Craig Hill Media and Consulting
New York City
December 27 1932 Radio City Music Hall opens
On December 27th 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, thousands turned out for the opening of Radio City Music Hall, a magnificent Art Deco theatre in New York City. Radio City Music Hall was designed as a palace for the people, a place of beauty where ordinary people could see high-quality entertainment. Since … Continue reading
December 8 1980: John Lennon murdered
On December 8th 1980, John Lennon, a former member of the Beatles rock group that transformed popular music in the 1960s, was shot and killed by an obsessed fan in New York City. The 40-year-old artist was entering his luxury Manhattan apartment building when Mark David Chapman shot him four times at close range with … Continue reading
October 23 1925 Johnny Carson is born
On October 23rd 1925, John William Carson, who would become known to most of America as the longtime host of the popular late-night TV program The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, was born in Corning, Iowa. As host of the highly rated Tonight Show, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1992, Carson became a … Continue reading
October 9 1992 Meteorite crashes into car in Peekskill, NY
On October 9th 1992, 18-year-old Michelle Knapp was watching television in her parents’ living room in Peekskill, New York when she heard a thunderous crash in the driveway. Alarmed, Knapp ran outside to investigate. What she found was startling, to say the least: a sizeable hole in the rear end of her car, an orange … Continue reading
September 30 1955 James Dean dies
On September 30th 1955, movie star James Dean died at age 24 in a car crash on a California highway. Dean was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder, nicknamed “Little Bastard,” headed to a car race in Salinas, California, with his mechanic Rolf Wuetherich, when they were involved in a head-on collision with a car driven … Continue reading
September 11 2001 Attack on America
On September 11 2001, at 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Centre in New York City. The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing … Continue reading
August 23 1926 Rudolph Valentino dies
On August 23rd 1926, the death of silent-screen idol Rudolph Valentino, at the age of 31, sent his fans into a hysterical state of mass mourning. In his brief film career, the Italian-born actor established a reputation as the archetypal screen lover. After his death from a ruptured ulcer was announced, dozens of suicide attempts … Continue reading
July 6 1971 Louis Armstrong dies
On July 6th 1971, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, died in New York City at the age of 69. A world-renowned jazz trumpeter and vocalist, he pioneered jazz improvisation and the style known as swing. Louis Daniel Armstrong was born on August 4th 1901 in New Orleans, … Continue reading
June 8 1984 Ghostbusters released
On June 8th 1984, the now-classic comedy Ghostbusters was released in theatres across the United States. Produced and directed by Ivan Reitman, Ghostbusters starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as disgraced parapsychology professors in New York City who turn to “paranormal investigation”–hunting down and capturing ghosts—to make money after Columbia University yanks their … Continue reading
Craig Hill Media and Consulting 