Music History for
December 24


Today's:


1719 - Composer Johann Christoph Altnikol was born.

1818 - Franz Gruber of Oberndorf, Germany composed the music for "Silent Night" to words written by Josef Mohr.

1871 - In Cairo, Egypt, Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Aida had its world premiere at the Khedivial Opera House.

1906 - Reginald A. Fessenden became the first person to broadcast a music program over radio, from Brant Rock, MA.

1920 - Enrico Caruso gave his last public performance, when he sang in Jacques Halevy's La Juive at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

1951 - Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, was first broadcast by NBC. It was the first opera written specifically for television.

1954 - Johnny Ace shot himself and died while playing Russian roulette backstage at a concert in Houston, TX.

1955 - The Lennon Sisters debuted as featured vocalists on The Lawrence Welk Show on ABC-TV.

1966 - Tommy James recorded "I Think We're Alone Now".

1973 - Tom Johnson of the Doobie Brothers was arrested in Visalia, CA, on charges of marijuana possession.

1978 - Bjorn Ulvaeus & Agnetha Falkstad (both of ABBA) announced their seperation and that they were filing for divorce.