Today in 1956, Elvis Presley appeared on ABC-TV’s “Milton Berle Show” live from the flight deck of the U.S.S. Hancock, moored off San Diego.

An estimated one of every four Americans watched, probably making it ABC’s most watched show in its history to then, and probably for several years after that.

The number one British single today in 1961:

Today in 1969, Jim Morrison turned himself in to the FBI in Los Angeles, on charges of lewd behavior and public exposure from his Miami concert March 2.

Morrison was released on $2,000 bail. He was eventually convicted, but died before during his appeal.

The number one single today in 1971:

Today in 1975, Steve Miller was charged with setting fire to the clothes of a female friend. When police arrived, Miller added resisting arrest to his charges.

Today in 1989, 23 people were arrested after several thousand people gate-crashed a Grateful Dead concert at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena.

The number one British album today in 1993 was Depeche Mode’s “Songs of Faith and Devotion”:

For those who thought Steve Miller’s arrest was strange: Today in 2007, Keith Richards denied that he had snorted the ashes of his late father during a cocaine binge.

The problem is that Richards had told Mark Beaumont of Britain’s NME:  “He was cremated and I couldn’t resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow.”

And Beaumont told BBC News, “He did seem to be quite honest about it. There were too many details for him to be making it up.”

Birthdays start with Doris Day:

Songwriter Jeff Barry:

Philippe Wynne of the Spinners:

Jan Berry of Jan and Dean:

Richard Manuel of The Band:

Mel Schacher of Grand Funk Railroad:

One of the singers of my Worst of All Time, Eddie Murphy:

One death of note today in 1990: Sarah Vaughan:

• Music