from losing the World Series to the Boston Red Sox, tied Game 6 on a wild pitch. Boston first baseman Bill Buckner then committed an error, letting a ball that would have been a sure out get through his legs. The Mets won, tying the Series at three games apiece, and went on to win Game 7 and the championship.
• 1991 Legendary rock promoter Bill Graham dies in a helicopter crash at age 60.
• 1993 Actor Vincent Price (The Fly, The Pit And The Pendulum, The Masque Of The Red Death, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Edward Scissorhands) dies at age 82.
• 1994, Susan Smith claimed a black carjacker had driven off with her two sons inSouth Carolina. She later confessed to drowning the children and was convicted of murder.
• 1996 Several landmark rock albums receive multi-platinum certifications: Appetite For Destruction from Guns N' Roses passes the 14 million mark in sales, while Nirvana's Nevermind passes the nine million mark and their In Utero passes five million.
• 2000 Tesla reunites for a show in their hometown ofSacramento,California.
• 2001 Kiss singer-bassist Gene Simmons addresses a class at the U.C.L.A. Extension titled "There's No People Like Show People: Communicating With Creative Professionals In The Entertainment Business," with Simmons explaining how art and commerce are not mutually exclusive, and how important marketing and promotion are to any successful venture.
• 2001 Ozzy Osbourne's Down To Earth enters the Billboard 200 at Number Four.
• 2001 Ted Nugent and Kid Rock join Aerosmith onstage at The Palace Of Auburn Hills inAuburn Hills,Michigan, for a version of "Walk This Way."
• 2002 Actor-singer Richard Harris (Unforgiven, Gladiator, the Harry Potter movies) dies at age 72.
• 2002 Audioslave reaches a $30,000 settlement with an unsigned British group so that both acts can use the same name.
• 2003 Pearl Jam is among the artists performing at the first day of Neil Young's 17th Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert inMountain View,California.
• 2004 A DVD about the making of the 1991 Nirvana album Nevermind is released.
• 2004 The Battle For Ozzfest reality series premieres on MTV. The show follows eight heavy rock bands as they compete for the chance to perform on the 10th anniversary edition of Ozzfest.
• 2006 Angels And Airwaves wins Woodie of the Year at mtvU's Woodie Awards, held in New York City. Fans cast more than three million votes online for the awards, which are broadcast on MTV's college network. Other winners include 30 Seconds To Mars, Taking Back Sunday and Gnarls Barkley.
• 2006 Buckcherry's third album, 15, released after a three-year hiatus for the band, is certified gold for sales of over 500,000 copies.