Today’s history brings the debut of an iconic dance craze, a monumental rock album release, and the loss of a funk legend.

• 1946: British jazz and rock music guitarist and composer Allan Holdsworth was born in Bradford, England.
• 1969: Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Steven Paul Smith, known professionally as Elliott Smith, was born in Omaha, Nebraska.
• 1972: Geri Halliwell, founding member of the Spice Girls and also known as Ginger Spice, was born in Watford, England.

🎵 Major Events & Releases (On-This-Day)

• 1960: Chubby Checker performed his enduring cover of Hank Ballard and the Midnighters’ “The Twist” on American Bandstand, setting the stage for a massive dance craze.
• 1965: The Beatles released their fifth studio album, Help!, which also served as the soundtrack to their film of the same name.
• 1970: The Festival for Peace took place at New York City’s Shea Stadium to raise funds for anti-war political candidates, featuring sets by Paul Simon, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, and Janis Joplin.
• 1973: Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder was involved in a serious automobile accident that left him in a four-day coma, from which he later made a full recovery.
• 1981: While still a member of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks released her solo debut album, Bella Donna.
• 1988: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction.
• 2004: American singer, songwriter, and funk pioneer Rick James died at the age of 56.