(Monday, January 5, 1976) — Mal Evans, a former road manager, assistant and friend of the Beatles, was killed by police today at his home in Los Angeles.
Officers were called when his girlfriend phoned the police and told them that Evans, 40, was confused and had a gun. The police mistook the air rifle Evans was holding for a rifle and shot him dead.
At the time of his death, Evans was working on a memoir of his time with The Beatles.
Video: 'The Beatles at Shea Stadium Documentary'
(Wednesday, January 5, 1966) — The Beatles assembled at CTS Studios in London today to overdub, and even re-record entirely, some of the songs recorded at their record breaking concert at New York’s Shea Stadium on Aug. 15, 1965, for “The Beatles at Shea Stadium” documentary that would air Mar. 1, 1966 on BBC1.
Video: 'Diane Keaton 2002 A&E Biography'
(Saturday, January 5, 1946) — Film actress, director, producer and screenwriter Diane Keaton was born Diane Hall today in Los Angeles.
(Saturday, January 5, 1946) — “Symphony” by Freddy Martin & his Orchestra with vocals by Clyde Rogers was the #1 song on today’s Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart for two consecutive weeks (Jan. 5/12, 1946).
Video: 'Utah : The Struggle for Statehood, part 1 (of 2)'
(Saturday, January 4, 1896) — Utah today became the 45th state of the United States of America, six years after the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dropped its approval of polygamy. Continue reading Utah admitted as 45th state 120 years ago today (Jan 4 1896)
(Saturday, January 3, 1976) — “Saturday Night” by Bay City Rollers peaks at #1 on today’s Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for one week.
Video: 'WILLIAM JOYCE HANGED'
(Thursday, January 3, 1946, 9:00 a.m. GMT) — William Joyce, the 39-year-old pro-Nazi radio propagandist known as “Lord Haw-Haw,” was hanged today at Wandsworth Prison in south London for high treason, unrepentant and defiant to the end.
Video: 'The Fifth Beatle, George Martin Documentary.'
(Sunday, January 3, 1926) — British record producer, composer and musical arranger George Martin, sometimes referred to as “the Fifth Beatle” in reference to his extensive involvement on each of the Beatles’ original albums, was born today into a working-class family in Drayton Park, England.
Video: 'The Four Seasons - Let's Hang On'
(Sunday, January 2, 1966, 8:00-9:00 p.m. EST) — The Four Seasons performed “Let’s Hang On” on tonight’s live edition of the CBS-TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show from CBS Studio No. 50 in New York City.
(Saturday, January 1, 1966, New Year’s Day) — “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for two non-consecutive weeks (Jan. 1/29, 1966).
It was the duo’s first of three number one hits on the chart (1966-1970) and ranked #156 on Rolling Stone‘s 2004 list “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
