Today in History: Saturday, July 13, 2024

Television:
The Hollywood sign was officially dedicated in the hills above Hollywood, Los Angeles in 1923. It originally read “Hollywoodland,“ but the four last letters were dropped after its renovation in 1949…A power failure in 1977 plunged New York City and Westchester County into a nearly 24-hour blackout...Sitcom “Cybill,” created by Chuck Lorre and headlined by Cybill Shepherd and Christine Baranski, concluded on CBS in 1998 after four seasons…PBS began airing concerts by the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1970…In 1985, the “Live Aid” concerts held at both Wembley Stadium (London) and John F. Kennedy Stadium (Philadelphia) raised over $70 million for African famine relief.

Movies:
“The Spy Who Loved Me“, the tenth James Bond film in the long-running franchise, starring Roger Moore and Barbara Bach opened in the U.S. in 1977. Its theme song “Nobody Does It Better” was written by Carole Bayer Sager, composed by Marvin Hamlisch and performed by Carly Simon… “Contact” starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey premiered in wide release in 1997…Hit comedy “Legally Blonde” starring Reese Witherspoon opened in 2001…”Dunkirk,” starring Mark Rylance and Tom Hardy, opened in London in 2017.

Music:
George Harrison released single “Faster” in 1979…Kylie Minogue released her debut single “Locomotion” in 1987..“She Wolf,” the lead single from Shakira’s eighth album, premiered in 2009… Reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100: “Rock Your Baby” by George McCrae in 1974; “A View To A Kill” by Duran Duran (the lone James Bond film theme to hit No. 1) in 1985; “How Do U Want It/California Love” by 2Pac in 1996.

News:
In 1994, Jeff Gillooly was sentenced to two years in prison for his attack on Nancy Kerrigan.

Celebrity Birthdays
Game show announcer Johnny Gilbert is 96; “Star Trek: The Next Generation” star Patrick Stewart is 84; Harrison Ford is 82; singer-guitarist Roger McGuinn of The Byrds is also 82; “Nash Bridges” star Cheech Marin is 78; “Pardon the Interruption” host Tony Kornheiser is 76; actress Daphne Maxwell Reid (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) is also 76; “Jerry Maguire” scribe Cameron Crowe is 67; actor Michael Jace (“The Shield”) is 62; actor-comedian-“Masked Singer” judge Ken Jeong is 55; “Survivor Guatemala” winner Danni Boatwright is 48; singer Leon Bridges is 35.