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'One Strange Rock' first airs on National Geographic

One Strange Rock is an American television documentary series, produced by Nutopia in conjunction with Darren Aronofsky, which premiered on National Geographic. In 2018, National Geographic renewed the series for a second season, which is set to premiere sometime in 2019.

'Sweat' opens on Broadway

Sweat is a play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015; it was produced Off-Broadway and on Broadway a year later. The play is centered on the working class of Reading, Pennsylvania.

Rihanna releases 'Bitch Better Have My Money'

'Bitch Better Have My Money' is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was written by Jamille Pierre, Bibi Bourelly, Rihanna, Travis Scott, Kanye West and WondaGurl and produced by Deputy, co-produced by West, together with additional production by Scott and WondaGurl. The song was digitally released in March 2015 through the iTunes Store.

Ariana Grande releases first single 'The Way'

"The Way" is a song recorded by American singer Ariana Grande for her debut studio album, Yours Truly. It was written by the song's producer Harmony Samuels, alongside Amber Streeter, Al Sherrod Lambert, Jordin Sparks, Brenda Russell, and Mac Miller, who is featured in the song.

A war of words erupts between Fox News Channel and Jim Carrey

A war of words erupts between Fox News Channel and actor Jim Carrey: FNC reporter Greg Gutfeld makes a critical statement on this date over "Cold Dead Hands", Carrey's anti-gun video for the viral website Funny or Die, with Gutfield taking issue with Carrey's views on gun control by stating that, "He is probably the most pathetic tool on the face of the earth and I hope his career is dead and I hope he ends up sleeping in a car." Carrey responds by calling the network "A media colostomy bag that has begun to burst at the seams."

Challenger Deep expedition

Canadian filmmaker James Cameron reached Challenger Deep, the deepest point on Earth. He was first in over 50 years to visit it. First people who reached the bottom of the Deep were Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh aboard famous bathyscaphe Trieste. Cameron made a solo descent in a 7-meter deep-diving submersible named Deepsea Challenger.

Reese Witherspoon weds Jim Toth at Libbey Ranch in Ojai, California

In February 2010, it was reported that Witherspoon had begun dating Jim Toth, a talent agent and co-head of motion picture talent at the Creative Artists Agency, where Witherspoon is a client. Witherspoon and Toth announced the engagement in December 2010, and married in March 2011 in Ojai, California, at Libbey Ranch. They have a son, born in 2012.

Sinking of the Cheonan

Cheonan, a Pohang-class corvette of the Republic of Korea Navy, carrying 104 people, sank off the country's west coast near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 seamen and injuring 56. The cause of the accident remains in dispute.

'How to Train Your Dragon' is released

'How to Train Your Dragon' is an American computer-animated action fantasy movie loosely based on the 2003 book of the same name by British author Cressida Cowell. The movie was a critical and commercial success, earning acclaim from film critics and audiences and earning nearly $500 million worldwide. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score at the 83rd Academy Awards.

Two tornadoes injure 24 people and damage 108 homes in Mississippi

The tornado outbreak sequence was a series of tornado outbreaks which affected large portions of the Central, Southern, and Eastern United States-. A total of 56 tornadoes touched down during the event, two of which were rated as EF3. Three people were injured by the tornado, which altogether cost an estimated $3 million in damage.

Ford announces it will sell Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors

Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover, acquired in 1989 and 2000 respectively, were sold to Tata Motors. Ford sold its Jaguar and Land Rover operations to Tata Motors for $2.3 billion and the remaining 3% stake were sold to Mazda.

LA Times apologize for blaming rapper Sean Diddy Combs for Tupac's death

Tupac Shakur, an American rapper, was fatally shot on September 7, 1996, in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 25 years old. The shooting occurred at 11:15 p.m., when the car carrying Shakur was stopped at a red light at East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane. Shakur was struck by four .40 caliber rounds fired from a Glock two in the chest, one in the arm, and one in the thigh. He died from his wounds six days later. In 2014, a police officer who claimed he witnessed Shakur's last moments said Shakur refused to state who shot him. When the officer asked Shakur if he saw the person or people who shot him, Shakur responded by saying, "Fuck you" to the officer as his last words. The murder remains unsolved.

'Doctor Who' returns to BBC TV after 16 years

The first series of the 2005 revival of the British sci-fi programme Doctor Who began with the episode "Rose". This marked the end of the programme's 16-year absence from episodic television following its cancellation in 1989. It was the first new televised Doctor Who story since the broadcast of the television movie starring Paul McGann in 1996.

'American Beauty' wins Oscar for Best Picture

DreamWorks launched a major campaign to increase American Beauty's chances of Academy Award success; at the 2000 ceremony, the movie won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. The movie was nominated for and won many other awards and honors, mainly for directing, writing and acting.

Melissa virus

The Melissa virus was a mass-mailing macro virus. As it was not a standalone program, it was not a worm. It targeted Microsoft Word and Outlook-based systems, and created considerable network traffic.

Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven's Gate cult suicides

Police discovered the bodies of 39 members of the Heaven's Gate, an American UFO religious millenarian cult, who had taken part in a mass suicide in order to reach what they believed was an extraterrestrial spacecraft following Comet Hale–Bopp.

'Annie' is back on Broadway

Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and book by Thomas Meehan. A 20th anniversary Broadway revival, which played at the Martin Beck Theatre entitled Annie, the 20th Anniversary, starred Nell Carter as Miss Hannigan, but controversy surrounded the casting of the titular character.

1992

Mike Tyson is sentenced to 6 years in prison

Mike Tyson was convicted for the rape of 18-year-old Desiree Washington, Miss Black Rhode Island, in an Indianapolis hotel room. He was released after serving less than three years of his sentence. During his incarceration, he converted to Islam.

Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay form free-trade zone

Mercosur, also known as Mercosul or Ñemby Ñemuha, is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 and Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Venezuela is a full member but has been suspended since December 2016.

'Fences' opens at the 46th Street Theatre

Fences is a play by American playwright August Wilson. Set in the 1950s, it is the sixth in Wilson's ten-part "Pittsburgh Cycle". Like all of the "Pittsburgh" plays, Fences explores the evolving African-American experience and examines race relations, among other themes. The play's first Broadway production was staged at the 46th Street Theatre and closed after 525 performances and 11 previews.

Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder release 'Ebony & Ivory' in the UK

"Ebony and Ivory" is a 1982 number-one single by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. It was released in March of that year. The song is featured on McCartney's album Tug of War. A self-empowerment hit that tackles issues of racial equality, the song reached number one on both the UK and the US charts.

1979

Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird at final

The game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Indiana State Sycamores took place at the Special Events Center in Salt Lake City. Michigan State won 75–64 and claimed the school's 1st national championship in men's basketball. The game had the highest Nielsen ratings of any game in the history of American basketball.

Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty is signed

The Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, and US president Jimmy Carter. The treaty included mutual recognition, cessation of the state of war, and normalization of relations.

1974

George Foreman TKOs Ken Norton

The fight between George Foreman and Ken Norton lasted less than 2 rounds, with Foreman scoring his 3rd consecutive knockout victory to retain the heavyweight titles. The fight took place at Poliedro de Caracas in Caracas, Venezuela.

'Funny Girl' opens on Broadway

Funny Girl is a musical with a book by Isobel Lennart, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The semi-biographical plot is based on the life and career of Broadway star, film actress and comedian Fanny Brice featuring her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nick Arnstein. Its original title was My Man. After 17 previews, the Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre.

'The Bridge on the River Kwai' dominates the 30th Academy Awards

The 30th Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1958, to honor the best films of 1957. The Oscar for Screenplay Based on Material From Another Medium was awarded to Pierre Boulle for The Bridge on the River Kwai, despite the fact that he did not know English. This was the 1st time all 5 Best Picture nominations were also nominated for Best Director.

Tests show that US polio vaccine works

Polio vaccines are vaccines used to prevent poliomyelitis. There are two types: one that uses inactivated poliovirus and is given by injection, and one that uses weakened poliovirus and is given by mouth. The World Health Organization recommends all children be fully vaccinated against polio.

Iwo Jima is officially declared secure

After Iwo Jima was declared secured, about 3,000 Japanese soldiers were left alive in the island's warren of caves and tunnels. Some of them did eventually surrender. The U.S. military occupied Iwo Jima until 1968 when it was returned to Japan.

Swissair is founded as the national airline of Switzerland

Swissair AG/S.A. was the national airline of Switzerland between its founding in 1931 and bankruptcy in 2002. For most of its 71 years, Swissair was one of the major international airlines and known as the "Flying Bank" due to its financial stability, causing it to be regarded as a Swiss national symbol and icon.

Poet Walt Whitman dies at 72

In his later years, Whitman's health significantly declined, which lead to his death in Camden, New Jersey. Due to bronchial pneumonia, his lungs diminished to one-eighth of their normal breathing capacity. More than 1000 people came to see his body, before the burial. He was buried in a tomb, at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden.

Composer Ludwig van Beethoven dies at 56

Beethoven's liver was significantly damaged, probably due to heavy alcohol consumption. This, along with other factors possibly lead to his death in Vienna. He died during a thunderstorm while being accompanied by his friend, Anselm Hüttenbrenner. Around 20,000 citizens of Vienna joined his funeral procession.

Anniversaries of the (in)famous