Tag: iab-media industry

Billy Joel Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
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Here’s a look at the life of Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Billy Joel.

Birth date: May 9, 1949

Birth place: Bronx, New York

Birth name: William Martin Joel

Father: Howard Joel, engineer and pianist

Mother: Rosalind (Nyman) Joel, homemaker

Marriages: Alexis Roderick (2015-present); Katie Lee (2004-2009, divorced); Christie Brinkley (1985-1994, divorced); Elizabeth Weber (1973-1982, divorced)

Children: with Alexis Roderick: Remy Anne and Della Rose; with Christie Brinkley: Alexa Ray

Nominated for 23 Grammy Awards and won five, plus an honorary award.

Nominated for one Tony Award and won.

Nominated for one Primetime Emmy Award but did not win.

His father was a Holocaust survivor from Germany.

Named one of the 100 greatest songwriters of all time by Rolling Stone.

Holds the lifetime record of most performances by any artist at Madison Square Garden in New York.

He played the first rock concert ever held at New York’s Yankee Stadium in 1990, and the final rock concert ever played at New York’s Shea Stadium before it was torn down in 2008.

1965 – At 15 years of age, plays piano on a demo version of The Shangri-Las’ hit single, “Leader of the Pack.”

1971 – Releases his first solo album, “Cold Spring Harbor.”

1973 – Releases his first hit single, “Piano Man.”

February 15, 1979 – Wins two Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “Just the Way You Are.”

February 27, 1980 – Wins two Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his album, “52nd Street.”

February 25, 1981 – Wins the Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for “Glass Houses.”

April 15, 1982 – Is hospitalized after he severely injures both hands in a motorcycle accident on Long Island. He needs two months to recover.

July 26, 1987 – As the first American entertainer to launch a full-scale rock production in the Soviet Union, Joel plays his first concert in Moscow; five other concerts follow, including two more in the capital and three in Leningrad.

January 1990 – Forty thousand copies of a ten-minute audio message by Joel, plus a recording of his 1989 hit, “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” are sent to schools across the United States in hopes it will assist them in understanding history.

February 25, 1992 – Receives the Grammy Legend Award.

1992 – Becomes a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

September 1992 – Files a fraud and breach of contract lawsuit against his legal team for their role in mismanaging his financial affairs. The case is settled in October 1993.

1994 – Kicks off his Face-to-Face tour with Elton John. Joel and John perform additional Face-to-Face tours together in 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2010.

1999 – Ray Charles inducts Joel into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

2001 – Releases an album of classical music, “Opus 1-10 Fantasies & Delusions – Music for Solo Piano.”

June 14, 2002 – Enters Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut for alcohol abuse treatment.

October 24, 2002 – The Broadway show “Movin’ Out,” based on the music of Joel, opens. The production is conceived, directed and produced by Twyla Tharp.

2003 – Wins a Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for the Broadway musical, “Movin’ Out.”

2004 – Scholastic publishes Joel’s first children’s book, “Goodnight My Angel: A Lullabye.”

March 2005 – Enters a rehabilitation center for alcohol treatment.

2005 – Scholastic publishes Joel’s second children’s book, “New York State of Mind.”

February 14, 2007 – Releases one song, “All My Life,” for his wife, Katie Lee, on People Magazine’s website.

November 2010 – Undergoes a double hip replacement in a New York hospital.

December 12, 2012 – Along with Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones, Joel performs at Madison Square Garden to help raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

December 8, 2013 – Is a recipient of the Kennedy Center Performing Arts Award.

January 2014 – Begins his run as the first musical act to perform monthly shows at Madison Square Garden in New York. On June 1, MSG Entertainment announces Joel will end his ten-year, record-breaking residency at MSG. The final concert, his 150th lifetime show, will take place in July 2024.

June 18, 2014 – Joins the fight to criminalize the ivory trade. Joel publishes a letter on his website stating: “I am a piano player. And I realize that ivory piano keys are preferred by some pianists…but a preference for ivory keys does not justify the slaughter of 96 elephants every day.”

November 19, 2014 – Is awarded the 6th Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

March 23, 2016 – Joel’s hit single, “Piano Man,” is selected by the National Recording Registry for preservation in the Library of Congress.

March 10, 2023 – Joel and Stevie Nicks kick off their co-headlining tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

February 1, 2024 – Joel releases his first new single in 17 years, titled “Turn the Lights Back On.”

April 14, 2024 – Joel’s concert special, “The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden – The Greatest Arena Run of All Time,” airs on CBS. The special marks Joel’s 100th consecutive performance at Madison Square Garden.

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April 24, 2024
Willie Nelson Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
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Here’s a look at the life of Grammy Award-winning musician Willie Nelson.

Birth date: April 30, 1933

Birth place: Abbott, Texas

Birth name: Willie Hugh Nelson

Father: Ira Nelson

Mother: Myrle (Greenhaw) Harvey

Marriages: Ann Marie D’Angelo (1991-present); Connie Koepke (1971-1988, divorced); Shirley Collie (1963-1971, divorced); Martha Matthews (1952-1962, divorced)

Children: with Ann Marie D’Angelo: Micah and Lukas; with Connie Koepke: Amy and Paula; with Martha Matthews: Billy (died in 1991), Susie, Lana; with Mary Haney: Renee

Education: Attended Baylor University, 1954

Military: US Air Force, 1950, medical discharge

Raised by his grandparents.

Sold encyclopedias door-to-door and taught Sunday school.

Has collaborated with Johnny Cash, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Lee Ann Womack, Rob Thomas and Snoop Dogg, among others.

Has a fifth-degree black belt in GongKwon YuSul.

Nominated for 57 Grammy Awards and won 12. He has also been awarded the Lifetime Achievement and Legend Grammy Awards.

Nominated for one Academy Award.

Composed the song “Crazy,” which was made famous by singer Patsy Cline.

Is on the advisory board of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

1957 – Releases his first single, “No Place for Me.”

1960 – Moves to Nashville.

1962 – Releases his first album, “And Then I Wrote.”

1970 – Moves back to Texas.

1973 – Holds the first annual Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic in Texas.

1975 – Wins a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, for “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain.”

1978 – Wins a Grammy, with Waylon Jennings, for Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group for “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.”

1978 – Wins a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, for “Georgia On My Mind.”

1979 – Makes his acting debut, alongside Robert Redford, in the film, “The Electric Horseman.”

1980 – Wins a Grammy for Best Country Song for writing “On The Road Again.”

1980 – Stars in the film “Honeysuckle Rose.”

1982 – Wins a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, for “Always On My Mind.”

1982 – Stars in the film “Barbarosa.”

1985 – Releases the album “Highwayman” with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson.

1985 – Organizes Farm Aid, a concert to benefit family farmers.

1988 – Releases his memoir, “Willie: An Autobiography.”

1990 – The IRS seizes Nelson’s property and possessions to settle a $16.7 million tax debt.

1991 – Nelson releases the album, “The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories?” Nelson gives the profits from the album to the IRS.

1991 – Nelson’s son, Billy, commits suicide.

1993 – Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

1994 – Is arrested for possession of marijuana. The case is later dismissed.

2000 – The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presents Nelson with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

2002 – Wins a Grammy, with Lee Ann Womack, for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for “Mendocino County Line.”

2002 – Releases the book, “The Facts of Life and Other Dirty Jokes.”

2006 – Releases the book, “The Tao of Willie.”

2006 – In Louisiana, Nelson is issued a citation for possession of marijuana and illegal mushrooms. Nelson receives six months’ probation and pays a fine.

2007 – Wins a Grammy, with Ray Price, for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for “Lost Highway.”

2010 – Is charged with marijuana possession after US Border Patrol agents search his tour bus in Texas near the US-Mexico border.

2012 – Releases the book, “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings from the Road.”

2013 – Nelson donates his collection of awards and personal items to the University of Texas at Austin’s Briscoe Center.

July 9, 2015 – The Library of Congress announces Nelson as the latest recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

July 2016 – Nelson launches “Willie’s Reserve,” his own personal brand of marijuana that will be grown and sold wherever it’s legal. The brand will feature “high quality strains of marijuana,” and Nelson himself will work with “master growers” and local retailers to establish a set of “quality standards” for his special reserve.

February 12, 2017 – Wins a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, for “Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin.”

July 4, 2018 – Launches his own blend of CBD infused coffee called “Willie’s Remedy.”

September 29, 2018 – During a campaign rally for Beto O’Rourke’s senate run in 2018, Nelson plays a new election themed song called ‘Vote ‘Em Out.”

August 7, 2019 – After a show in Toledo, Ohio, announces via Twitter that he must cancel upcoming shows on his 2019 tour due to “a breathing problem.” He will resume the tour on September 6 in New Hampshire. This follows a 2017 show that was halted and a 2018 performance that was canceled due to health issues.

November 29, 2019 – Nelson announces he is no longer smoking marijuana and cigarettes due to ongoing health and breathing issues.

January 26, 2020 – Wins a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance, for “Ride Me Back Home.”

April 11, 2020 – Nelson hosts “At Home with Farm Aid,” a virtual benefit concert for farms impacted by coronavirus.

April 20, 2020 – Nelson hosts a virtual variety show, “Come and Toke It”, featuring “cannabis-centric entertainment”.

June 29, 2020 – Nelson performs with Robert Earl Keen at a virtual fundraiser to support the former US vice president Joe Biden’s presidential bid.

February 5, 2023 – Wins Grammy Awards for Best Country Solo Performance, for “Live Forever” and Best Country Album, for “A Beautiful Time.”

February 1, 2023 – Nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. On May 3, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announces Nelson as one of the inductees in the 2023 class in the performer category. The 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place on November 3.

March 14, 2024 – Nelson announces via Instagram that his new album, “The Border,” will be released on May 31. This will be his 75th studio album.

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April 12, 2024
Shirley MacLaine Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
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Here is a look at best-selling author and Oscar-winning actress, Shirley MacLaine.

Birth date: April 24, 1934

Birth place: Richmond, Virginia

Birth name: Shirley MacLean Beaty

Father: Ira O. Beaty, school administrator

Mother: Kathlyn (MacLean) Beaty, drama teacher

Marriage: Steve Parker (1954-1982, divorced)

Children: Stephanie Sachiko “Sachi” Parker

Nominated for six Academy Awards and won one.

Nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards and won one.

Her brother is actor and director Warren Beatty.

Has said she believes in reincarnation and UFO’s.

Is named after the child star Shirley Temple.

1950s – Performs in a “subway circuit” production of “Oklahoma!”

May 28, 1953 – Makes Broadway debut in “Me and Juliet” as a member of the chorus.

1954 – As the understudy for star Carol Haney in “The Pajama Game” on Broadway, MacLaine gets her big break after the lead actress hurts her ankle. Hollywood producer Hal Wallis is impressed by MacLaine’s performance and offers her a film contract.

1955 – Makes her film debut in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Trouble with Harry.” Also co-stars with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in “Artists and Models.”

1955-1971 – Stars in close to 25 movies, including “Some Came Running” in 1958, “The Apartment” in 1960, “Irma La Douce” in 1963, and “Sweet Charity” in 1969.

1960s – Supports Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign, protests the Vietnam War and advocates for civil rights.

January 1, 1970 – MacLaine’s memoir, “Don’t Fall Off the Mountain,” is published. It’s the first of 15 books penned by the actress.

1971-1972 – Helps Democrat George McGovern campaign for president.

1973 – Spends three weeks in China leading an all-female delegation on a tour sanctioned by the Communist government. She makes an Oscar-nominated 1975 documentary about the trip, “The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir.”

September 11, 1977 – Wins a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Comedy, Variety or Music, for her role in “Gypsy in my Soul.”

1978 – Visits Fidel Castro at the Presidential palace in Havana while on a trip to Cuba. After telling him that she liked his uniform, he gives her a replica of one of his uniforms, according to MacLaine’s memoir, “My Lucky Stars.”

1984 – Wins the Oscar for Best Actress for her role as Aurora Greenway in “Terms of Endearment.”

1994 – Walks nearly 500 miles across Spain on a spiritual pilgrimage called El Camino de Santiago. During her month-long solo journey, MacLaine sleeps in shelters and begs for food. She chronicles the trek in her book, “The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit.”

2011 – Receives France’s most prestigious award for the arts, the Legion of Honor.

2012-2013 – Portrays a fashionable New Yorker on the hit show, “Downton Abbey.”

December 8, 2013 – Receives the Kennedy Center Honors for her achievements in the performing arts.

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April 10, 2024
Jack Nicholson Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
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Here’s a look at the life of actor Jack Nicholson, who has won three Academy Awards and been nominated for 12, the most of any male performer.

Birth date: April 22, 1937

Birth place: Neptune, New Jersey

Birth name: John Joseph Nicholson

Father: Identity not confirmed publicly

Mother: June Nicholson

Marriage: Sandra Knight (1961-1966, divorced)

Children: with Jennine Gourin: Tessa (though he has not claimed paternity publicly); with Rebecca Broussard: Lorraine and Raymond; with Winnie Hollman: Honey (though he has not claimed paternity publicly); with Susan Anspach: Caleb; with Sandra Knight: Jennifer

Raised by Ethel May Nicholson. It wasn’t until Nicholson was an adult that he learned that Ethel May was his grandmother and not his mother. His birth mother was June Nicholson, whom he grew up believing was his sister.

Worked in film for 10 years before his breakthrough role in “Easy Rider.”

Wrote, produced and starred in the 1966 western “Ride in the Whirlwind.”

Ardent Los Angeles Lakers fan.

1954 – Moves to Los Angeles.

1958 – Makes his film debut in “The Cry Baby Killer.”

1969 – The film “Easy Rider” is released and earns him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

1974 – The film “Chinatown” is released.

1976 – Wins the Best Actor Academy Award for his performance in “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

1980 – The film “The Shining” is released.

1984 – Wins the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in “Terms of Endearment.”

1989 – The film “Batman” is released. Nicholson plays the Joker.

1998 – Wins the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in “As Good as It Gets.”

1994 – Smashes another man’s car windshield with a golf club during a traffic dispute. Later, charges are dropped and Nicholson reaches an undisclosed settlement with the car’s owner.

1999 – Receives the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

December 2001 – Kennedy Center honoree.

2006 – Co-stars in the Martin Scorsese film “The Departed.”

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April 4, 2024
Al Gore Fast Facts | CNN Politics

CNN
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Here is a look at the life of Al Gore, 45th vice president of the United States and environmental activist.

Birth date: March 31, 1948

Birth place: Washington, DC

Birth name: Albert Arnold Gore Jr.

Father: Albert Gore Sr., former US senator from Tennessee

Mother: Pauline (La Fon) Gore

Marriage: Mary Elizabeth “Tipper” (Aitcheson) Gore (May 19, 1970-present, separated June 2010)

Children: Albert III, Sarah, Kristin, Karenna

Education: Harvard University, B.A., 1969; Vanderbilt University, Graduate School of Religion 1971-1972; Vanderbilt University, J.D., 1976

Military service: US Army, 1969-1971, served in Vietnam as a reporter with the 20th Engineering Battalion.

Religion: Baptist

Wrote his 1969 Harvard thesis on how television would impact the conduct of the American presidency.

In 2009, former President Bill Clinton flew to North Korea to negotiate the release of two journalists working for Gore’s Current TV.

1971-1976 – Is an investigative reporter and editorial writer for the Nashville Tennessean.

1977-1985 – US Representative in the 95th-98th Congresses, representing first the 4th and then the 6th District of Tennessee. Elected to the House in 1976, 1978, 1980 and 1982.

1985-1992 – US Senator from Tennessee.

1988 – Runs for the Democratic Party nomination for president in the 1988 election. Later drops out of the race.

July 9, 1992 – Bill Clinton chooses Gore to be his running mate in the 1992 presidential election.

1992 – Publishes “Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit.”

January 20, 1993 – Inaugurated as vice president.

January 20, 1997 – Second term as vice president begins.

March 9, 1999 – Gore states in an interview on CNN with Wolf Blitzer, “During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country’s economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.” This quote creates a large amount of rhetoric with his opponents.

June 16, 1999 – Announces his intention to run for president in the 2000 election.

August 16, 2000 – Wins the Democratic Party nomination.

November 7, 2000 – Election Day.

November 8, 2000 – Concedes in the early morning to George W. Bush but later retracts his concession. Florida is too close to call for either Bush or Gore.

November 9, 2000 – Requests a recount in Florida.

December 13, 2000 – Concedes the election to Bush after the US Supreme Court rules that another recount in Florida would be unconstitutional, 36 days after the election.

2002 – “Joined at the Heart: The Transformation of the American Family,” co-written with Tipper Gore, is published.

March 19, 2003 – Joins the board of directors for Apple Computers Inc.

May 4, 2004 – Announces intention to purchase Newsworld International from Vivendi Universal SA for an undisclosed price and plans to transform it into a network aimed at viewers ages 18-35.

August 1, 2005 – Gore’s cable television channel, Current TV, debuts.

2006 – His crusade against global warming is featured in the book “An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do about It “ and documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.”

May 2007 – His book, “The Assault on Reason,” is published.

February 9, 2007 – Joins Sir Richard Branson at a press conference announcing the $25 million Virgin Earth Challenge, a prize for a design to safely remove man-made greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Gore and Branson are among the judges.

February 15, 2007 – Announces a series of concerts called Live Earth to be held on all seven continents on July 7, 2007. The 24-hour music event is the kickoff of a campaign to “Save Our Selves (SOS).”

February 25, 2007 – “An Inconvenient Truth” wins an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

March 21, 2007 – Testifies at separate House and Senate events, urging legislation to curb climate change.

October 12, 2007 – Is co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for work on global warming. The prize is shared with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

October 26, 2007 – Receives the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation.

November 12, 2007 – Announces he is joining the venture capital firm of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers. He will help the company invest in start-up “green” companies. Gore will also donate his salary to the Alliance for Climate Protection.

November 2007 – Receives the International Emmy Founders Award at the 35th International Emmy Awards.

December 10, 2007 – Accepts the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.

February 12, 2009 – Receives the NAACP Chairman’s Award during the annual Image Award ceremony. The honor is given in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service. This year’s award is shared with Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai.

June 1, 2010 – Gore and wife Tipper, announce they are to separate after 40 years of marriage.

January 2, 2013 – Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera purchases Current TV for a reported $500 million, personally netting Gore an estimated $70 million.

December 5, 2016 – Meets with President-elect Donald Trump to speak about climate change issues.

January 19, 2017 – “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” premieres at the Sundance Film Festival. Paramount Pictures releases the film worldwide in July.

2017 – Publishes “The Assault on Reason: 2017 Edition” with a new preface and conclusion: “Post-Truth: On Donald Trump and the 2016 Election.”

November 4, 2019 – Releases a statement expressing his disappointment over failing to persuade Trump to keep the US in the Paris climate agreement. “I thought that he would come to his senses on it, but he didn’t,” Gore said.

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March 22, 2024
Apple Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
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Here’s a look at Apple, Inc, creator of the Mac computer and the iPhone.

The corporate headquarters are in Cupertino, California.

As of September 2023, the company reported that it employs approximately 161,000 people full-time.

April 1, 1976 – Apple Computers, Inc. is founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Their first product is the Apple I personal computer.

June 1977 – The Apple II is released.

December 1980 – Apple conducts an initial public offering of 4.6 million shares at $22 per share.

January 1983 – Apple introduces the Lisa, a new brand of personal computer.

January 22, 1984 – The Macintosh computer is introduced with a futuristic commercial that airs during the Super Bowl.

1985 – Apple discontinues the Lisa after a disappointing run, and Jobs leaves the company.

December 1996 – Apple buys Jobs’ company, NeXT Software.

1997 – In the wake of corporate shakeups and a sales slump, Apple welcomes Jobs back as interim CEO.

August 15, 1998 – The iMac, a streamlined personal computer, debuts.

January 2000 – Jobs becomes permanent CEO.

January 9, 2001 – iTunes is introduced.

October 23, 2001 – The iPod MP3 player makes its debut.

January 2003 – Apple releases the Safari web browser.

April 28, 2003 – Apple introduces the iTunes Music Store.

January 2006 – Apple rolls out its first Intel-based computers, the iMac and the MacBook Pro.

January 9, 2007 – The iPhone is unveiled.

March 2007 – Apple TV hits stores.

January 27, 2010 – The iPad is announced.

June 6, 2011 – Apple announces iCloud, an online media storage system.

August 24, 2011 – Jobs resigns as CEO. Tim Cook takes his place.

October 5, 2011 – Jobs dies after battling cancer.

February 6, 2013 – Apple announces that iTunes has reached a milestone of 25 billion songs sold.

May 28, 2014 – Apple announces deal to buy Beats for $3 billion.

June 9, 2014 – Apple conducts a stock split, bringing the price down from $647.50 to $92.44.

September 9, 2014 – Apple unveils the Apple Watch, a wearable device.

December 16, 2014 – Apple wins an antitrust lawsuit brought by eight million iPod owners who alleged that Apple abused its monopoly power in the music industry to force out competition.

June 8, 2015 – Apple unveils Apple Music, a streaming music service, live radio station and social network.

February 3, 2016 – A jury orders Apple to pay $626 million in damages after finding that iMessage, FaceTime and other Apple software infringed on another company’s patents. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2010 by the company VirnetX, accuses Apple of violating four patents, which mostly involve methods for real-time communications over the Internet.

February 16, 2016 – Apple refuses to comply with a California judge’s order to assist the FBI in hacking the iPhone of the San Bernardino gunman. A public letter signed by Cook states why the company is refusing to abide by the government’s demands.

March 28, 2016 – The Department of Justice says the FBI has “successfully retrieved the data stored on the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone,” and is dropping the case against Apple, since it no longer needs the company’s help.

August 30, 2016 – The European Union rules that Apple must pay Ireland $14.5 billion in back taxes. According to the EU, Ireland had been giving the tech company a break on taxes for more than two decades. Ireland’s finance minister issues a statement criticizing the EU’s ruling and declares that the country does not play favorites with a lower tax rate for certain companies. In a letter, Cook says he anticipates the EU’s tax ruling will be reversed on appeal.

September 12, 2017 – Apple unveils the iPhone X, alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus – all of which support wireless charging. The iPhone X will also feature facial detection technology, no home button, a 3D camera and an edge-to-edge screen.

December 21, 2017 – Apple issues a statement saying that it has used software updates to limit the performance of older iPhones that may have battery issues that would cause them to turn off suddenly.

December 28, 2017 – Apple apologizes to customers for how it rolled out an update that can slow down older iPhones. It is offering cheaper battery replacements to make up for it.

June 15, 2018 – Oprah Winfrey signs a multiyear deal with Apple to create new original programming.

August 2, 2018 – Apple becomes the first American public company to surpass $1 trillion in value.

October 10, 2019 – In a memo to employees, Cook defends Apple’s decision to pull a map app that Hong Kong protesters used to track police, saying that it had been used in ways that “endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong.”

November 1, 2019 – Apple TV+, a subscription streaming service containing original programming, launches.

November 4, 2019 – Apple announces a $2.5 billion financial package to help address the housing crisis in California, which has worsened in part because of the rapid growth of tech companies.

July 29, 2020 – Cook, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, CEO of Google’s parent company Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg all testify before a House subcommittee on anti-trust to address concerns that their businesses may be harming competition.

August 20, 2020 – Apple reaches the $2 trillion market value mark.

November 18, 2020 – Apple agrees to pay $113 million to settle an investigation by states including California and Arizona over how Apple wasn’t transparent about its iPhone battery problems that led to unexpected device shutdowns.

December 14, 2020 – Launches Apple Fitness+, a service built around Apple Watch.

November 23, 2021 – Apple files a lawsuit against NSO Group and its parent company, accusing the Israeli firm of violating a federal anti-hacking law by selling potent software that clients have used to spy on Apple customers. The lawsuit alleges that NSO’s spyware, known as Pegasus, and other malware have caused Apple monetary and property damages, and violated the human rights of Apple users along the way.

January 3, 2022 – Apple becomes the world’s first company valued at $3 trillion.

May 10, 2022 – Apple announces that it is ceasing production of the iPod.

June 18, 2022 – Workers in Maryland vote to form the first-ever labor union at one of Apple’s US stores.

June 30, 2023 – Apple’s stock ends trading valued at $3 trillion, the only company ever to reach that milestone.

December 18, 2023 – Apple announces plans to stop selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in US due to a patent dispute. In January 2024, a federal appeals court denies the company’s motion to temporarily pause the ban while it appealed the US International Trade Commission ruling.

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March 21, 2024
NCAA Basketball Tournament Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
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Here’s a look at the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. The single-elimination tournament is nicknamed “March Madness” or “The Big Dance.”

2024 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Finals

April 8, 2024 – Men’s Finals – The national championship game is scheduled to be played in Glendale, Arizona.

April 7, 2024 – Women’s Finals – The national title game is scheduled to take place in Cleveland.

2023 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Finals

April 3, 2023 – Men’s Finals – The University of Connecticut Huskies win its fifth men’s basketball national title with a 76-59 victory over the San Diego State University Aztecs in Houston.

April 2, 2023 – Women’s Finals – The Louisiana State University Tigers defeat the University of Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 in Dallas, to win the program’s first NCAA women’s basketball national championship.

68 teams are invited to compete.
– 32 teams receive automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments.
– 36 teams receive an at-large bid from the NCAA Selection Committee.

The 12-member selection committee, comprised of athletic directors and conference commissioners, is responsible for selecting the 36 at-large teams, seeding (or ranking) all 68 teams and placing them in one of four regions within the bracket. The committee’s field of 68 is revealed on the Sunday before the four first-round games, appropriately dubbed “Selection Sunday.”

The selection committee primarily uses the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which is comprised of Team Value Index (TVI), or wins against quality opponents, and an adjusted net efficiency across all games. The NET replaces the Ratings Percentage Index.

68 teams are invited to compete.
– 32 teams receive automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments.
– 36 teams receive an at-large bid from the NCAA Selection Committee.

Similar to the men’s selection process, a 12-member selection committee primarily uses NET rankings to choose the 36 at-large teams, seed (or rank) all 68 teams and place them in one of four regions within the bracket.

The committee’s field of 68 is revealed on the Sunday before the four first-round games.

The “First Four” are the four opening round games in the Men’s tournament. Two games match number 16 seeds against each other, and the other two games feature the last four at-large teams selected into the tournament. The winners advance to the next round, the round of 64.

For both the men’s and women’s tournaments, each of the four regions consists of 16 teams that are seeded No. 1 to No. 16. In the first round, teams are paired according to seed. The No. 1 seed faces No. 16, No. 2 faces No. 15, No. 3 faces No. 14, and so forth. The winning teams advance to the second round.

The 16 teams that advance beyond their first and second-round games are referred to as the “Sweet Sixteen.” The remaining eight teams are called the “Elite Eight,” and the last four teams are the “Final Four.”

An underdog or lower-seeded team that advances throughout the tournament is often referred to as a “Cinderella” team.

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins have the most NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament titles with 11.

The University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies have the most NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament titles with 11.

1939 – The first men’s tournament is held, and eight teams compete. Oregon defeats Ohio State 46-33.

1954 – The tournament final is broadcast live nationwide for the first time.

1982 – The first women’s tournament is held, and 32 teams compete. Louisiana Tech beats Cheyney State 76-62.

1991 – CBS begins broadcasting all games live.

1999 – CBS obtains an 11-year contract through 2013 worth $6 billion to broadcast the tournament.

2005 – College Sports Television begins a two-year agreement with CBS Sportsline.com and the NCAA for exclusive video streaming rights on CSTV.com for out-of-market game coverage. CSTV pays CBS $3 million for the rights and expects to be profitable in the first year.

April 22, 2010 – In addition to expanding the men’s tournament basketball field to 68 teams from 65, the NCAA announces a 14-year, $10.8 billion television rights deal with CBS and Turner Sports. The deal, which goes into effect in 2011, marks the first time that each game will be televised nationally.

April 12, 2016 – The NCAA announces an 8-year extension of its TV deal with Turner Broadcasting and CBS Sports. The extension to the current deal – for a combined total rights fee of $8.8 billion – will keep the big game at Turner and CBS until 2032.

February 20, 2018 – The NCAA Infraction Appeal Committee announces they will uphold penalties against the Louisville Cardinals Men’s Basketball team for their serious violations of NCAA rules. The Committee panel found that they “acted unethically….by arranging striptease dances and sex acts for prospects, student-athletes and others, and did not cooperate with the investigation.” The penalties vacate every win from 2011 to 2015, including the 2013 national championship and the 2012 Final Four appearance.

August 22, 2018 – The NCAA announces a new ranking tool, the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool). It replaces RPI, or the ranking performance index, as the method which will be used to choose which teams will be selected to participate in the tournament.

March 12, 2020 – NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors cancel the men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournament, and other winter and spring NCAA championships, due to concern over the Covid-19 pandemic. The Division I championships have been played every year since the men’s inception in 1939 and women’s in 1982.

January 4, 2021 – The NCAA announces that the entire 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will be played in the state of Indiana, with the majority of the 67 scheduled games to be played in Indianapolis.

February 5, 2021 – The NCAA announces that the entire 2021 NCAA women’s basketball tournament will be played in Texas, with the majority of the 63 scheduled games to be played in San Antonio.

September 29, 2021 – After a “comprehensive external review of gender equity issues,” the NCAA announces that beginning in 2022, the “March Madness” branding that has historically been used for the Division I men’s basketball tournament will also be used for the women’s basketball tournament.

November 17, 2021 – The expansion of the women’s tournament bracket is approved. Sixty-eight teams will participate in the 2022 championship, up from 64.

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March 20, 2024
Warren Beatty Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here is a look at the life of actor, director, producer and writer Warren Beatty.

Birth date: March 30, 1937

Birth place: Richmond, Virginia

Birth name: Henry Warren Beaty

Father: Ira O. Beaty, school administrator

Mother: Kathlyn (MacLean) Beaty, drama teacher

Marriage: Annette Bening (March 1992-present)

Children: Stephen, Benjamin, Isabel and Ella

Education: Attended Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 1956; Attended the Stella Adler Theatre School, New York, New York, 1957

He is the younger brother of actress Shirley MacLaine.

Beatty turned down several football scholarships to study drama at Northwestern University instead.

Beatty dated many famous women, such as Jane Fonda, Faye Dunaway, Julie Christie and Madonna, before he was married at age 54 to actress Annette Bening.

Nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won once. He has also received an honorary award.

Beatty is one of a small group to have been nominated for an Oscar as writer, director, producer and actor on an individual film. Beatty did it twice, for “Heaven Can Wait” and “Reds.” Orson Welles was the first, for “Citizen Kane.”

Honorary chair of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, originally founded by the much-admired acting teacher. Other prominent alumni include Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, Martin Sheen, and Bryce Dallas Howard.

In November 2015, singer-songwriter Carly Simon admitted to People magazine the second verse of her 1972 song, “You’re So Vain,” is about Beatty, a former beau, confirming a decades-old rumor.

1957 – Makes his television debut, in the lead role of a hitchhiker, on NBC’s “The Curly Headed Kid.”

1959-1963 – Appears in five episodes of the TV series “the Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.” Changes his last name to “Beatty.”

November 28, 1959 – Debuts on Broadway in “A Loss of Roses.”

1961 – Beatty makes his film-acting debut as Bud Stamper in “Splendor in the Grass” opposite Natalie Wood.

1967 – Makes his producing debut (and also stars) in the film “Bonnie and Clyde.” Initially panned, the film later receives critical recognition and is now considered a movie classic.

1975 – Makes his writing debut with “Shampoo,” co-written with Robert Towne, in which he also stars and produces.

1978 – Makes his directing debut with “Heaven Can Wait,” in which he is also the star, producer and writer.

1981 – For the second time, he serves as actor, director, producer and writer, for “Reds.”

March 29, 1982 – Winner, Academy Award for Best Director, for “Reds.” This is his only Academy Award win.

1987 – Produces and stars, with Dustin Hoffman, in the famous flop, “Ishtar,” about two lounge singers traipsing around North Africa.

1990 – Produces, directs and stars in the film, “Dick Tracy,” based on the hero police detective of the comic strip.

1991 – Meets his future wife, Annette Bening, when they star in the film “Bugsy,” a biopic about mobster Bugsy Siegel.

1998 – Produces, writes, directs and stars in the political satire, “Bulworth.”

August 12, 1999 – The New York Times reports Beatty, a Democrat, is considering a run for the White House in the 2000 election.

March 26, 2000 – Receives the Academy’s highest honor, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial award, which is presented to “creative producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production.”

December 5, 2004 – Receives the Kennedy Center Honors.

March 25, 2011 – Wins a long-running legal fight in federal court against Tribune Media Services over rights to the Dick Tracy character.

February 26, 2017 – Beatty and Faye Dunaway – on hand to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Bonnie and Clyde” – announce the wrong winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture after being handed the wrong envelope by one of the two partners from accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). “Moonlight” finally accepts the award for best picture after “La La Land” is mistakenly announced.

November 7, 2022 – Beatty is sued by Kristina Charlotte Hirsch for sexual assault and sexual battery. Hirsch accuses Beatty of coercing her into sex in 1973 when Hirsch was a minor. Beatty is not named directly in the lawsuit. In December 2023 the lawsuit is dismissed with prejudice.

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March 19, 2024
Mariah Carey Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here’s a look at the life of Grammy Award-winning singer and actress, Mariah Carey.

Birth date: March 27, 1970

Birth place: Long Island, New York

Birth name: Mariah Carey

Father: Alfred Roy Carey, aeronautics engineer

Mother: Patricia (Hickey) Carey, opera singer and voice coach

Marriages: Nick Cannon (2008-2016, divorced); Tommy Mottola (1993-1998, divorced)

Children: with Nick Cannon: Moroccan and Monroe (twins)

Has a five-octave vocal range.

Supported herself as a waitress and back-up singer before being signed to Columbia Records.

Has won five Grammys and has been nominated for 34.

Is the first artist ever to top the Billboard charts in four different decades.

1988 – Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola listens to Carey’s demo tape and signs her to the label.

1990 – Her debut album, “Mariah Carey,” is released. It goes on to sell more than six million copies and spawn four number one singles.

1991 – Carey wins two Grammy Awards: Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, for “Vision of Love” and Best New Artist.

1994 – Joins the board of directors of the Fresh Air Fund. She is a supporter of the fund’s Career Awareness Program, which is named Camp Mariah, in honor of her.

Summer 2001 – She suffers an “emotional and physical breakdown” and is hospitalized.

September 2001 – Carey stars in a semi-autobiographical movie, “Glitter,” and releases an album of the same name. Both the album and movie are unsuccessful critically and commercially.

2002 – Virgin pays Carey a reported $28 million to end her contract. She later signs a $20 million deal with the Island Def Jam Music Group.

2006 – Wins three Grammy Awards: Best Contemporary R&B Album, with Brian Garten and Dana John Chappelle for “The Emancipation of Mimi,” Best R&B Song, with Jermaine Dupri, Johntá Austin, and Manuel Seal Jr., for “We Belong Together,” and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “We Belong Together.”

2009 – Portrays a social worker in the film “Precious,” directed by Lee Daniels.

March 2011 – Following reports that she accepted payment in 2009 to perform for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, Carey releases a statement that she was “naïve and unaware of who I was booked to perform for. I feel horrible and embarrassed to have participated in this mess.”

2013 – Appears as a judge for the 12th season of “American Idol.”

August 5, 2015 – Carey is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

December 4, 2016 – The eight-episode E! docuseries “Mariah’s World” premieres.

December 31, 2016 – Experiences an audio track malfunction while lip-syncing in front of a live audience on ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”

April 2018 – Carey reveals she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In an interview in People magazine, she says she is now in therapy and is taking medication for bipolar II disorder, which involves periods of depression as well as hypomania.

January 16, 2019 – Carey’s former assistant, Lianna Shakhnazaryan, files a civil lawsuit claiming she was harassed and tormented by Carey’s manager, Stella Bulochnikov. In the complaint, Shakhnazaryan alleges that she was physically abused and urinated on by Bulochnikov, and that Carey was sometimes present for the abuse and allowed it to continue. Carey files her own lawsuit against Shakhnazaryan, claiming breach of contract, invasion of privacy and extortion. The case is settled in July 2021 for an undisclosed amount.

December 16, 2019 – Carey’s 25-year-old holiday song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time.

September 29, 2020 – Carey’s memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” is published.

March 3, 2021 – Carey’s brother, Morgan Carey, files a lawsuit against her for defamation, alleging that his depiction in “The Meaning of Mariah Carey” caused him “intentional infliction of emotional distress.” The lawsuit follows a separate suit filed by Carey’s sister, Alison Carey, a month earlier for emotional distress caused by the memoir.

June 3, 2022 – In a complaint filed in New Orleans federal court, Andy Stone sues Carey over her 1994 Christmas classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Stone says he co-wrote a song with the same title five years earlier. The complaint states that Stone’s lawyers first contacted the defendants in April 2021 about their alleged unauthorized use, but were “unable to come to any agreement.” On November 1, Stone files to dismiss the case.

June 16, 2022 – Is inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

November 1, 2023 – Andy Stone re-files his complaint in Los Angeles federal court over “All I want for Christmas Is You.” Stone is alleging copyright infringement and unjust enrichment and is asking for at least $20 million in damages.

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March 19, 2024
Eddie Murphy Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here’s a look at the life of Oscar-nominated actor, singer, writer and comedian Eddie Murphy.

Birth date: April 3, 1961

Birth place: Brooklyn, New York

Birth name: Edward Regan Murphy

Father: Charles Murphy, police officer

Mother: Lillian Murphy, telephone operator

Marriage: Nicole Mitchell (March 18, 1993-April 17, 2006, divorced)

Children: with Paige Butcher: Max and Izzy; with Melanie Brown (Mel B, aka Scary Spice): Angel; with Nicole Mitchell: Bella, Zola, Shayne, Miles and Bria; with Tamara Hood: Christian; with Paulette McNeely: Eric

Education: Attended Nassau Community College

Nominated for three Grammy Awards and won one.

Nominated for one Academy Award.

Nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards and won one.

Murphy’s childhood heroes include Richard Pryor, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lewis.

When Murphy was three years old, his parents split up. His father was murdered by a girlfriend five years later. Murphy was raised by his mother and stepfather, Vernon Lynch.

His flair for celebrity voices springs from watching and imitating cartoons as a kid.

Demonstrating his slapstick versatility, Murphy portrayed multiple characters in “Coming to America,” “Bowfinger,” “Norbit,” “Vampire in Brooklyn,” “Meet Dave,” “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” and the “Nutty Professor” films.

Murphy’s musical output includes two Billboard Hot 100 singles, “Party All the Time” and “Put Your Mouth on Me,” as well as a duet with Michael Jackson, “Whatzupwitu.”

November 22, 1980 – Murphy makes his first appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He had auditioned six times before he was hired as a featured player to occasionally appear in skits. The comedian later gets promoted to the main cast and portrays such characters as a petulant version of Gumby, Buckwheat and Mister Robinson, a parody of Mister Rogers. He and Joe Piscopo are the only members of the 1980 ensemble who aren’t fired at the end of the season.

December 8, 1982 – Murphy’s first movie, “48 Hrs.” is released. The action comedy centers on a thief (Murphy) who helps a cop (Nick Nolte) track down a murderous fugitive.

1983 – HBO airs Murphy’s concert special, “Eddie Murphy – Delirious.”

June 8, 1983 – “Trading Places,” a comedy starring Murphy, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis, debuts in theaters.

February 28, 1984 – Murphy’s live album, “Eddie Murphy: Comedian” wins a Grammy for Best Comedy Recording.

December 5, 1984 – “Beverly Hills Cop” opens. Sylvester Stallone had been originally slated to play the main character, Axel Foley, but he quit weeks before the shoot and Murphy replaced him.

December 18, 1987 – The comedy concert film, “Eddie Murphy Raw,” is released.

April 11, 1988 – Presenting the Best Picture award during the Oscars telecast, Murphy criticizes the Academy for failing to recognize the contributions of Black performers throughout film history. He quips that he likely will never get an Oscar because of the remark.

November 17, 1989 – “Harlem Nights,” directed by Murphy, is released. Two of Murphy’s childhood idols, Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx, costar in the 1930s-period piece about a wild New York nightspot.

June 28, 1996 – Murphy makes a comeback with the release of “The Nutty Professor,” a Jerry Lewis remake.

May 2, 1997 – The comedian gets pulled over after offering a ride to an alleged transgender prostitute. A spokesman for Murphy says the star was simply trying to help someone who appeared to be troubled and alone.

January 10, 1999 – “The PJs,” an animated series co-created by Murphy and Larry Wilmore, debuts on Fox. The series is criticized for perpetuating black stereotypes. It garners three Primetime Emmy awards, two for voice actress, Ja’Net DuBois and one for achievement in animation. It’s canceled after three seasons.

May 16, 2001 – “Shrek,” a computer animated fairy tale about an ogre (Mike Myers) who befriends a hapless donkey (Murphy), opens and grosses $42 million during its first weekend.

May 19, 2004 – “Shrek 2” opens in theaters. The movie tallies $441 million in ticket sales, making it the top box office hit of 2004.

December 15, 2006 – “Dreamgirls” opens in limited release. Critics praise Murphy for his dramatic turn as James “Thunder” Early, a fading star struggling with addiction.

September 6, 2011 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces that Murphy will host the Oscars. On November 9, Murphy says he is stepping down as Oscar host. He and director Brett Ratner were slated to collaborate on the show but Ratner quit amid controversy over his usage of an anti-gay slur. Billy Crystal is selected as Murphy’s replacement.

February 15, 2015 – During a “Saturday Night Live” 40th anniversary special, Murphy makes a brief appearance. He declines to participate in a sketch mocking Bill Cosby, according to a series of Tweets by writer and former cast member, Norm McDonald. Cosby expresses gratitude through a spokesman, telling NBC News, “I am very appreciative of Eddie and I applaud his actions.”

October 18, 2015 – Murphy is awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

September 16, 2016 – After a four-year hiatus from the big screen, “Mr. Church” opens with Murphy playing the title role.

December 21, 2019 – Murphy returns to “Saturday Night Live” after 35 years, bringing back many of his most popular characters. The episode is the top rated show for “Saturday Night Live” in more than two years.

September 20, 2020 – Murphy wins an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series for hosting “Saturday Night Live” in December 2019.

March 5, 2021 – “Coming 2 America” debuts on Amazon.

January 10, 2023 – Receives the Cecil B. DeMille career achievement award at the 90th annual Golden Globes.

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March 19, 2024
Oprah Winfrey Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here is a look at the life of Oprah Winfrey, who hosted the award-winning “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

Birth date: January 29, 1954

Birth place: Kosciusko, Mississippi

Birth name: Oprah Gail Winfrey

Father: Vernon Winfrey, a barber

Mother: Vernita Lee, a maid (parents never married)

Education: Tennessee State University, B.A., Speech and Performing Arts, 1976

At age 19, while still a sophomore in college, becomes the youngest and first African-American anchor for WTVF-TV in Nashville.

Winfrey’s first name is spelled Orpah on her birth certificate but there was confusion over how to pronounce the name, so the spelling was changed to Oprah. In an interview with the Academy of Achievement, Winfrey explained that her aunt chose the name Orpah as a bible reference. Winfrey said that she’s happy the spelling got switched to Oprah because backwards it spells Harpo.

Stedman Graham has been her companion for more than 30 years.

Together, Winfrey and “The Oprah Winfrey Show” received a total of 16 Daytime Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Talk Show Host” and ” Outstanding Talk Show,” and one for her work as supervising producer of the “ABC Afterschool Special: Shades of a Single Protein.” Winfrey was also presented with two honorary awards.

After removing her name from competition in the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2000, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” won Emmy awards in the technical categories only.

Winfrey has been involved in various projects that have garnered many Primetime Emmy Award nominations, she has won one, and was also presented with an honorary award.

Two Academy Award nominations. Received one honorary award.

Two Tony Award nominations with one win.

1976 – Becomes a news co-anchor at WJZ-TV in Baltimore.

January 1984 – Becomes the anchor of “A.M. Chicago,” which airs opposite Phil Donahue.

September 1985 – The show is renamed “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

1985-2011 – Host of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” the highest-rated talk show in history.

1985 – Makes her film debut in “The Color Purple,” for which she is nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

November 8, 1986 – “The Oprah Winfrey Show” goes into national syndication.

1987, 1988, 1989, 1991-1992, 1994-1996 and 1997 – Wins the Daytime Emmy Award for Best Talk Show for “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1998 – Wins the Daytime Emmy Award for Best Talk Show Host for “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

1988 – Forms her own production company, Harpo Inc.

December 20, 1993 – President Bill Clinton honors Oprah by signing into law the “Oprah Bill,” following her 1991 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee advocating for a national database to search for child abusers. This bill, officially called the National Child Protection Act, creates a national criminal history background check system.

1993 – Wins the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Special, “ABC Afterschool Special: Shades of a Single Protein.” Oprah is also inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

1996 – Starts “Oprah’s Book Club” on her show. The book club becomes very influential in the publishing world as selected books rise to the top of bestseller lists.

1997 – Starts Oprah’s Angel Network, a charitable foundation.

1998 – Winfrey is presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmy Awards.

1998 – Produces the movie “Beloved.”

1998 – Partners with Oxygen Media, which plans to operate a 24-hour cable channel for women.

1999 – Withdraws her name for consideration in the Daytime Emmy Awards.

2000 – Wins the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie for “Oprah Winfrey Presents: Tuesdays with Morrie.”

April 2000 – Launches “O, The Oprah Magazine,” and the Oxygen Network.

2002 – Accepts the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

February 2003 – Becomes the first African-American woman on Forbes magazine’s “World’s Richest People” list, with a net worth of about $1 billion.

September 13, 2004 – Begins a new season of her talk show by giving each member of the audience a brand-new car.

September 26, 2005 – Winfrey announces that she is investing more than $1 million to bring the musical “The Color Purple” to Broadway in December 2005.

September 25, 2006-January 1, 2015 – Oprah and Friends (renamed Oprah Radio) airs on SiriusXM Radio.

January 2, 2007 – The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls opens in Henley-on-Klip, South Africa. The school houses 152 girls from deprived backgrounds and provides them with an education. Winfrey has reportedly spent $40 million opening the school.

September 8, 2007 – Hosts a fundraiser for presidential hopeful Barack Obama at her California home.

October 2007 – NBC buys the Oxygen Network for $925 million.

January 15, 2008 – Winfrey and Discovery Communications announce that beginning in 2009 the Discovery Health Channel will be renamed OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

November 20, 2009 – Announces on her show that she will discontinue her talk show in 2011. She will then move to California and launch OWN.

December 5, 2010 – Winfrey is honored at the Kennedy Center as part of the 33rd annual Kennedy Center Honors gala.

January 1, 2011 – OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network debuts.

May 25, 2011 – The last “Oprah Winfrey Show” airs. There are no guests for this episode.

June 19, 2011 – Receives the Chairman’s Crystal Pillar Award for her decades of work in network television from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

November 12, 2011 – Winfrey receives an honorary Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

January 1, 2012 – Winfrey’s new show, “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” debuts on the OWN network.

November 20, 2013 – Is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.

October 19, 2015 – Winfrey and Weight Watchers announce a partnership in which Winfrey is buying a 10% stake in the company and taking a seat on its board of directors.

June 12, 2016 – Wins a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical for “The Color Purple.”

January 3, 2017 – Releases a cookbook, “Food, Health, and Happiness: 115 On-Point Recipes for Great Meals and a Better Life.”

January 31, 2017 – CBS announces that Winfrey will be a special contributor to “60 Minutes,” starting in the fall of 2017.

August 9, 2017 – Partners with the Kraft Heinz Company to produce a line of refrigerated comfort food called O, That’s Good!, available in stores beginning October 2017.

January 7, 2018 – Winfrey receives the 2018 Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award, which is given “to a talented individual for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.”

February 20, 2018 – Announces she is donating $500,000 to March For Our Lives, an event formed in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

June 15, 2018 – Apple announces Winfrey has signed a multi-year deal with the company to create new original programming.

July 11, 2018 – Winfrey invests in True Food Kitchen, a Phoenix-based healthy restaurant chain.

November 1, 2018 – Delivers a speech in support of Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. “For anybody here who has an ancestor who didn’t have the right to vote, and you are choosing not to vote – wherever you are in this state, in this country – you are dishonoring your family,” Winfrey said in Marietta, Georgia.

April 8, 2019 – The Hispanic Federation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund announce that Winfrey is donating $2 million to help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria.

April 10, 2019 – It is announced that Winfrey and Prince Harry are partnering on a multi-part documentary series focusing on mental health. The series is set to air on the Apple TV platform in 2020.

October 7, 2019 – While at Morehouse College celebrating its 30th anniversary, Winfrey announces a $13 million donation to its scholarship fund. This brings her total donation to $25 million. It is the largest endowment in the college’s history, according to the school.

January 10, 2020 – Withdraws as executive producer of a documentary expose concerning allegations of sexual misconduct against Russell Simmons. “On the Record” was being produced for air on the Apple TV streaming platform as part of Winfrey’s multi-year content partnership with the company.

April 2, 2020 – Announces that she has donated $10 million “to help Americans during this pandemic in cities across the country.” Of her total donation, $1 million will go toward America’s Food Fund to alleviate food insecurity. The rest will be donated to other groups helping Americans during the pandemic.

July 30, 2020 – “The Oprah Conversation” debuts on Apple TV+.

July 30, 2020 – It’s announced that Breonna Taylor will be featured on the cover of O magazine. The first time in the magazine’s 20 year history that Winfrey hasn’t been on the cover.

March 7, 2021 – “Oprah With Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special” airs on CBS, and draws over 17 million viewers in the United States.

December 13, 2023 – A painting honoring Winfrey is unveiled at Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

February 28, 2024 – It is announced that Oprah is leaving the board of WeightWatchers, ending a nearly decade-long stint as director of the company. Winfrey will also be giving away her stake in the company, donating all of her stock to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

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March 8, 2024
Detained Americans Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here’s a look at some recent cases of foreign governments detaining US citizens. For information about missing Americans, see Robert Levinson Fast Facts or POW/MIA in Iraq and Afghanistan Fast Facts.

Afghanistan

Ryan Corbett
August 2022 – Corbett, a businessman whose family lived in Afghanistan for more than a decade prior to the collapse of the Afghan government, returns to Afghanistan on a 10 day trip. Roughly one week into his visit, he was asked to come in for questioning by the local police. Corbett, his German colleague, and two local staff members were all detained. All but Corbett are eventually released. The Taliban has acknowledged holding Corbett, and he has been designated as wrongfully detained by the US State Department.

China

Mark Swidan
November 13, 2012 – Swidan, a businessman from Texas, is arrested on drug related charges by Chinese Police while in his hotel room in Dongguan.

2013 – Swidan is tried and pleads not guilty.

2019 – Convicted of manufacturing and trafficking drugs by the Jiangmen Intermediate People’s Court in southern Guangdong province and given a death sentence with a two-year reprieve.

April 13, 2023 – The Jiangmen Intermediate People’s Court denies Swidan’s appeal and upholds his death penalty.

Kai Li
September 2016 – Kai Li, a naturalized US citizen born in China, is detained while visiting relatives in Shanghai.

July 2018 – He is sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage following a secret trial held in August 2017.

Iran

Karan Vafadari
December 2016 – Karan Vafadari’s family announces that Karan and his wife, Afarin Niasari, were detained at Tehran airport in July. Vafadari, an Iranian-American, and Niasari, a green-card holder, ran an art gallery in Tehran.

March 2017 – New charges of “attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic and recruiting spies through foreign embassies” are brought against Vafadari and Niasari.

January 2018 – Vafadari is sentenced to 27 years in prison. Niasari is sentenced to 16 years.

July 2018 – Vafadari and Niasari are reportedly released from prison on bail while they await their appeals court rulings.

Russia

Paul Whelan
December 28, 2018 – Paul Whelan, from Michigan, a retired Marine and corporate security director, is arrested on accusations of spying. His family says he was in Moscow to attend a wedding.

January 3, 2019 – His lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, tells CNN Whalen has been formally charged with espionage.

January 22, 2019 – At his pretrial hearing, Whelan is denied bail. Whelan’s attorney Zherebenkov tells CNN that Whelan was found in possession of classified material when he was arrested in Moscow.

June 15, 2020 – Whelan is convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

August 8, 2021 – State news agency TASS reports that Whelan has been released from solitary confinement in the Mordovian penal colony where he is being held.

Evan Gershkovich
March 30, 2023 – Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, is detained by Russian authorities and accused of spying. The Wall Street Journal rejects the spying allegations.

April 3, 2023 – The Russian state news agency TASS reports Gershkovich has filed an appeal against his arrest.

April 7, 2023 – Gershkovich is formally charged with espionage.

April 10, 2023 – The US State Department officially designates Gershkovich as wrongfully detained by Russia.

April 18, 2023 – The Moscow City Court denies his appeal to change the terms of his detention. Gershkovich will continue to be held in a pre-trial detention center at the notorious Lefortovo prison until May 29.

Saudi Arabia

Walid Fitaihi
November 2017 – Dual US-Saudi citizen Dr. Walid Fitaihi is detained at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh along with other prominent Saudis, according to his lawyer Howard Cooper. Fitaihi is then transferred to prison.

July 2019 – Fitaihi is released on bond.

December 8, 2020 – Fitaihi is sentenced to six years in prison for charges including obtaining US citizenship without permission.

January 14, 2021 – A Saudi appeals court upholds Fitaihi’s conviction but reduces his sentence to 3.2 years and suspends his remaining prison term. Fitaihi still faces a travel ban and frozen assets.

Syria

Austin Tice
August 2012 – Tice disappears while reporting near the Syrian capital of Damascus. The Syrian government has never acknowledged that they have Tice in their custody.

September 2012 – A 43-second video emerges online that shows Tice in the captivity of what his family describe as an “unusual group of apparent jihadists.”

Majd Kamalmaz
February 2017 – Kamalmaz is detained at a checkpoint in Damascus. The Syrian government has never acknowledged Kamalmaz is in its custody.

Cuba

Alan Gross
December 2009 – Alan Gross is jailed while working as a subcontractor on a US Agency for International Development project aimed at spreading democracy. His actions are deemed illegal by Cuban authorities. He is accused of trying to set up illegal internet connections on the island. Gross says he was trying to help connect the Jewish community to the internet and was not a threat to the government.

March 12, 2011 – Gross is found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison for crimes against the Cuban state.

April 11, 2014 – Ends a hunger strike that he launched the previous week in an effort to get the United States and Cuba to resolve his case.

December 17, 2014 – Gross is released as part of a deal with Cuba that paves the way for a major overhaul in US policy toward the island.

Egypt

16 American NGO Employees
December 2011 – Egyptian authorities carry out 17 raids on the offices of 10 nongovernmental organizations. The Egyptian general prosecutor’s office claims the raids were part of an investigation into allegations the groups had received illegal foreign financing and were operating without a proper license.

February 5, 2012 – Forty-three people face prosecution in an Egyptian criminal court on charges of illegal foreign funding as part of an ongoing crackdown on NGOs. Among the American defendants is Sam LaHood, International Republican Institute country director and the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

February 15, 2012 – The US State Department confirms there are 16 Americans being held, not 19 as the Egyptian government announced.

February 20, 2012 – South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Arizona Senator John McCain meet with top Egyptian military and political leaders in Cairo.

March 1, 2012 – Some of the 43 detainees including American, Norwegian, German, Serbian and Palestinian activists leave Cairo after each post two-million Egyptian pounds bail.

April 20, 2012 – CNN is told Egyptian officials have filed global arrest notices with Interpol for some of the Americans involved in the NGO trial.

June 4, 2013 – An Egyptian court sentences the NGO workers: 27 workers in absentia to five-year sentences, 11 to one-year suspended jail sentences, and five others to two-year sentences that were not suspended, according to state-run newspaper Al Ahram. Only one American has remained in Egypt to fight the charges, but he also left after the court announced his conviction.

Iran

UC-Berkeley Grads
July 31, 2009 – Three graduates from the University of California at Berkeley, Sarah Shourd of Oakland, California, Shane Bauer, of Emeryville, California, and Joshua Fattal, of Cottage Grove, Oregon, are detained in Iran after hiking along the unmarked Iran-Iraq border in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region.

August 11, 2009 – Iran sends formal notification to the Swiss ambassador that the three American hikers have been detained. Switzerland represents the United States diplomatic interests in Iran since the United States and Iran do not have diplomatic relations.

October 2009 – The Iranian government allows a Swiss diplomat to visit the hikers at Evin Prison.

November 9, 2009 – Iran charges the three with espionage.

March 9, 2010 – The families of the three detained hikers speak by phone to the hikers for the first time since they were jailed.

May 20, 2010 – The detainees’ mothers are allowed to visit their children.

May 21, 2010 – The mothers are allowed a second visit, and the detained hikers speak publicly for the first time at a government-controlled news conference.

August 5, 2010 – Reports surface that Shourd is being denied medical treatment.

September 14, 2010 – Shourd is released on humanitarian grounds on $500,000 bail.

September 19, 2010 – Shourd speaks publicly to the press in New York.

November 27, 2010 – Two days after Thanksgiving, Fattal and Bauer are allowed to call home for the second time. Each call lasts about five minutes.

February 6, 2011 – Fattal and Bauer’s trial begins. Shourd has not responded to a court summons to return to stand trial.

May 4, 2011 – Shourd announces she will not return to Tehran to face espionage charges.

August 20, 2011 – Fattal and Bauer each receive five years for spying and three years for illegal entry, according to state-run TV. They have 20 days to appeal.

September 14, 2011 – A Western diplomat tells CNN an Omani official is en route to Tehran to help negotiate the release of Fattal and Bauer. Oman helped secure the release of Shourd in 2010.

September 21, 2011 – Fattal and Bauer are released from prison on bail of $500,000 each and their sentences are commuted. On September 25, they arrive back in the United States.

Saeed Abedini
September 26, 2012 – According to the American Center for Law and Justice, Saeed Abedini, an American Christian pastor who was born in Iran and lives in Idaho, is detained in Iran. The group says that Abedini’s charges stem from his conversion to Christianity from Islam 13 years ago and his activities with home churches in Iran.

January 2013 – Abedini is sentenced to eight years in prison, on charges of attempting to undermine the Iranian government.

January 16, 2016 – Iran releases four US prisoners including Abedini, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, and Jason Rezaian, in exchange for clemency of seven Iranians imprisoned in the United States for sanctions violations.

Amir Mirzaei Hekmati
August 2011 – Amir Mirzaei Hekmati travels to Iran to visit relatives and gets detained by authorities, according to his family. His arrest isn’t made public for months.

December 17, 2011 – Iran’s Intelligence Ministry claims to have arrested an Iranian-American working as a CIA agent, according to state-run Press TV.

December 18, 2011 – Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency broadcasts a video in which a young man says his name is Hekmati, and that he joined the US Marine Corps and worked with Iraqi officers.

December 19, 2011 – The US State Department confirms the identity of the man detained in Iran and calls for his immediate release.

December 20, 2011 – Hekmati’s family says that he was arrested in August while visiting relatives in Iran. The family asserts that they remained quiet about the arrest at the urging of Iranian officials who promised his release.

December 27, 2011 – Hekmati’s trial begins in Iran. Prosecutors accuse Hekmati of entering Iran with the intention of infiltrating the country’s intelligence system in order to accuse Iran of involvement in terrorist activities, according to the Fars news agency.

January 9, 2012 – An Iranian news agency reports that Hekmati is convicted of “working for an enemy country,” as well as membership in the CIA and “efforts to accuse Iran of involvement in terrorism.” He is sentenced to death.

March 5, 2012 – An Iranian court dismisses a lower court’s death sentence for Hekmati and orders a retrial. He remains in prison.

September 2013 – In a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry, Hekmati says that his confession was obtained under duress.

April 11, 2014 – Hekmati’s sister tells CNN that Hekmati has been convicted in Iran by a secret court of “practical collaboration with the US government” and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

January 16, 2016 – Iran releases four US prisoners including Hekmati, Abedini, and Jason Rezaian, in exchange for clemency of seven Iranians indicted or imprisoned in the United States for sanctions violations.

Jason Rezaian
July 24, 2014 – The Washington Post reports that its Tehran correspondent and Bureau Chief Jason Rezaian, his wife Yeganeh Salehi and two freelance journalists were detained on July 22, 2014. An Iranian official confirmed to CNN that the group is being held by authorities.

July 29, 2014 – Iran releases one of three people detained alongside Rezaian, a source close to the family of the released detainee tells CNN. The released detainee is the husband of an Iranian-American photojournalist who remains in custody with Rezaian and his wife, according to the source.

August 20, 2014 – The Washington Post reports the photojournalist detained with Rezaian in July has been released. At her family’s request, the Post declines to publish her name.

October 6, 2014 – According to the Washington Post, Rezaian’s wife, Yeganeh Salehi, has been released on bail.

December 6, 2014 – During a 10-hour court session in Tehran, Rezaian is officially charged with unspecified crimes, according to the newspaper.

April 20, 2015 – According the Washington Post, Rezaian is being charged with espionage and other serious crimes including “collaborating with a hostile government” and “propaganda against the establishment.”

October 11, 2015 – Iran’s state media reports that Rezaian has been found guilty, but no details are provided about his conviction or his sentence. His trial reportedly took place between May and August.

November 22, 2015 – An Iranian court sentences Rezaian to prison. The length of the sentence is not specified.

January 16, 2016 – Iran releases four US prisoners including Rezaian, Hekmati, and Abedini, in exchange for the clemency of seven Iranians indicted or imprisoned in the United States for sanctions violations.

May 1, 2018 – Joins CNN as a global affairs analyst.

Reza “Robin” Shahini
July 11, 2016 – San Diego resident Reza “Robin” Shahini is arrested while visiting family in Gorgan, Iran. Shahini is a dual US-Iranian citizen.

October 2016 – Shahini is sentenced to 18 years in prison.

February 15, 2017 – Goes on a hunger strike to protest his sentence.

April 3, 2017 – The Center for Human Rights in Iran says Shahini has been released on bail while he awaits the ruling of the appeals court.

July 2018 – A civil lawsuit filed against the Iranian government on Shahini’s behalf indicates that Shahini has returned to the United States.

Xiyue Wang
July 16, 2017 – The semi-official news agency Fars News, citing a video statement from Iranian judicial spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejheie, reports that a US citizen has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of spying. Princeton University identifies the man as Chinese-born Xiyue Wang, an American citizen and graduate student in history. According to a university statement, Wang was arrested in Iran last summer while doing scholarly research in connection with his Ph.D. dissertation.

December 7, 2019 – The White House announces that Wang has been released and is returning to the United States. Iran released Wang in a prisoner swap, in coordination with the United States freeing an Iranian scientist named Massoud Soleimani.

Michael White
January 8, 2019 – Michael White’s mother, Joanne White, tells CNN she reported him missing when he failed to return to work in California in July, after traveling to Iran to visit his girlfriend.

January 9, 2019 – Bahram Ghasemi, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, says White “was arrested in the city of Mashhad a while ago, and within a few days after his arrest the US government was informed of the arrest through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.” Ghasemi denies allegations that White, a US Navy veteran, has been mistreated in prison.

March 2019 – White is handed a 13-year prison sentence on charges of insulting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and for publicly posting private images, according to his attorney Mark Zaid.

March 19, 2020 – White is released into the custody of the Swiss Embassy on medical furlough. One condition of his release is that he must stay in Iran.

June 4, 2020 – White is released, according to White’s mother and a person familiar with the negotiations.

Baquer and Siamak Namazi
October 2015 – Siamak Namazi, a Dubai-based businessman with dual US and Iranian citizenship, is detained while visiting relatives in Tehran.

February 2016 – Baquer Namazi, a former UNICEF official and father of Siamak Namazi, is detained, his wife Effie Namazi says on Facebook. He is an Iranian-American.

October 2016 – The men are sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $4.8 million, according to Iran’s official news channel IRINN. Iran officials say five people were convicted and sentenced for “cooperating with Iran’s enemies,” a government euphemism that usually implies cooperating with the United States.

January 28, 2018 – Baquer Namazi is granted a four-day leave by the Iranian government, after being discharged from an Iranian hospital. Namazi’s family say the 81-year-old was rushed to the hospital on January 15 after a severe drop in his blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat and serious depletion of energy. This was the fourth time Namazi had been transferred to a hospital in the last year. In September, he underwent emergency heart surgery to install a pacemaker.

February 2018 – Baquer Namazi is released on temporary medical furlough.

February 2020 – Iran’s Revolutionary Court commutes Baquer Namazi’s sentence to time served and the travel ban on him is lifted.

May 2020 – According to the family, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) places a new travel ban on Baquer Namazi, preventing him from leaving the country.

October 26, 2021 – Baquer Namazi undergoes surgery to clear a “life-threatening blockage in one of the main arteries to his brain, which was discovered late last month,” his lawyer says in a statement.

October 1, 2022 – Baquer Namazi is released from detention and is permitted to leave Iran “to seek medical treatment abroad,” according to a statement from UN Secretary General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

March 9, 2023 – Siamak Namazi makes a plea to President Joe Biden to put the “liberty of innocent Americans above politics” and ramp up efforts to secure his release, in an interview with CNN from inside Iran’s Evin prison.

September 18, 2023 – Siamak Namazi is freed, along with four other Americans as part of a wider deal that includes the United States unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian funds.

North Korea

Kenneth Bae
December 11, 2012 – US officials confirm that American citizen Kenneth Bae has been detained in North Korea for over a month.

April 30, 2013 – North Korea’s Supreme Court sentences Bae to 15 years of hard labor for “hostile acts” against the country.

October 11, 2013 – Bae meets with his mother in North Korea.

January 20, 2014 – A statement is released in which Bae says that he had committed a “serious crime” against North Korea. Any statement made by Bae in captivity is sanctioned by the North Korean government. The country has a long history of forcing false confessions.

February 7, 2014 – The State Department announces that Bae has been moved from a hospital to a labor camp.

November 8, 2014 – The State Department announces that Bae and Matthew Miller have been released and are on their way home.

Jeffrey Fowle
June 6, 2014 – North Korea announces it has detained US citizen Jeffrey Edward Fowle, who entered the country as a tourist in April. Fowle was part of a tour group and was detained in mid-May after leaving a bible in a restaurant.

June 30, 2014 – North Korea says that it plans to prosecute Fowle and another detained American tourist, Matthew Miller, accusing them of “perpetrating hostile acts.”

October 21, 2014 – A senior State Department official tells CNN that Fowle has been released and is on his way home.

Aijalon Gomes
January 25, 2010 – Aijalon Mahli Gomes, of Boston, is detained in North Korea after crossing into the country illegally from China.

April 7, 2010 – He is sentenced to eight years of hard labor and ordered to pay a fine of 70 million North Korean won or approximately $600,000.

July 10, 2010 – Gomes is hospitalized after attempting to commit suicide.

August 25-27, 2010 – Former US President Jimmy Carter arrives in North Korea, with hopes of negotiating for Gomes’ release.

August 27, 2010 – Carter and Gomes leave Pyongyang after Gomes is granted amnesty for humanitarian purposes.

Kim Dong Chul
October 2015 – Kim Dong Chul, a naturalized American citizen, is taken into custody after allegedly meeting a source to obtain a USB stick and camera used to gather military secrets. In January 2016, Kim is given permission to speak with CNN by North Korean officials and asks that the United States or South Korea rescue him.

March 25, 2016 – A North Korean official tells CNN that Kim has confessed to espionage charges.

April 29, 2016 – A North Korean official tells CNN that Kim has been sentenced to 10 years of hard labor for subversion and espionage.

May 9, 2018 – Trump announces that Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang Duk, also known as Tony Kim, appear to be in good health and are returning to the United States with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

May 10, 2018 – The three freed American detainees arrive at Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

Kim Hak-song
May 7, 2017 – The state-run Korean Central News Agency reports that US citizen Kim Hak-song was detained in North Korea on May 6 on suspicion of “hostile acts” against the regime. The regime describes Kim as “a man who was doing business in relation to the operation of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology.”

May 9, 2018 – Trump announces that Kim Hak-song, Kim Dong Chul and Kim Sang Duk, also known as Tony Kim, appear to be in good health and are returning to the United States with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

May 10, 2018 – The three freed American detainees arrive at Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

Kim Sang Duk
April 22, 2017 – US citizen Kim Sang Duk, also known as Tony Kim, is detained by authorities at Pyongyang International Airport for unknown reasons. Kim taught for several weeks at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology.

May 3, 2017 – State-run Korean Central News Agency reports that Kim is accused of attempting to overthrow the government.

May 9, 2018 – Trump announces that Tony Kim, Kim Hak-song and Kim Dong Chul appear to be in good health and are returning to the United States with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

May 10, 2018 – The three freed American detainees arrive at Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling
March 2009 – Journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling are arrested while reporting from the border between North Korea and China for California-based Current Media.

June 4, 2009 – They are sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign.

August 4, 2009 – Former US President Bill Clinton travels to Pyongyang on a private humanitarian mission to help secure their release.

August 5, 2009 – Lee and Ling are pardoned and released.

Matthew Miller
April 25, 2014 – North Korea’s news agency reports that Matthew Todd Miller was taken into custody on April 10. According to KCNA, Miller entered North Korea seeking asylum and tour up his tourist visa.

June 30, 2014 – North Korea says that it plans to prosecute Miller and another detained American tourist, Jeffrey Fowle, accusing them of “perpetrating hostile acts.”

September 14, 2014 – According to state-run media, Miller is convicted of committing “acts hostile” to North Korea and sentenced to six years of hard labor.

November 8, 2014 – The State Department announces Miller and Kenneth Bae have been released and are on their way home.

Merrill Newman
October 26, 2013 – Merrill Newman of Palo Alto, California, is detained in North Korea, according to his family. Just minutes before his plane is to depart, Newman is removed from the flight by North Korean authorities, his family says.

November 22, 2013 – The US State Department says North Korea has confirmed to Swedish diplomats that it is holding an American citizen. The State Department has declined to confirm the identity of the citizen, citing privacy issues, but the family of Newman says the Korean War veteran and retired financial consultant has been detained since October.

November 30, 2013 – KCNA reports Newman issued an apology to the people of North Korea, “After I killed so many civilians and (North Korean) soldiers and destroyed strategic objects in the DPRK during the Korean War, I committed indelible offensive acts against the DPRK government and Korean people.” His statement ends: “If I go back to (the) USA, I will tell the true features of the DPRK and the life the Korean people are leading.”

December 7, 2013 – Newman returns to the United States, arriving at San Francisco International Airport. North Korea’s state news agency reports Newman was released for “humanitarian” reasons.

Eddie Yong Su Jun
April 14, 2011 – The KCNA reports that US citizen Eddie Yong Su Jun was arrested in November 2010 and has been under investigation for committing a crime against North Korea. No details are provided on the alleged crime.

May 27, 2011 – Following a visit from the US delegation which includes the special envoy for North Korean human rights, Robert King, and the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the US Agency for International Development, Jon Brause, to North Korea, Yong Su Jun is released.

Otto Frederick Warmbier
January 2, 2016 – Otto Frederick Warmbier, a University of Virginia college student, is detained in North Korea after being accused of a “hostile act” against the government.

February 29, 2016 – The North Korean government releases a video of Warmbier apologizing for committing, in his own words, “the crime of taking down a political slogan from the staff holding area of the Yanggakdo International Hotel.” It is not known if Warmbier was forced to speak.

March 16, 2016 – Warmbier is sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for crimes against the state, a North Korean official tells CNN.

June 13, 2017 – Warmbier is transported back to the United States via medevac flight to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. There, doctors say that he has suffered severe brain damage. Doctors say Warmbier shows no current signs of botulism, which North Korean officials claim he contracted after his trial.

June 19, 2017 – Warmbier’s family issues a statement that he has died.

April 26, 2018 – Warmbier’s parents file a wrongful death lawsuit against the North Korean government charging that the country’s regime tortured and killed their son, according to lawyers for the family.

December 24, 2018 – A federal judge in Washington awards Warmbier’s parents more than half a billion dollars in the wrongful death suit against the North Korean government. North Korea did not respond to the lawsuit – the opinion was rendered as a so-called “default judgment” – and the country has no free assets in the US for which the family could make a claim.

Russia

Trevor Reed
2019 – While visiting a longtime girlfriend, Trevor Reed is taken into custody after a night of heavy drinking according to state-run news agency TASS and Reed’s family. Police tell state-run news agency RIA-Novosti that Reed was involved in an altercation with two women and a police unit that arrived at the scene following complaints of a disturbance. Police allege Reed resisted arrest, attacked the driver, hit another policeman, caused the car to swerve by grabbing the wheel and created a hazardous situation on the road, RIA stated.

July 30, 2020 – Reed is sentenced to nine years in prison for endangering “life and health” of Russian police officers.

April 1, 2021 – The parents of Reed reveal that their son served as a Marine presidential guard under the Obama administration – a fact they believe led Russia to target him.

April 27, 2022 – Reed is released in a prisoner swap.

June 14, 2022 – Reed tells CNN that he has filed a petition with the United Nations (UN), declaring that Russia violated international law with his detention and poor treatment.

Brittney Griner
February 17, 2022 – Two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist and WBNA star Brittney Griner is taken into custody following a customs screening at Sheremetyevo Airport. Russian authorities said Griner had cannabis oil in her luggage and accused her of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance, an offense the Russian government says is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

July 7, 2022 – Griner pleads guilty to drug charges in a Russian court.

August 4, 2022 – Griner is found guilty of drug smuggling with criminal intent and sentenced by a Russian court to 9 years of jail time with a fine of one million rubles (roughly $16,400).

October 25, 2022 – At an appeal hearing, a Russian judge leaves Griner’s verdict in place, upholding her conviction on drug smuggling charges and reducing only slightly her nine-year prison sentence.

November 9, 2022 – Griner’s attorney tells CNN she is being moved to a Russian penal colony where she is due to serve the remainder of her sentence.

December 8, 2022 – US President Biden announces that Griner has been released from Russian detention and is on her way home.

Turkey

Serkan Golge
July 2016 – While on vacation in Turkey, Serkan Golge is arrested and accused of having links to the Gulenist movement. Golge is a 37-year-old NASA physicist who holds dual Turkish-US citizenship.

February 8, 2018 – Golge is sentenced to 7.5 years in prison.

September 2018 – A Turkish court reduces Golge’s prison sentence to five years.

May 29, 2019 – The State Department announces that Golge has been released.

Andrew Brunson
October 2016 – Andrew Brunson, a North Carolina native, is arrested in Izmir on Turkey’s Aegean coast, where he is pastor at the Izmir Resurrection Church. Brunson, an evangelical Presbyterian pastor, is later charged with plotting to overthrow the Turkish government, disrupting the constitutional order and espionage.

March 2018 – A formal indictment charges Brunson with espionage and having links to terrorist organizations.

October 12, 2018 – Brunson is sentenced to three years and one month in prison but is released based on time served.

Venezuela

Timothy Hallett Tracy
April 24, 2013 – Timothy Hallett Tracy, of Los Angeles, is arrested at the Caracas airport, according to Reporters Without Borders. Tracy traveled to Venezuela to make a documentary about the political division gripping the country.

April 25, 2013 – In a televised address, newly elected President Nicolas Maduro says he ordered the arrest of Tracy for “financing violent groups.”

April 27, 2013 – Tracy is formally charged with conspiracy, association for criminal purposes and use of a false document.

June 5, 2013 – Tracy is released from prison and expelled from Venezuela.

Joshua Holt
May 26, 2018 – Joshua Holt and his Venezuelan wife, Thamara Holt, are released by Venezuela. The two had been imprisoned there since 2016. The American traveled to Venezuela to marry Thamara in 2016, and shortly afterward was accused by the Venezuelan government of stockpiling weapons and attempting to destabilize the government. He was held for almost two years with no trial.

“Citgo 6”

November 2017 – After arriving in Caracas, Venezuela, for an impromptu business meeting, Tomeu Vadell and five other Citgo executives – Gustavo Cardenas, Jorge Toledo, Alirio Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano and Jose Angel Pereira – are arrested and detained on embezzlement and corruption charges. Citgo is the US subsidiary of the Venezuelan oil and natural gas company PDVSA. Five of the six men are US citizens; one is a US legal permanent resident.

December 2019 – The “Citgo 6” are transferred from the detention facility, where they have been held without trial for more than two years, to house arrest.

February 5, 2020 – They are moved from house arrest into prison, hours after Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido met with US President Donald Trump

July 30, 2020 – Two of the men – Cárdenas and Toledo – are released on house arrest after a humanitarian visit to Caracas by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and a team of non-government negotiators.

November 27, 2020 – The six oil executives are found guilty and are given sentences between 8 to 13 years in prison.

April 30, 2021 – The men are released from prison to house arrest.

October 16, 2021 – The “Citgo 6,” all under house arrest, are picked up by the country’s intelligence service SEBIN, just hours after the extradition of Alex Saab, a Colombian financier close to Maduro.

March 8, 2022 – Cardenas is one of two detainees released from prison. The other, Jorge Alberto Fernandez, a Cuban-US dual citizen detained in Venezuela since February 2021, was accused of terrorism for carrying a small domestic drone. The releases take place after a quiet trip to Caracas by a US government delegation.

October 1, 2022 – US President Biden announces the release and return of Toledo, Vadell, Alirio Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano, and Pereira.

Matthew Heath

September 2020 – Is arrested and charged with terrorism in Venezuela.

June 20, 2022 – Family of Heath state that he has attempted suicide. “We are aware of reports that a US citizen was hospitalized in Venezuela,” a State Department spokesperson says. “Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.”

October 1, 2022 – US President Biden announces the release and return of Heath.

Airan Berry and Luke Denman

May 4, 2020 – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says two American “mercenaries” have been apprehended after a failed coup attempt to capture and remove him. Madura identifies the captured Americans as Luke Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41. On state television, Maduro brandishes what he claims are the US passports and driver’s licenses of the two men, along with what he says are their ID cards for Silvercorp, a Florida-based security services company.

May 5, 2020 – Denman appears on Venezuelan state TV. He is shown looking directly at the camera recounting his role in “helping Venezuelans take back control of their country.”

August 7, 2020 – Prosecutors announce that Berry and Denman have been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

December 20, 2023 – It is announced that the US has reached an agreement to secure the release of 10 Americans, including Berry and Denman, held in Venezuela.

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March 7, 2024
Quincy Jones Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here is a look at the life of musician, music producer and philanthropist, Quincy Jones.

Birth date: March 14, 1933

Birth place: Chicago, Illinois

Birth name: Quincy Delight Jones Jr.

Father: Quincy Delight Jones Sr., a carpenter.

Mother: Sarah Frances (Wells) Jones

Marriages: Peggy Lipton (1974-1990); Ulla Andersson (1967-1974); Jeri Caldwell (1957-1966)

Children: with Nastassja Kinski: Kenya; with Peggy Lipton: Rashida and Kidada; with Ulla Andersson: Quincy III and Martina; with Carol Reynolds: Rachel; with Jeri Caldwell: Jolie

Jones and his brother, Lloyd, were raised by their father and stepmother, Elvera, in Seattle and Bremerton, Washington. Their mother had been institutionalized in Chicago when they were very young.

An automobile accident at age 14, where Jones saw four of his friends killed, left him so traumatized that he has never driven a car.

Met Ray Charles when they were both teenagers starting out in the music industry. Jones arranged and produced for Charles, and later Charles performed on Jones’ albums. They remained friends until Charles’ death in 2004.

As an arranger in the 1950s, Jones worked with music industry legends such as Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Lionel Hampton and Frank Sinatra.

As a music producer for more than 60 years, he has worked with Miles Davis, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Lesley Gore, Jennifer Holliday, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Barry White and many more.

Jones has 80 Grammy Award nominations and 28 wins, including a Grammy Legend Award. He has seven Oscar nominations and received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He also has received four Emmy nominations, winning one.

Has scored over 30 movies and written the theme for television shows, documentaries and shorts.

Mid-1940s – Sings and plays trumpet with a gospel quartet.

1951 – Jones’ trumpet playing wins him a scholarship to the prestigious Schillinger House in Boston (now the Berklee College of Music). He leaves when the opportunity arises to join the Lionel Hampton Band.

1956 – Joins the Dizzy Gillespie band as trumpeter and musical director.

1957 – Moves to Paris to study. Works for Barclay Disques publishing music.

1961 – Jones is hired as a musical director for Mercury Records and a few months later advances to vice president.

1963 – Earns his first Grammy Award, Best Instrumental Arrangement for “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”

1963 – Produces “It’s My Party” for Lesley Gore on Mercury Records, his first pop single to reach number one.

August 1974 – Suffers a brain aneurysm, which forces him to stop playing the trumpet.

1977 – Wins an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the film “Roots.”

1982 – Produces Jackson’s album, “Thriller.”

1985 – Conductor and producer for “We Are the World,” the song recorded to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Producer and music composer for the film “The Color Purple.”

1991 – Receives the Grammy Legend Award.

1991-1993 – Co-produces the Montreux Jazz Festival. His association with the festival continues to present day.

1993 – Launches “Vibe” magazine.

1994-1999 – Chairman and CEO of Qwest Broadcasting, a minority-controlled television broadcasting company.

1995 – Receives the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

March 1996 – Executive Producer of the 68th Annual Academy Awards ceremony.

October 1, 2001 – Simon & Schuster publishes his autobiography, “Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones.”

2001 – Kennedy Center Honoree.

2008 – Publishes the book “The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey & Passions.”

2008 – Establishes the non-profit Quincy Jones Foundation.

April 18, 2013 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

July 11, 2017 – Jones’ 2013 lawsuit against Jackson’s estate goes to trial. Jones claims he is owed $30 million in unpaid royalties.

July 26, 2017 – Jones wins $9.42 million in damages in his lawsuit against Jackson’s estate.

September 21, 2018 – “Quincy,” a documentary about the life and legacy of Jones, debuts on Netflix. The film, directed by Alan Hicks and Jones’ daughter, Rashida Jones, wins a Grammy award in February 2019 for Best Music Film.

May 5, 2020 – An appellate court overturns a portion of Jones’ 2017 lawsuit against Jackson’s estate. The court rules that contract interpretation was a judicial function and not meant for the jury, which mistakenly awarded Jones $6.9 million. The $2.5 million award for fees stands.

September 20, 2020 – Jones enters into a global publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music. The deal covers administration of his current and future songwriting catalog. This includes over 2,000 compositions and work by songwriters Brothers Johnson, Siedah Garrett and others under his company.

September 27, 2023 – Jones is presented with the inaugural Peace Through Music Award by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Marson Jr. The awards recognize an American music industry professional who has played an invaluable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose music work advances peace and mutual understanding globally.

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March 6, 2024
Gloria Steinem Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here’s a look at the life of writer and activist Gloria Steinem.

Birth date: March 25, 1934

Birth place: Toledo, Ohio

Birth name: Gloria Marie Steinem

Father: Leo Steinem, an antique dealer

Mother: Ruth (Nuneviller) Steinem

Marriage: David Bale (2000-2003, his death)

Education: Smith College, B.A., 1956

Steinem’s paternal grandmother, Pauline Perlmutter Steinem, was the president of the Ohio Woman Suffrage Association.

Breast cancer survivor.

Did not spend a full year in school until age 12.

1956-1958 – Lives in India on a Chester Bowles Fellowship.

1960 – Moves to New York and begins working at Help! magazine.

September 1, 1962 – One of her first feature articles is published by Esquire magazine.

1963 – Works undercover as a “Bunny” at the Playboy Club in New York and then writes an exposé about the poor pay and working conditions.

1968 – Helps found New York magazine, and begins writing features and political columns including, “The City Politic.”

1969 – Begins writing and speaking about feminism after attending a meeting held by a women’s movement group that addressed the issue of abortion.

May 6, 1970 – Testifies before the United States Senate in support of the Equal Rights Amendment.

1971 – Co-founds the National Women’s Political Caucus, which works to increase the number of women in the political field.

1972 – Co-founds Ms. Magazine, the first feminist magazine, and the first to be created and operated entirely by women.

1973 – Co-founds the Ms. Foundation for Women.

November 18-21, 1977 – Organizes and attends the National Women’s conference in Texas. The conference is the first to be backed by the US government, and its purpose was proposing recommendations for widespread gender equality.

1983 – Steinem’s collection of essays “Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions” is published.

1992 – Steinem’s book “Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem” is published.

1992 – Co-founds Choice USA (now URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity), along with Julie Burton and Kristina Kiehl.

April 22, 1993 – Celebrates the first “Take Our Daughters To Work Day,” an educational program created by the Ms. Foundation to give girls a voice and presence in the workplace.

1993 – Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

January 12, 1993 – Co-produces the movie for television “Better off Dead” an examination of the parallels between abortion and the death penalty.

1996 – Creates the Women and AIDS Fund with the Ms. Foundation to support women living with HIV/AIDS.

2005 – Co-founds the Women’s Media Center with Jane Fonda and Robin Morgan.

2006 – Steinem’s book “Doing Sixty & Seventy” is published.

August 15, 2011 – The HBO documentary, “Gloria: In Her Own Words,” airs.

2013 – Steinem is a subject in the PBS documentary, “Makers,” a project that aims to record the stories of women who “made America.”

November 20, 2013 – Is awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by US President Barack Obama.

October 19, 2015 – Pens an op-ed in The Guardian declaring her support for 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

October 27, 2015 – Her memoir, “My Life on the Road,” is published.

February 5, 2016 – Steinem makes a controversial comment on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” saying young women are supporting Senator Bernie Sanders in the presidential race because “the boys are with Bernie.” She later apologizes and claims her comment was misinterpreted.

May 10, 2016 – Steinem’s television show “WOMAN” premieres on VICELAND.

October 18, 2018 – The Off-Broadway production, “Gloria: A Life,” officially opens at the Daryl Roth Theatre.

October 29, 2019 – Steinem’s book “The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off!” is published.

June 15, 2020 – Steinem and S. Mona Sinha co-write a New York Times letter to the editor opposing the elimination of civil rights protections for transgender healthcare.

September 30, 2020 – ”The Glorias,” a film is based on Steinem’s memoir “My Life on the Road,” premieres.

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March 6, 2024
Liza Minnelli Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here is a look at the life of Liza Minnelli, award winning singer and actress.

Birth date: March 12, 1946

Birth place: Los Angeles, California

Birth name: Liza May Minnelli

Father: Vincente Minnelli, director

Mother: Judy Garland, actress and singer

Marriages: David Gest (March 16, 2002-April 2007, divorced); Mark Gero (December 4, 1979-January 27, 1992, divorced); Jack Haley Jr. (September 15, 1974-April 9, 1979, divorced); Peter Allen (March 3, 1967-July 24, 1974, divorced)

Nominated for four Emmy Awards and won once.

Nominated for two Academy Awards and won once.

Nominated for three Tony Awards and won two. Also received a Special Tony Award in 1974.

Has struggled with addictions to alcohol and painkillers.

Has suffered numerous health problems, including hip replacement surgery, throat surgery and encephalitis.

1949 – Makes her first film appearance, uncredited, “In the Good Old Summertime,” playing Judy Garland’s daughter.

1960s – Begins her cabaret career playing in nightclubs across the United States.

1963 – Appears Off-Broadway in the musical, “Best Foot Forward.”

1964 – Appears onstage with her mother at the London Palladium.

May 11, 1965 – Broadway debut in the musical, “Flora the Red Menace.”

1965 – Wins Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for “Flora the Red Menace” and is the youngest actress ever to receive a Tony at the time.

1968 – Makes her first film appearance as an adult in “Charlie Bubbles.”

1972 – Has a variety special on NBC called “Liza with a Z: A Concert for Television.”

1973 – Wins Best Actress Academy Award for “Cabaret.”

1973 – Wins Emmy Outstanding Single Program-Variety and Popular Music for “Liza with a Z.”

January 6-26, 1974 – Her one-woman show, “Liza,” runs on Broadway.

1974 – Receives a special Tony Award for “adding luster to the Broadway season.”

1978 – Wins Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for “The Act.”

1990 – Receives the Grammy Legend Award, a special merit award given out annually to members of the recording field for ongoing contributions and influence.

October 23, 2000 – Is stricken with viral encephalitis.

September 21, 2001 – During the first major sporting event in New York since the 9/11 attacks, Minnelli sings “New York, New York” during the 7th inning stretch at Shea Stadium.

October 2003 – David Gest sues wife Minnelli for $10 million claiming lingering emotional and physical damage due to beatings he suffered at her hands. The case is dismissed September 2006.

2004 – Minnelli is sued by her former bodyguard, M’Hammed Soumayah, for assault and battery, breach of contract and sexual harassment. She countersues claiming he violated the confidentiality terms of his employment. The case is settled out of court in November 2009 and all settlement terms are confidential.

January 2007 – Ending months of acrimonious charges from both sides, Minnelli and Gest work out their differences and agree to divorce without fault on either side.

December 13, 2007 – Collapses during a Christmas concert in Sweden and is flown back to the United States.

July 11, 2011 – Receives the Legion of Honor award from France.

March 2015 – Her spokesperson Scott Gorenstein announces that Minnelli has entered a treatment facility for her addictions. She is there through part of April, according to her publicist.

March 27, 2022 – Minnelli and Lady Gaga appear on stage together to present the Oscar for best picture.

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February 22, 2024
Justin Bieber Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here’s a look at the life of Grammy Award-winning singer Justin Bieber.

Birth date: March 1, 1994

Birth place: London, Ontario, Canada

Birth name: Justin Drew Bieber

Father: Jeremy Bieber

Mother: Patricia Mallette

Marriage: Hailey Baldwin (2018-present)

Pattie Mallette was a teenage single mother who worked low paying jobs to support the family before her son became a star.

Taught himself to play guitar and piano as a child.

Fans of Bieber refer to themselves as “Beliebers” and describe themselves as having “Bieber Fever.”

Nominated for 23 Grammy Awards, and winner of two.

2007-2008 – Bieber’s mother begins posting videos of her son performing on YouTube. Record executive Scooter Braun sees the videos and flies Bieber and his mother to Atlanta and signs the teen to a contract.

2008 – Auditions for singer Usher and is signed to a contract on Island/Def Jam records.

May 2009 – Releases his first single, “One Time,” which goes platinum in the United States and Canada.

November 2009 – The seven-song EP “My World” is released, going platinum in the US.

November 2009 – Bieber’s appearance at Roosevelt Field Mall in New York must be canceled due to an out-of-control crowd of teen girls.

March 2010 – His first full-length album “My World 2.0” is released and debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. It sells approximately five million copies.

April 2010 – Performs on “Saturday Night Live.”

April 2010 – Police in Australia cancel a Bieber appearance after several girls are injured in the unruly crowd.

February 2011 – A 3D concert film, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,” is released.

November 2011 – Mariah Yeater, 20, files a lawsuit seeking child support, and a paternity test from Bieber. She alleges that she and the now 17-year-old Bieber had sex at a concert the previous year, and she now has a three-month-old son. The case is dropped a few weeks later.

November 2011 – Bieber’s second studio album, “Under the Mistletoe,” is released. It sells approximately two million copies.

June 2012 – His third studio album, “Believe,” is released and sells an estimated 2.7 million copies.

July 2012 – Involved in a high-speed chase with paparazzi in California.

March 4, 2013 – Bieber reportedly shows up two hours late to a concert in London, angering fans.

March 8, 2013 – Briefly hospitalized in London after feeling “light of breath.”

March 2013 – Bieber’s capuchin monkey, Mally, is confiscated by German customs officials. It is later taken in by a zoo in northern Germany.

July 2013 – A video is leaked showing Bieber allegedly urinating in a mop bucket and defacing a photo of former US President Bill Clinton. Bieber later apologizes to Clinton.

September 2013 – Bieber is widely mocked when photos are released showing his bodyguards carrying him up the Great Wall of China.

December 24, 2013 – Bieber announces on Twitter that he is retiring but later backtracks on the statement.

December 25, 2013 – His new movie, “Believe,” opens in theaters.

January 14, 2014 – Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies execute a search warrant at Bieber’s home in Calabasas, in connection with an alleged egging of his neighbor’s home.

January 23, 2014 – Bieber is arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and drag racing in Miami Beach, Florida.

January 29, 2014 – Bieber is charged with assault in Toronto for allegedly assaulting a limo driver on December 30. On the same day, Bieber’s attorney enters a written plea of not guilty on behalf of his client for charges he faces in Miami. He has been charged with DUI, resisting arrest and driving with an expired license.

May 12, 2014 – Los Angeles Police Department robbery detectives begin investigating a report of an alleged robbery “between an individual and Mr. Bieber near the batting cages” on Los Angeles’ west side.

July 9, 2014 – Bieber accepts a plea deal to settle a misdemeanor vandalism charge for egging his neighbor’s home in January. He must serve two years’ probation, pay $80,900 restitution for damages, and stay at least 100 yards way from the victim’s family.

August 13, 2014 – Pleads guilty to careless driving and resisting arrest, without violence, in his Miami DUI case. The plea agreement includes a charitable donation and an anger management course.

September 2, 2014 – Bieber is arrested on assault and dangerous driving charges stemming from an alleged fight after his ATV collides with a mini-van in Ontario, Canada. He is released on “a promise to appear” and is ordered to answer the charges at a later hearing in Stratford, Ontario.

September 8, 2014 – It is announced that the charge that Bieber assaulted his limo driver in Toronto in December has been dropped.

June 4, 2015 – Bieber is found guilty of assault and careless driving in Stratford, Ontario.

September 10, 2015 – The Guinness Book of World Records representative presents Bieber with a plaque for becoming the youngest male artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

February 15, 2016 – Wins the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for “Where Are Ü Now,” shared with Skrillex and Diplo.

July 18, 2017 – The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture releases a statement banning Bieber from performing in the Chinese capital. “His series of misbehaviors while living abroad and during his performances in China has caused public resentment,” reads the statement.

November 22, 2018 – After months of speculation that the pair had quietly married, the singer confirms his nuptials to model Hailey Baldwin on Instagram.

March 25, 2019 – In an Instagram post, Bieber announces that he’s taking time away from music to focus on his mental health.

December 24, 2019 – In a video posted on his YouTube page, Bieber announces a new album, a new single, a 50-city tour and a docuseries.

January 8, 2020 – Bieber reveals that he has been diagnosed with Lyme disease.

January 27, 2020 – “Justin Bieber: Seasons,” a 10-part YouTube docuseries debuts.

June 25, 2020 – Bieber files a $20 million defamation lawsuit against two women who accused him of sexual assault.

October 13, 2020 – Bieber launches a collection of shoes with comfort footwear brand Crocs, the Crocs X Justin Bieber with drew shoe.

March 14, 2021 – Wins the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “10,000 Hours,” with Dan + Shay.

June 10, 2022 – Bieber announces he is taking a break from performing because he has Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which has left him unable to move half of his face and unable to take the stage.

January 24, 2023 – Hipgnosis, the music rights investment company, announces its purchase of the rights to Bieber’s publishing and artist royalties from his song catalog, a deal valued at $200 million.

police said the singer struck a paparazzo with his truck while trying to drive away from an event in Beverly Hills. Video from the incident appeared to show Bieber attempting to aid the man he hit. No citations were issued. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1080″ width=”1920″/>

accused of allegedly punching a fan in Barcelona in November 2016. Video of the incident appeared to show the singer’s hand making contact with the young man’s face which was bloodied after the fan leaned into Bieber’s vehicle. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1837″ width=”2448″ loading=’lazy’/>

by pleading guilty to careless driving and resisting arrest. And he is on probation for a vandalism conviction that resulted from egging a neighbor’s home. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”720″ width=”1280″ loading=’lazy’/>

the pop star was plagued by the emergence of videos of himself as a young teen using racially offensive language. Then, in July, his neighbors complained to police that his house parties were inordinately noisy. Add the ATV accident in Ontario in August, and to round out his summer, there was a rumor that Bieber had gotten into an altercation with actor Orlando Bloom.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3000″ width=”2286″ loading=’lazy’/>

Bieber was cleared in an attempted robbery case. A woman had accused the singer in May of trying to steal her cellphone, but the Los Angeles city attorney decided there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute the singer.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2198″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>

Bieber being a hostile witness during a deposition the month before likely didn’t help sway the petitioners’ perception of him as “dangerous and reckless.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1125″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>

searched Bieber’s private airplane — thought to be the one pictured — January 31, 2014, at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. Officers said they detected an odor of what seemed like marijuana after the plane landed, law enforcement sources told CNN. Drug-sniffing dogs were used to search the plane, according to one of the sources, but no sign of drugs were detected and no illegal substances were found. The investigation was closed in July. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2699″ width=”4096″ loading=’lazy’/>

Bieber turned himself in at a Toronto police station on January 29, 2014, facing an assault charge stemming from an encounter with a limousine driver in December. But the charge was dropped in September after prosecutors decided there was “no reasonable prospect” of convicting Bieber of striking his limo driver on the back of his head, said Brendan Crawley, a spokesman for the Ontario attorney general’s office.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2217″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>

Bieber was arrested on suspicion of DUI and drag racing, according to police in Miami Beach, Florida. Bieber, seen here with model Chantel Jeffries the night before his arrest, eventually pleaded guilty of careless driving and resisting arrest. He also made a $50,000 donation to a youth charity as part of the plea deal.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2400″ width=”3600″ loading=’lazy’/>

a plea deal, Bieber was sentenced to two years’ probation. He was also ordered to complete 12 weekly anger management sessions, work five days of community labor and pay $80,900 in restitution to his former neighbor.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1125″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>

speeding to spitting. The news made Beliebers very sad.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>

New York Post’s Page Six alleged that Bieber had been spotted exiting a brothel while in Brazil. Then, a YouTube video sparked gossip that he’d done something less than innocent with the young woman featured in the clip. Bieber’s camp has had no response on the chatter. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”900″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

carry him up the stairs at the Great Wall of China.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”581″ width=”599″ loading=’lazy’/>

seemed to show Bieber relieving himself in a janitor’s mop bucket and then spraying a photo of Bill Clinton with what appeared to be a cleaner fluid while saying “F*** Bill Clinton.” Bieber later apologized to the former president, but personalities like Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali had a field day.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”4110″ width=”2377″ loading=’lazy’/>

reportedly involved in a Los Angeles accident involving a pedestrian.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”3078″ width=”3168″ loading=’lazy’/>

the magazine reported. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2409″ width=”3375″ loading=’lazy’/>

attempted to grab him during a concert in the United Arab Emirates. Also that month, a safe in a stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, was raided after a Bieber performance. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”720″ width=”1280″ loading=’lazy’/>

and was promptly criticized for saying that he hoped the teen, who died in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, would have been a “Belieber.” Visitors to the Anne Frank Facebook page had plenty to say. “Glad he went, but, the last sentence is VERY self serving. he missed the lessons of Anne totally,” wrote one observer.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”900″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

was taken by custom officials in Germany at the end of March 2013. Mally is shown here in the quarantine station at the Munich-Riem animal shelter in Munich.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2727″ width=”4096″ loading=’lazy’/>

“worst birthday.” Not only was he ragged on by actress Olivia Wilde for going shirtless in the city, he also had a bit of beef with a “weak a** club.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”900″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

ticked off his fans in March 2013 after he showed up a reported two hours late to a concert at London’s O2 Arena. He disputed that in a tweet, however, saying he was only 40 minutes behind schedule.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2799″ width=”4200″ loading=’lazy’/>

telling the photographer that he’d “f*** him up.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=’lazy’/>

ragged on by Wilde for going topless in London, Bieber strolled through a Polish airport terminal sans shirt on March 25, 2013.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1101″ width=”1440″ loading=’lazy’/>

Both the “Belieber” and Bieber’s rep denied he was touching her breast.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”900″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

TMZ identified as marijuana. He poked fun of the incident when he hosted “Saturday Night Live” in February. “I also heard he got busted for smoking weed and he’s really sorry about it and that people make mistakes and that he’s never going to do it again,” Bieber said while playing a character during a skit with Vanessa Bayer.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”720″ width=”1280″/>

was killed crossing the street after taking pictures of Bieber’s Ferrari. Bieber, who wasn’t present at the scene, said in a statement: “While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1735″ width=”3000″/>

Justin Bieber’s troubled timeline

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February 21, 2024
Woody Allen Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here’s a look at the life of Oscar-winning filmmaker Woody Allen.

Birth date: December 1, 1935

Birth place: Brooklyn, New York

Birth name: Allan Stewart Konigsberg

Father: Martin Konigsberg, worked various jobs

Mother: Nettie (Cherry) Konigsberg, bookkeeper

Marriages: Soon-Yi Previn (December 22, 1997-present), Louise Lasser (divorced), Harlene Rosen (divorced)

Children: daughters adopted with Soon-Yi Previn: Manzie Tio Allen (2000), Bechet Dumaine Allen (1998); with Mia Farrow: Satchel Farrow (1987, now goes by Ronan), Dylan O’Sullivan Farrow (1985, adopted daughter), Moses Farrow (1978, adopted)

Education: Attended New York University and City College of New York.

He legally changed his name at 17 to Heywood Allen.

Allen has worked as a comedy writer, stand-up comic, screenwriter, actor, playwright, musician and director.

He has 24 Oscar nominations and four wins: 16 for writing, with three wins; seven for directing, with one win; and one nomination for acting.

Allen has one Emmy nomination for writing.

Allen has appeared in dozens of the movies he’s directed and claims to have never watched his films once they are released.

Although Allen is best known for comedies, he has explored different genres including dramas (“Interiors”), thrillers (“Match Point”) and musicals (“Everyone Says I Love You”).

Most of his movies have been filmed in and around New York.

He plays the jazz clarinet and piano.

1950-1960 – Comedy writer.

1961-1964 – A standup comic.

July 1964 – Releases his first comedy album, “Woody Allen.”

June 22, 1965 – The first movie he wrote and performed in, “What’s New Pussycat?” is released.

November 17, 1966 – “Don’t Drink the Water,” Allen’s first play, opens on Broadway.

February 12, 1969-March 14, 1970 – “Play It Again, Sam,” his second play, runs on Broadway with Allen in the lead. In 1972, he reprises his role in the movie adaptation.

1978 – “Annie Hall” wins four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay Written for the Screen and Best Actress. Allen earns two of the four Oscars as writer and director. He is also nominated for Best Actor but does not win.

1987 – Wins the Academy Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for “Hannah and Her Sisters.” He is also nominated for Best Director for the same film.

1992 – His 12 year relationship with actress Mia Farrow ends when she discovers his affair with her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. Subsequently, allegations of sexual molestation are made by their adopted daughter, Dylan, 7. A two-year custody battle for their three children Satchel, Dylan and Moses ensues, which Farrow wins.

April 1998 – The documentary, “Wild Man Blues,” is released, showcasing Allen’s love for the jazz clarinet and his association with the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band.

2002 – Makes his only appearance at an Academy Awards ceremony. He appeals for the continued use of New York as a setting for movies after September 11, 2001.

2012 – Wins an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “Midnight in Paris.”

February 1, 2014 – An open letter written by Dylan Farrow is published in the New York Times, recounting her allegation that Allen sexually assaulted her when she was a child. A representative for Allen releases a statement the next day, denying the charges.

February 7, 2014 – Allen responds in an op-ed column released by The New York Times. He says the allegations are untrue and rooted in his acrimonious breakup with Mia Farrow.

September 30, 2016 – Allen’s first video streaming series, “Crisis in Six Scenes” debuts on Amazon.com.

January 2018 – Several actors who appeared in Allen’s latest film, “A Rainy Day in New York,” announce they will be donating their salaries to charity amid questions about longstanding sexual abuse claims against Allen. The movie has yet to be released.

September 16, 2018 – In a New York magazine profile, Soon-Yi Previn defends Allen against allegations of molestation.

February 7, 2019 – Allen and his production company file a lawsuit against Amazon claiming the company backed out of a $68 million four-picture deal.

November 8, 2019 – Allen and his production company reach a settlement with Amazon in a breach of contract lawsuit.

March 23, 2020 – Allen’s memoir “Apropos of Nothing” is published by Arcade Publishing. Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, originally acquired the rights to the book but canceled their plans to publish it after employees walked out in protest.

February 21, 2021 – “Allen v. Farrow,” a four-part HBO docuseries that examines Allen’s relationship with Farrow and sexual-assault allegations by their daughter Dylan premieres.

March 28, 2021 – In an interview for “CBS Sunday Morning,” Allen denies the sexual abuse allegation by his daughter Dylan.

June 7, 2022 – “Zero Gravity,” Allen’s new essay collection is published.

September 27, 2023 – Allen releases his 50th film and first French-language film, “Coupe de Chance.”

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November 21, 2023
Bette Midler Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here is a look at the life of award-winning singer, actress, comedian and activist Bette Midler.

Birth date: December 1, 1945

Birth place: Honolulu, Hawaii

Birth name: Bette Davis Midler

Father: Fred Midler, house painter

Mother: Ruth (Schindel) Midler, seamstress

Marriage: Martin von Haselberg (1984-present)

Children: Sophie

Education: Attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa

Named after actress Bette Davis.

Nominated for 14 Grammy Awards and has won three.

Nominated for nine Emmy Awards and has won three.

Nominated for two Academy Awards and has not won.

Nominated for one Tony Award and has won once.

She was the valedictorian of her high school class.

1965 – Moves to New York City after winning a small part in the movie, “Hawaii.”

1966 – Makes her Broadway debut in “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Early 1970s – Performs at the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in New York, with Barry Manilow as her pianist, arranger and musical director.

1970 – Midler appears on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson for the first time.

April 28-May 16, 1971 – Midler stars as the “Acid Queen” in the first professional production of the rock opera, “Tommy.”

November 1972 – Releases her first album on Atlantic Records, “The Divine Miss M.”

March 2, 1974 – Wins the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

April 1974 – Receives a special Tony Award for “adding lustre to the Broadway season.”

September 17, 1978 – Wins the Emmy Award for Outstanding Special in a Comedy-Variety or Musical for “Ol’ Red Hair is Back.”

November 7, 1979 – Her first film, “The Rose,” is released. It is loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin.

1980 – Simon & Schuster publishes her first book, “A View from a Broad.”

February 25, 1981 – Wins the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Performance, for her single, “The Rose.”

January 28, 1985 – Midler joins 45 other stars to record “We Are the World,” USA for Africa’s fund-raising single.

1985 – Forms All Girl Productions, with partner Bonnie Bruckheimer.

November 22, 1988 – Releases the soundtrack to the film “Beaches.” The album goes triple platinum, and the title track, “Wind Beneath My Wings,” goes to number one.

February 21, 1990 – Wins the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for “Wind Beneath My Wings,” with producer Arif Mardin.

September 15, 1991 – Is presented with the Commitment to Life Award from AIDS Project Los Angeles for her work in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

August 30, 1992 – Wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program for her May 21, 1992, appearance as one of the two final guests of “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.

December 12, 1993 – Stars as “Mama Rose” in the television version of the famed Broadway play, “Gypsy.”

July 7, 1995 – Midler begins The New York Restoration Project, a non-profit focusing on beautifying the open spaces in under-resourced communities in New York.

September 14, 1997 – Wins the Emmy for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program for her HBO special “Diva Las Vegas.”

2003 – Joins forces with Barry Manilow for the first time since the 1970s to record “Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook.”

February 20, 2008 – “Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On” debuts at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The show includes the Harlettes, the Caesar Salad Girls, and a 13-piece band. The show ends its run in January 2010.

March 20, 2011 – “Priscilla: Queen of the Desert,” opens on Broadway. Midler is co-producer of the show which runs through June 2012.

June 14, 2012 – Receives the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

April 24, 2013 – “I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers” opens on Broadway with Midler’s portrayal of the famous Hollywood agent. The show runs through June 2013.

November 4, 2014 – Releases her 14th studio album “It’s the Girls,” a tribute to the music of famous girl-groups over the years.

June 11, 2017 – Wins a Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for “Hello Dolly.”

September 14, 2017 – Takes a tumble during a Broadway performance of “Hello Dolly” after two set pieces collide and gets back on stage after a short break to resume her performance.

June 29, 2019 – Headlines New York’s Pride Main Event, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Stonewall at WorldPride NYC. The event is held at the Javits Center in Manhattan and includes performances by Cyndi Lauper, Billy Porter and Brandy.

February 16, 2021 – Midler’s children’s book, “The Tale of the Mandarin Duck,” is published.

December 5, 2021 – Receives the Kennedy Center Honors lifetime achievement award.

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November 21, 2023
Academy Awards Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here is some background information about the Academy Awards, also known as the “Oscars.”

March 10, 2024 – The 96th Annual Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting.

March 12, 2023 – The 95th Annual Academy Awards ceremony takes place, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting.

Best Picture

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Actor in a Leading Role

Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”

Actress in a Leading Role

Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Director

Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

The full list of winners

Best Picture
“CODA”

Actor in a Leading Role
Will Smith, “King Richard”

Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”

Actor in a Supporting Role
Troy Kotsur, “CODA”

Director
Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”

The full list of winners

PricewaterhouseCoopers accounting firm has tallied the ballots since 1934. Newspaper headlines announced the winners before the ceremony until 1941, when the sealed envelope system was put in place. Prior to a PwC envelope mix-up in 2017, when an error was made during the award announcement for Best Picture, only two partners from the firm knew the results until the envelopes were opened. After 2017, new procedures were adopted, which include adding a third balloting partner to also memorize the list of winners. The third partner sits with Oscar producers in the control room while the other two balloting partners are posted on opposite sides of the stage. Additionally, the PwC partners are prohibited from using cellphones and social media backstage during the show.

Walt Disney is the most honored person in Oscar history. He received 59 nominations and 26 competitive awards throughout his career.

Composer John Williams is the most nominated living person – 52 nominations (including five wins).

Meryl Streep is the most nominated performer in Academy history with 21 nominations.

Jack Nicholson is the most nominated male performer in Academy history with 12 nominations.

Katharine Hepburn had the most Oscar wins for a performer, with four.

Daniel Day-Lewis is the only person to have three Best Actor Oscars.

Tatum O’Neal is the youngest person to ever win a competitive Oscar at 10 years, 148 days old.

Only three films have won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing: in 1934, “It Happened One Night”; in 1975, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”; and in 1991, “The Silence of the Lambs.”

No one film has ever taken home all six top prizes, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress.

Scientific and Technical Awards are given out in a separate ceremony for methods, discoveries or inventions that contribute to the arts and sciences of motion pictures.

May 16, 1929 – The first Academy Awards are held in the Blossom Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Tickets cost $5.

1929 – The first Best Picture award goes to “Wings.”

1929 – The first statuette ever presented is to Emil Jannings, for his Best Actor performance in “The Last Command.”

1937 – The first presentation of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award is given to Darryl F. Zanuck.

1938 – Due to extensive flooding in Los Angeles, the ceremony is delayed for one week.

March 19, 1953 – First televised ceremony is from the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.

1966 – The awards are first broadcast in color.

1968 – Due to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the ceremony is moved forward two days as the original date is the day of King’s funeral.

1976-present – ABC broadcasts the Oscars.

1981 – Due to the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, the ceremony is postponed 24 hours.

2001 – The Best Animated Feature Film category is added.

June 23, 2009 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces that beginning in 2010, 10 films will receive nominations in the Best Picture category, instead of five.

June 26, 2009 – The Academy announces that beginning in 2010, new rules governing the Best Song category may eliminate that category in any given year. Also, the Irving G. Thalberg and Jean Hersholt honorary awards will be given at a separate ceremony in November.

June 14, 2011 – The Academy announces new rules governing the Best Picture category, the number of movies nominated may vary from 5 – 10 in any given year and will not be known until the nominees are announced. The new rule goes into effect in 2012.

November 9, 2011 – Eddie Murphy drops out as host of the Oscars in February 2012, one day after producer Brett Ratner quits the show, because of a remark he made that was considered homophobic.

January 18, 2016 – Following criticism two years in a row about the lack of diversity with Oscar nominees, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the president of the Academy, issues a statement saying that “in the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond.”

January 24, 2017 – The romantic musical, “La La Land,” picks up 14 Oscar nominations, tying the record held by “All About Eve” and “Titanic.” After complaints in 2016 about a lack of diversity, six Black actors receive nominations for their performances, a record.

February 26, 2017 – Following the moment “La La Land” is mistakenly announced as best picture, “Moonlight” becomes the first film with an all-Black cast to win the Academy Award for best picture. Additionally, Mahershala Ali is the first Muslim actor to win best supporting actor.

August 8, 2018 – In a letter to members, the Academy announces that it is adding a new category in 2019 for outstanding achievement in popular film. The letter doesn’t specify the criteria for a “popular” film.

September 6, 2018 – The Academy announces that it is rethinking the decision to add a popular film category. Academy CEO Dawn Hudson says in a statement, “There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members.”

December 6, 2018 – Kevin Hart steps down from hosting the Oscars after past homophobic tweets surface.

February 5, 2019 – ABC confirms that the Academy Awards will be hostless. This will be the first time in 30 years that the ceremony will be without a host.

February 9, 2020 – “Parasite” becomes the first non-English film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. It is also the first film to win both Best International Feature and Best Picture.

February 9, 2020 – The 92nd Academy Awards draws an average of 23.6 million views, the lowest ratings in the show’s history.

June 15, 2020 – For the first time in 40 years, the Academy postpones the 93rd Oscars. The last time the Oscars were postponed was in 1981, when the ceremony was delayed 24 hours because of an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. In addition to the delay, the Academy agrees to extend the eligibility window for films, which usually corresponds to the calendar year. For the 2021 Oscars, the new window will be extended until February 28, 2021.

September 8, 2020 – The Academy announces that movies must meet certain criteria in terms of representation in order to be eligible for the Academy Award for best picture beginning in 2024. Introduced under an initiative called Aperture 2025, the organization says the goal is to “encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience.”

April 25, 2021 – Yuh-jung Youn is named best supporting actress for her role in “Minari” and becomes the first Korean actress to win an Oscar. Chloe Zhao is named best director for “Nomadland” and becomes the first woman of color and the first woman of Asian descent to earn the award. She is also only the second woman to win.

May 27, 2021 – The Academy announces that the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony will be held in March 2022, a month later than originally scheduled.

March 27, 2022 – Will Smith slaps Chris Rock on the face after Rock makes a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head while presenting the award for best documentary. Smith then says “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!” twice. Censors muted the verbal part of the exchange for viewers at home in the United States.

March 12, 2023 – Michelle Yeoh is named best actress for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” becoming the first woman of Asian descent to win the award.

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November 16, 2023
Grammy Awards Fast Facts | CNN

CNN
—

Here is a look at the Grammy Awards.

February 4, 2024 – The The 66th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena.

February 5, 2023 – The 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony takes place in Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena.

Album of the Year
“World Music Radio,” Jon Batiste
“the record,” boygenius
“Endless Summer Vacation,” Miley Cyrus
“Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” Lana Del Rey
“The Age Of Pleasure,” Janelle Monáe
“GUTS,” Olivia Rodrigo
“Midnights,” Taylor Swift
“SOS,” SZA

Record of the Year
“Worship,” Jon Batiste
“Not Strong Enough,” boygenius
“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus
“What Was I Made For?,” Billie Eilish
“On My Mama,” Victoria Monét
“Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo
“Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift
“Kill Bill,” SZA

Song of the Year
“A&W,” Lana Del Rey
“Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift
“Butterfly,” Jon Batiste
“Dance The Night,” Dua Lipa
“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus
“Kill Bill,” SZA
“Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo
“What Was I Made For?,” Billie Eilish

Best New Artist
Gracie Abrams
Fred again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Coco Jones
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét
The War And Treaty

Complete List of Nominees

Album of the Year
“Harry’s House,” Harry Styles

Record of the Year
“About Damn Time,” Lizzo

Song of the Year
“Just Like That,” Bonnie Raitt

Best New Artist
Samara Joy

Complete List of Winners

1957 – The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, also known as The Recording Academy, is founded in Los Angeles.

May 4, 1959 – The first Grammy Awards ceremony is held. Winners included Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Perry Como.

1963 – Bing Crosby receives the first Lifetime Achievement Award.

1971 – Andy Williams hosts the first live Grammy Awards telecast at the Hollywood Palladium.

1973 – The Grammy Hall of Fame is established.

1983 – The music video category is added.

1984 – The Reggae category is added.

1987 – The New Age category is added.

1988 – The Rap category is added.

1988 – The Grammy Foundation is established.

1990 – The Alternative category is added.

1993 – The Recording Academy opens its new national headquarters in Santa Monica, California.

1994 – The Technical Award is established.

1997 – The Latin Recording Academy is established.

September 13, 2000 – The first Latin Grammy Awards are presented.

December 2008 – The Grammy Museum opens in Los Angeles.

June 2020 – The Recording Academy announces changes to its awards and nominations process, including no longer using the term “urban” to describe music of black origin in its awards. The changes are made as part of the organization’s “commitment to evolve with the musical landscape.”

January 5, 2021 – According to a joint statement from the Recording Academy, CBS and show producers, the Grammy Awards, originally scheduled for January 31, are postponed until March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

January 5, 2022 – Organizers of the Grammy Awards, scheduled for January 31, postpone the event for a second year in a row, citing the current Covid-19 surge.

February 5, 2023 – Beyoncé becomes the most awarded artist in Grammys history, with a record 32 wins. The award that put her over the edge was best dance/electronic album, which she won for her record “Renaissance.”

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November 10, 2023