Wednesday December the 5th


On This Day in 1902
Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi (below)transmitted the first readable wireless radio signals 3,200 km across the Atlantic from his station at Glace Bay, Cape Breton to Poldhu in Cornwall, England.  A year earlier he had sent the first transatlantic wireless test signal - the letter 'S' repeated over and over - from Poldhu to his assistant Percy Wright Paget flying a box kite trailing a 121 metre long copper wire antenna on Signal Hill, St. John's. Nfld. The Canadian government gave Marconi $80 000 to set up wireless operations at Glace Bay, after nervous Newfoundland undersea cable companies, claiming a monopoly on transatlantic messages, booted him off the island. The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of Canada Ltd. was chartered in 1902.
                

On this day in 1916, actress Margaret (Maggie) Hayes was born Florette Ottenheimer in Baltimore.  Her film career began in 1940, she started in TV ten years later, with repeated appearances on Robert Montgomery Presents, Perry Mason, Wyatt Earp, Matinee Theatre, and her last series, 1964's A Flame in the Wind.  She died of cancer & hepatitis Jan 26, 1977 at age 60.  

On this day in 1921, comic/light supporting actor Alvy Moore was born in Vincennes Indiana.  He was featured in the TV series Green Acres, the Littles, Pete & Gladys & Days of Our Lives.  He died May 4 1997 of heart failure at age 75.  

On this day in 1936, Bing Crosby took over from Paul Whiteman as host of radio's "Kraft Music Hall."
                                                                                                          
Bing would remain host for the next ten years, until he left for a more flexible schedule that would allow him to transcribe when it was convenient, not always committed to "live."

On this day in 1950, Nova Scotia's Hank Snow had a #1 country hit single with 'I'm Moving On'.

On this day in 1951, Jack Webb's "Dragnet" premiered on NBC TV.  It had been running on radio for 2-and-a-half years.

On this day in 1952, "The Abbott and Costello Show" started a 52-episode, syndicated run on TV. Comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello became such big hits that those same 52 episodes were run over and over on local and network TV for years.

Also this day in 1952, Mutual radio broadcast "The Green Hornet" for the final time. The show left the air after 15 years on Mutual, NBC and ABC. "The Green Hornet" reappeared in 1966, this time on TV.

On this day in in 1955, disc-Jockey Alan Freed's movie "Rock Rock Rock" (with Connie Francis singing for Tuesday Weld) opened to packed theatres in New York City.

On this day in 1964, the song "Ringo" by Canadian-born Lorne Greene (Bonanza) topped the charts and stayed there for a week.

                                                                                                                
On this day in 1968, Graham Nash quit the Hollies because the band wanted to do an album of Bob Dylan songs.  He announced the formation of Crosby, Stills and Nash three days later.

Also this day in 1968, the Rolling Stones unveilled "Beggar's Banquet" in an uncontroversial white cover designed to resemble a formal invitation

Still on this day in 1968, supporting actor Fred Clark (below) died of a liver ailment at 54. His familiar scowl was frquently seen on TV's Beverly Hillbillies, Burns & Allen, in scores of guest spots as well as movies.  For his TV work he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  
            

On this day in 1973, Paul McCartney released Wings' "Band on the Run" album.

On this day in 1973, the Montreal skyscraper that houses all of the CBC's French-language operations, Maison Radio Canada, was officiially opened.

On this day in 1974, the final episode of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" aired on the BBC.

On this day in 1975, the self-titled album "Fleetwood Mac" was certified gold in the U-S.
                                                      
It was the first one with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

Also this day in 1975, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Fly, Robin, Fly'' by Silver Convention. Producer Michael Kunze originally called the song "Run, Rabbit, Run.''

On this day in 1976, the sixth and final season of "McMillan and Wife" began on NBC-TV.        
                                                                

On this day in 1983, bit player Estelle Omens died at 55.  She was almost 40 before making it into film,  and on TV had parts in Newhart, Barney Miller, Cagney & Lacey and Fame.

On this day in 1985, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Broken Wings'' by Mr. Mister. The song had been written in 20 minutes by band members Richard Page and Steve George and their friend John Lang.

On this day in 1987, Molly O'Day, considered by some to have been the greatest female country singer ever, died of cancer in Huntington, West Virginia at age 64. O'Day recorded only 36 songs for Columbia between 1946 and '51, but among them was the classic ''Tramp in the Street.''

Also in 1987, the song "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Brenda Carlisle topped the charts but only for a week.            

On this day in 1990, another round of budget cutting at the CBC as the corporation announced layoffs of 1,100 employees.

On this day in 1991, Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson
agreed to stay away from his longtime psychologist, Eugene Landy, and submit his finances to a conservator. The agreement settled a lawsuit filed by Wilson's brother, Carl, and their cousins, Mike and Stan Love. They portrayed Landy, Wilson's live-in psychologist and business partner, as an opportunist who brainwashed Wilson and used him as a cash cow. Wilson's drug abuse and a nervous breakdown had brought the two together in 1976.

On this day in 1992, Ice Cube became the first hard-core rapper to have an album debut at number one on the Billboard album chart, with "The Predator."

On this day in 1993, ex-Gin Blossoms lead guitarist Douglas Hopkins shot and killed himself at his home in Tempe, Ariz. He was 32. Hopkins had been fired from the band the previous year because of his drinking habit.

In 1994, dance band arranger-singer Art Hallman, best known for his 13 years with Mart Kenney and his Western Gentlemen in the 1930's and '40s, died in Richmond Hill, Ontario at 84. Hallman later formed his own band in Toronto. It was featured for many years on C-B-C Radio.

On this day in 1996, Nova Scotia-born country singer Wilf Carter died at 91, two months after being diagnosed with a stomach tumor.  He is acknowledged as the Father of Country Music in Canada, beginning in radio at CFCN Calgary in 1930, having his own CBS & NBC radio shows (as Montana Slim) in the late 30's, and later appearing frequently on the Tommy Hunter TV show.

On this day in 1997, police in Nagoya, Japan, arrested Carl Edward Hunter, manager of Ray Charles, on suspicion of marijuana possession.

On this day in 1998, the Billboard Hot 100 chart began including album cuts alongside commercially released singles. Billboard had previously insisted that a song had to be released as a retail single before it could be included on the chart, compiled from a combination of sales and radio play. But record companies had become increasingly reluctant to release singles for fear they would take away from sales of albums.

Also in 1998, R. Kelly & Celine Dion were number one in the U.S with their single, "I'm Your Angel".

On this day in 2000, R&B star Sisqo took home six trophies at the 2000 Billboard Music Awards at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Arena, while Destiny's Child, Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill and 'N Sync corralled four each.

On this day in 2002, the president of ABC News & Sports Roone Arledge, died at 71 due to complications from prostate cancer.

On this day in 2005, ABC News named Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff co-anchors of "World News Tonight," replacing the late Peter Jennings.  (But that didn't last long.....)


Today's Birthdays:

Actor Peter Hansen (Mr Novak, General Hospital, How the West was Won) is 86.

Musician/songwriter Don Robertson is 86.

Singer Little Richard is 75.

Spokane-born folksinger Chad Mitchell (Chad Mitchell Trio) is 71.

Musician J.J. Cale is 69.  

Actor Randy Kirby (Girl From UNCLE, Wheels, The Law) is 65.

Pop singer Jim Messina (Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Loggins & Messina) is 60.

Actress Pamela Blair (Another World, All My Children, Loving) is 58.  

Actor Lewis Arlt (Another World, Search for Tomorrow, Ryan's Hope) is 58.

Actress Morgan Brittany (Dallas, Glitter) is 56.

Montreal-born singer/songwriter Andy Kim is 55.

Actor Brian Backer (Santa Barbara) is 51.

Actress Connie Needham Newton (Eight is Enough, Fame) is 45.

Country singer Ty England is 44.

Rock singer-musician John Rzeznik (The Goo Goo Dolls) is 42.

Country singer Gary Allan is 40.

Comedian-actress Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) is 39.

Writer-director Morgan J. Freeman (Dawson's Creek) is 38.

Actress Amy Acker (Alias, Angel) is 31.

Actor Nick Stahl (Carnivale) is 28.

Actor Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle) is 22.

Actor Ross Bagley (Fresh Prince of Bel Air) is 19.


Chart Toppers

December 5

1950
All My Love - Patti Page
A Bushel and a Peck - Perry Como & Betty Hutton
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
I’m Moving On - Hank Snow

1958
To Know Him, is to Love Him - The Teddy Bears
One Night - Elvis Presley
Problems - The Everly Brothers
City Lights - Ray Price

1966
Winchester Cathedral - The New Vaudeville Band
Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
Devil with a Blue Dress On & Good Golly Miss Molly - Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
Somebody Like Me - Eddy Arnold

1974
I Can Help - Billy Swan
Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas
When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees
Back Home Again - John Denver

1982
Truly - Lionel Richie
Gloria - Laura Branigan
Mickey - Toni Basil
You and I - Eddie Rabbitt with Crystal Gayle

1990
I’m Your Baby Tonight - Whitney Houston
Because I Love You (The Postman Song) - Stevie B
From a Distance - Bette Midler
Come Next Monday - K.T. Oslin