August 5

Events


 * 1858 - Cyrus West Field and others complete the first transatlantic telegraph cable after several unsuccessful attempts. It operated for less than a month.
 * 1921 - 1st radio baseball broadcast Pirates-8, Phillies-0 (KDKA, Pitts)
 * 1953 - Operation "Big Switch" Korean War prisoner exchanged at Panmunjom
 * 1956 - Five Satins release 'In the Still of the Night' in US
 * 1957 - WJZ-TV in Baltimore MD begins radio transmissions
 * 1957 - 'American Bandstand' begins, with host Dick Clark reflecting the 'Philly Sound' (Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon). First guests: Chordettes.
 * 1962 - 1st quasar located by radio
 * 1964 - Beatles record "Leave My Kitten Alone"
 * 1966 - Beatles release "Yellow Submarine" and "Eleanor Rigby" in UK
 * 1966 - Beatles release "Revolver" album in US
 * 1966 - Beatles' "Revolver" album is released
 * 1966 - Beatle John Lennon says Beatles are more popular than Jesus
 * 1967 - Pirate Radio Station 333 (Radio Britain) and Radio London close down
 * 1967 - Pink Floyd release 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn'
 * 1967 - Bobby Gentry debuts on US chart with 'Ode to Billy Jo' on way to No. 1
 * 1974 - Girl group Runaways (including Joan Jett) formed by Kim Fowley
 * 1975 - Stevie Wonder re-signs to Motown for $13 million - the biggest deal ever
 * 1986 - Session musician Michael Rudetsky found dead in Boy George's Hampstead home
 * 1994 - Rocker Billy Idol admitted to the hospital after drug overdose

Births


 * 1623 - Antonio Cesti, Italian composer (d. 1669)
 * 1694 - Leonardo Leo, Italian composer (d. 1744)
 * 1940 - Damita Jo (I'll Be There)
 * 1942 - Dick Huxley (Dave Clark Five)
 * 1943 - Sammi Smith, American country singer and songwriter (d. 2005)
 * 1946 - Jimmy Webb (songwriter)                                                                          *1947 - Gregory Leskiw (Guess Who)
 * 1947 - Rick Derringer (Richard Zehringer) (McCoys)
 * 1953 - Samantha Sang (Emotions)
 * 1959 - Pete Burns (Dead or Alive)
 * 1959 - Pat Smear (Foo Fighters)1960 - Calvin Hayes (Johnny Hates Jazz)
 * 1960 - Seth Swirsky, American songwriter
 * 1961 - Mark O'Connor, American violinist
 * 1964 - Adam Yauch (MCA), American musician (Beastie Boys)
 * 1968 - Funkmaster Flex, American hip hop DJ
 * 1971 - Evil Jared Hasselhoff, American musician (The Bloodhound Gang)
 * 1972 - Christian Olde Wolbers, Belgian musician (Fear Factory)
 * 1975 - Eicca Toppinen, Finnish cellist (Apocalyptica)
 * 1978 - Nektaria Karantzi, Greek singer
 * 1982 - Tobias Regner, German singer
 * 1983 - Dawn Richard, American singer (Danity Kane)
 * 1995 - Devo Keenan American cellist and son of musician Maynard James Keenan
 * 2000 - Maya Bond, Japanese-born American singer and musician