The number one British single today in 1961:

The number one single today in 1963:

Today in 1973, the Immigration and Naturalization Service ordered John Lennon to leave the U.S. within 60 days.

More than three years later, Lennon won his appeal and stayed in the U.S. the rest of his life.

The number one single today in 1974:

Today in 1985, Billy Joel married Christie Brinkley on a boat moored at the Statue of Liberty.

Joel and Brinkley divorced in 1993.

The number one album today in 1985:

The number one British album today in 1991 was REM’s “Out of Time”:

Birthdays begin with Ric Ocasek of The Cars:

Who is Yvette Marie Stevens?  You know her as Chaka Khan … ChakaKhan ChakaKhan ChakaKhan:

Mark McLoughlin of Wet Wet Wet:

One death of note today in 1995: Alan Barton of Black Lace, which recorded either the number two single in Britain in 1984, or the worst song of all time as determined in a Q Magazine music writers poll: