Video: '76 Trombones'
(Tuesday, June 19, 1962) — The Music Man, a film about a con man who comes to a Midwestern town with a scam using a boy’s marching band program, opened today in the U.S.
The film was directed by Morton DaCosta and stars Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett and Ron Howard. It won one Academy Award and was nominated for five more.
Video: Congress outlaws slavery in territories (at 14:46)
(Thursday, June 19, 1862, during the American Civil War) — Congress passed a measure abolishing slavery in United States territories and President Lincoln quickly signed the legislation today, finally reversing the 1857 opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States in the Dred Scott Case that Congress was powerless to regulate slavery in U.S. territories.
(Friday, June 18, 1982) — On his 40th birthday, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney today began filming of a promotional video for his next single, Take It Away, to be released in three days in the U.S. and Britain.
The video, shot June 18/19/21/22/23, 1982, at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, England, featured former Beatles’ drummer Ringo Starr and long-time producer George Martin, both of whom played on the track, as well as actor John Hurt.
Video: June 18, 1972 (at 1:08)
(Sunday, June 18, 1972) — U.S. President Richard Nixon says he learned of yesterday’s burglary at the Watergate complex today when he read a small article on the front page of The Miami Herald newspaper while he was vacation with his friend Bebe Rebozo in Key Biscayne, Florida.
Video: Video: June 18, 1972 (at 0:20)
(Saturday, June 17, 1972) — Sail Away by Randy Newman debuted at #186 on today’s Billboard’s 200 albums chart (it will eventually peak at #163). The title song (and first on the album to play) is ranked #264 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
(Saturday, June 17, 1972) — The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie debuted at #196 on today’s Billboard’s 200 albums chart (it will eventually peak at #75). The track Ziggy Stardust is ranked #277 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Video: 'Batman Returns' trailer
(Tuesday, June 16, 1992) — Batman Returns, a superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman and a sequel to 1989’s Batman, premiered tonight in Hollywood.
Directed by Tim Burton, the film starred Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken.
Video: '60 Minutes' report (Jan. 16, 1972)
(Friday, June 16, 1972) — Clifford Irving, pleading for leniency and on the verge of tears, was sentenced today to 2.5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine on federal conspiracy and grand larceny charges for selling McGraw-Hill Inc. a faked autobiography of industrialist Howard Hughes for $750,000. Continue reading Clifford Irving gets prison, fine in Hughes autobiography hoax 40 years ago today (1972)
Audio: Hoover formally accepts presidential nomination (Aug. 11, 1932)
(Thursday, June 16, 1932) — U.S. President Herbert Hoover and Vice President Charles Curtis were nominated for second terms of office today by delegates to the Republican National Convention at Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois. Continue reading Hoover, Curtis nominated for second terms at Republican National Convention 80 years ago today (1932)
(Monday, June 15, 1992) — Vice President Dan Quayle, relying on a faulty flash card, erroneously instructed Trenton, New Jersey, sixth-grade student William Figueroa to spell “potato” as “potatoe” during a spelling bee today.
