July 12, Disco Demolition Night

Happy Saturday, July 12, 2024! Today marks the 193rd day of the year, with 172 days left to go.

Today in history:

Back in the day on July 12, the Chicago White Sox hosted “Disco Demolition Night” as a response to the disco music craze. The event ended in chaos when a crate of disco records was blown up on the field, leading to a riot and the White Sox forfeiting the second game of a double-header.

Other significant events on this date:

In 1543, King Henry VIII of England tied the knot with his sixth and final wife, Catherine Parr.

In 1812, U.S. forces under Gen. William Hull crossed into Canada during the War of 1812, only to retreat back to Detroit shortly after.

In 1862, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln authorized the Army Medal of Honor.

In 1909, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing for a federal income tax, was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

In 1962, the Rolling Stones rocked the stage for the first time at the Marquee Club in London.

In 1967, riots broke out in Newark, New Jersey, following the police beating of a Black taxi driver, resulting in 26 fatalities over five days.

In 1984, Walter F. Mondale selected U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro as his running mate, making her the first woman to run for vice president on a major-party ticket.

In 1991, Japanese professor Hitoshi Igarashi, who translated Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses,” was found stabbed to death.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton visited the eastern sector of Berlin, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so since Harry Truman.

In 2003, the USS Ronald Reagan, the first carrier named after a living president, was commissioned in Norfolk, Virginia.

In 2012, a report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh revealed that Joe Paterno and other top Penn State officials had covered up child sexual abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky.

In 2022, Twitter filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk to compel him to complete the $44 billion acquisition of the social media company after he backed out of the agreement.

Birthdays for today:

• Delia Ephron turns 81.
• Walter Egan celebrates his 77th birthday.
• Brian Grazer, writer-producer, is 74.
• Cheryl Ladd, actor, turns 74.
• Ricky McKinnie, gospel singer from The Blind Boys of Alabama, is 73.
• Sandi Patty, gospel singer, celebrates her 69th birthday.
• Mel Harris, actor, turns 69.
• Julio Cesar Chavez, boxing champion, is 63.
• Robin Wilson, rock singer from Gin Blossoms, turns 60.
• Lisa Nicole Carson, actor, celebrates her 56th birthday.
• Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic gold medal figure skater, is 54.
• Anna Friel, actor, turns 49.
• Tracie Spencer, R&B singer, celebrates her 49th birthday.
• Topher Grace, actor, is 47.
• Michelle Rodriguez, actor, turns 47.
• Kimberly Perry, country singer-musician from The Band Perry, is 42.
• Natalie Martinez, actor, celebrates her 41st birthday.
• Ta’Rhonda Jones, actor, is 37.
• Rachel Brosnahan, actor, turns 35.
• Jordyn Wieber, Olympic gold medal gymnast, is 30.
• Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, celebrates her 28th birthday.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, NBA guard, is 27.