Video: McCartney/Wings (Aug. 20, 1972)
(Sunday, August 20, 1972) — Paul McCartney and his group Wings performed a piano improvisation today on a Dutch radio program “popsmuk” in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, during their 25-city Wings Over Europe Tour, McCartney’s first of Continental Europe since The Beatles made a three-city swing through Germany in June 1966.
Video: 'The Talk of the Town' (clip)
(Thursday, August 20, 1942) — The Talk of the Town, a film about an escaped prisoner and a stuffy law professor who vie for the hand of a spirited schoolteacher, opened today in the U.S.
Directed by George Stevens, the film stars Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Ronald Colman and Rex Ingram.
Video: 'Tchaikovsky's famous 1812 Overture'
(Sunday, August 20, 1882) — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, written in 1880 to commemorate Russia’s defense of their fatherland against Napoleon’s invading Grande Armée in 1812, premiered today in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
The overture is best known for its climactic volley of cannon fire, ringing chimes, and brass fanfare finale.
Video: Aug 20, 1862 (at 38:41)
(Wednesday, August 20, 1862, during the American Civil War) — Republican editor Horace Greeley of the highly influential New York Tribune published a famous editorial today entitled “The Prayer of Twenty Millions,” demanding a more aggressive attack on the Confederacy and faster emancipation of the slaves by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Continue reading Editor Horace Greeley publicly urges immediate emancipation of southern slaves 150 years ago today (1862)
Video: 'Mary Fisher "Whisper of AIDS" Speech 1992 Pt 1'
(Wednesday, August 19, 1992) — Mary Fisher, a Florida mother from a politically prominent family, urged Americans watching the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston tonight to put politics aside when they consider AIDS, which she compared to the Holocaust. Continue reading Crowd stilled as Florida mom issues AIDS plea at Republican Convention 20 years ago tonight (1992)
Video: Savitskaya (at 0:09 and 1:05)
(Thursday, August 19, 1982, 1:12 p.m. EDT) — Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya flew aboard Soyuz T-7 today from Gagarin’s Start, becoming the second woman in space some 19 years after Valentina Tereshkova.
Video: Dieppe Raid (at 1:58)
(Wednesday, August 19, 1942, 5 a.m. local time, part of the North West Europe Campaign of World War II) — An Allied force of 7,000 men today carried out a large daytime raid against German positions at the French seaport of Dieppe, suffering more than 50 percent casualties. Continue reading Allies launch disasterous raid on Dieppe 70 years ago this hour (1942)
Video: Lennon rehearsing (Aug. 18-26, 1972); audio: 'It's So Hard' (probably recorded Aug. 18, 1972)
(Friday, August 18, 1972) — Ex-Beatle John Lennon began rehearsing today at Butterfly Studios in New York City for the “One to One” benefit concerts for children with mental challenges, scheduled for Madison Square Garden on Aug. 30. Continue reading Lennon begins rehearsals for ‘One to One’ benefit concerts 40 years ago today (1972)
Video: 'elvis presley you always on my mind - marriage & divorce Priscilla Presley'
(Friday, August 18, 1972) — Rock ‘n’ roll star Elvis Presley, 37, filed for divorce today to end his five-years marriage to his wife, Priscilla, 27, whom he met 13 years before while serving in the Army in Germany.
Video: 'Republican National Convention: President Reagan's Address at the 1992 RNC - 8/17/92'
(Monday, August 17, 1992) — Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, 81, trying to boost the troubled re-election presidential campaign of his former vice president, told the 1992 Republican National Convention at the Astrodome in Houston tonight that America needs George H.W. Bush, “a steady hand on the tiller through the chopper waters of the 90s.”
