On Aug. 15, 1939, “The Wizard of Oz” premiered in Los Angeles.
In 1958, Buddy Holly and Maria Elena Santiago were married in a private ceremony at his parents’ home in Lubbock, Texas. Holly and Santiago had met only two months before. He died in a plane crash the following February.
In 1965, The Beatles performed before a capacity crowd at New York’s Shea Stadium, which, at the time, set a record for the largest audience to gather for a concert.
In 1969, the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair opened in upstate New York.
In 1980, George Harrison’s book “I Me Mine” was published.
In 1996, a women’s shelter on Long Island, New York, refused to accept money from a benefit concert featuring James Brown. The shelter said Brown’s wife had accused him of assaulting her, although each time, she withdrew the accusations or the charges were dismissed.
In 1998, singer Ian Gillan of Deep Purple allegedly hit a security guard in the head with a microphone during a concert in Pontiac, Michigan. He was later charged with assault and battery.
In 2004, Phish performed their final show during a weekend-long festival in Coventry, Vermont. They have since regrouped.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor-musician Jim Dale is 89. Actor Pat Priest (“The Munsters”) is 88. Drummer Pete York of The Spencer Davis Group is 82. Author-journalist Linda Ellerbee is 80. Songwriter Jimmy Webb is 78. Singer-guitarist Tom Johnston of The Doobie Brothers is 76. Actor Phyllis Smith (“The Office”) is 75. Actor Tess Harper is 74. Actor Larry Mathews (“The Dick Van Dyke Show”) is 69. Actor Zeljko Ivanek (“Madam Secretary,” ″Heroes”) is 67. Actor Rondell Sheridan (“That’s So Raven,” ″Cory in the House”) is 66. Singer-keyboardist Matt Johnson (The The) is 63. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“Birdman,” “Babel”) is 61. Actor Peter Hermann (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”) is 57. Actor Debra Messing (“Will and Grace”) is 56. Actor Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”) is 54. Actor Ben Affleck is 52. Actor Natasha Henstridge (“The Whole Nine Yards,” ″Species”) is 50. Bassist Tim Foreman of Switchfoot is 46. Actor Emily Kinney (“Conviction,” “The Walking Dead”) is 40. Actor Courtney Hope (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 35. Singer Joe Jonas of The Jonas Brothers is 35. Actor-singer Carlos PenaVega (“Big Time Rush”) is 35. Actor Jennifer Lawrence is 34. DJ Smoove da General of Cali Swag District is 34.
