By Brenda June Temple
FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Barry Manilow (/ˈmænəloʊ/ MAN-ə-loh; born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include “Could It Be Magic“, “Looks Like We Made It“, “Mandy“, “I Write the Songs“, “Can’t Smile Without You“, “Weekend in New England“, and “Copacabana (At the Copa)“.
Manilow has recorded and released 51 Top 40 singles on the Adult Contemporary Chart, including 13 that hit number one, 28 that appeared within the top ten, and 36 that reached the top twenty. Manilow has released 13 platinum and six multi-platinum albums. Although not a favorite artist of music critics, Manilow has been praised by his peers in the recording industry. In the 1970s, Frank Sinatra predicted: “He’s next.”
As well as producing and arranging albums for himself and other artists, Manilow has written and performed songs for musicals, films, and commercials for corporations such as McDonald’s, Pepsi Cola, and Band-Aid. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award (winning once) as a producer, arranger and performer a total of fifteen times (and in every decade) from 1973 to 2015. He has also produced Grammy-nominated albums for Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, and Sarah Vaughan. Manilow has sold more than 85 million records as a solo artist worldwide, making him one of the world’s bestselling artists.
TODAY’S ALMANAC
The Battle of Bunker Hill, one of the most famous battles of the Revolutionary War, for the most part did not take place on Bunker Hill. After dark on June 16, 1775, about 1,200 colonial soldiers moved onto the Charlestown peninsula overlooking Boston (occupied by the British) and began to construct a redoubt on Breed’s Hill. When the British discovered the work party at dawn the next day, British ships in the harbor immediately opened fire. British general William Howe was given command of an assault force of 2,400 men but had to wait for a favorable tide at noon to land his troops. By then, the American position was garrisoned by 1,600 men and 6 cannons. Twice Howe’s troops, burdened by heavy packs, moved up the hill and were turned back by heavy fire. Reinforced for a third assault, Howe had his men drop their packs and ordered a bayonet attack. By that time, the patriots had run out of powder, and the British seized the hill, then rapidly assaulted Bunker Hill, as the American retreat became a rout. The British won, but at the cost of 1,054 casualties, many of them officers. Patriot losses numbered 100 dead and 267 wounded.
Question of the Day
Advice of the Day
Home Hint of the Day
Word of the Day
Puzzle of the Day
Born
- John Wesley (founder of Methodism) –
- James Weldon Johnson (poet) –
- Ralph Bellamy (actor) –
- Charles Eames (designer & architect) –
- John Hersey (novelist) –
- Barry Manilow (singer) –
- James Ludlow Elliot (astronomer who discovered the rings of Uranus) –
- Joe Piscopo (actor) –
- Greg Kinnear (actor) –
- Venus Williams (tennis player) –
Died
- Duffy Lewis (baseball player) –
- J. Carter Brown (headed the National Gallery) –
- Gloria Vanderbilt (fashion icon) –
Events
- Sir Francis Drake landed on the Pacific Coast–
- The Battle of Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, took place during the siege of Boston. It was the first major battle of the American Revolution.–
- Republican Party’s first national convention to nominate a presidential candidate took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania–
- Plow and gun combo patented–
- The French ship Isere, carrying the Statue of Liberty in 214 crates, arrived in New York City–
- Army weekly magazine Yank coined the term G.I. Joe” in a comic strip drawn by Dave Breger”–
- First U.S. mobile telephone commercial service inaugurated, St. Louis, Missouri–
- Trans-Canada Air Lines began serving quick-freeze meals–
- 15th FIFA World Cup soccer games began. For the first time in history, the event was held in the United States.–
- Following a bizarre televised highway chase, O. J. Simpson was arrested for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman–
- Double-hulled, 66-foot Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule’a returned to Hawaii from around-the-world trip.–
Weather
- Santa Ana winds roasted fruit on the trees in California–
- Santa Barbara, California’s temperature hit 133 degrees F–
- Tornado struck Iowa College, Grinnell, Iowa–
COURTESY www.almanac.com
