Today is April Fool’s Day. Which John Lennon and Yoko Ono celebrated in 1970 by announcing they were having sex-change operations.

Today is also the date of one of the funniest April Fool’s jokes I’ve ever heard on radio. The morning show on WMAD radio in Madison today in 1986 or 1987 (I’m not sure of the year) sounded as if it was a normal day, except that every song, regardless of the announced artist or title, was …

Today in 1972, the Mar y Sol festival began in Puerto Rico. The concert’s location simplified security — it was on an island accessible only by those with tickets.

Today in 1985, David Lee Roth quit Van Halen.

The number one single today in 2000:

Birthdays begin with Rudolph Isley of the Isley Brothers:

Phil Margo of the Tokens:

John Barbata of Jefferson Starship:

Ronnie Lane of the Small Faces and the Faces:

Robin Scott of one-hit-wonder M:

Jeff Porcaro played drums for Toto:

Mark White played guitar and keyboards for ABC:

Two deaths of note today: Marvin Gaye in 1984 …

… and Paul Atkinson of the Zombies in 2004: