On December 15, 1944, big band leader and composer Glenn Miller was aboard a plane that disappeared over the English Channel. Miller had put his successful civilian music career on hold to serve in the US Army during World War II.
On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was killed outside his home in New York City. A musical pioneer, Lennon and his former bandmates the Beatles had introduced millions of people to the new sound and attitude of rock ‘n’ roll.
John Herndon Mercer was born on November 18, 1909, in Savannah, Georgia. A lyricist, songwriter, and singer, Mercer wrote more than 1,500 songs during his career, many of which were popularized in films and on Broadway.
Marianne Craig Moore was born on November 15, 1887, in Kirkwood, Missouri. Considered one of the greatest American female poets, Moore received several distinguished literary awards during her lifetime.
Ignacy Jan Paderewski was born on November 6, 1860, in Kuryłówka, Podolia (in present-day Ukraine). He was an accomplished pianist and composer as well as the first Prime Minister of independent Poland.
Stage and screen actress Helen Hayes was born on October 10, 1900, in Washington, DC. Dubbed “The First Lady of the American Theater,” she’s one of just 16 people to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards (often referred to as EGOTs).
On September 29, 1841, New York held the first state fair in the US. Today it’s the oldest and one of the most highly attended of all US state fairs.
George Gershwin was born Jacob Gershwine on September 26, 1898, in Brooklyn, New York. A successful composer and pianist, he created beloved orchestral compositions, popular jazz standards, as well as Broadway and Hollywood hits.
On September 25, 1639, the first printing press in America was set up in Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay Colony. The press remained in continuous use for 150 years, printing some of the first books in the New World.