One of hockey’s iconic moments happened tonight in 1970, when Bobby Orr took a give and go from Derek Sanderson and scored 40 seconds into overtime to complete a four game sweep over the St. Louis Blues and give Boston it’s first Stanley Cup in 29 years. Believe it or not, that photo did not make Sports Illustrated’s top 100 sports photographs list last year. Really, SI?

Did the ’80’s style officially kick off today in 1982, with the release of Duran Duran’s “Rio”? It only peaked at #6 on the Billboard charts, but it remained on the list for 129 weeks. Don Johnson noticed. Hit singles included, “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Rio,” “Save a Prayer,” and “New Religion.”

Madonna’s homage to herself (which one?), “Truth or Dare” hit screens today in 1991. It was a sort of boring episode of “Behind the Music.”

Weezer released their debut album today in 1994. Entitled, “Weezer,” it’s always been known as the Blue Album. It was a fantastic debut and set the course for Weezer’s beguiling run. Hits were “Buddy Holly,” “Undone-The Sweater Song,” and “Say it Ain’t So.” The best songs on the album are “My Name is Jonas” “Surf Wax America.”

Today in 1893 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Nix vs. Hedden that the tomato is a vegetable and not a fruit. Imagine the peace the justices slept with that night… but the debate rages to this day.

Bono is 53 years old today and Chris Berman is 58. For someone who was born in 1955, it’s sort of odd that Berman doesn’t have a pop culture reference beyond his 20th birthday. The once beloved anchor has done too much of this to stay that way:

— Bill Hubbell

“The Cosby Show” ended its eight year run tonight in 1992. The last episode was titled, “And So We Commence.” Theo graduates from college and Cliff remembers how he thought his son would never live up to his potential. The show was about an upper middle class family living in Brooklyn. It starred comedian Bill Cosby and a lot of sweaters. Lisa Bonet had the look of a breakout star, but it never happened for her.

It was today in 1945 that Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun killed themselves a day after getting married. I’ve heard of bad honeymoons, but that’s right up there.

Today in 1975 marked the Fall of Saigon as Communist forces took control of South Vietnam, signaling the end of the war and denting the US’s perfect record.

A crazed fan came out of the crowd and stabbed Monica Seles today in 1993.

“Mean Girls” hit the screen today in 2004. The movie that would launch the career of Lindsey Lohan instead pushed Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried toward stardom.

— Bill Hubbell

Today in 1990 the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into space from the Shuttle Challenger. If I had a nickel for every time someone’s asked me, “like the telescope?” I’d have about a dollar. (People hate science.)

Talk about Argofuckyourself…. today in 1980 Jimmy Carter’s limp-ass military launched Operation Eagle Claw in an attempt to rescue the 52 Americans being held hostage in Iran. It was one of Delta Force’s first missions and it failed miserably. Eight helicopters were sent to the initial staging area, but only five showed up operational. In planning the rescue mission, it was decided that the mission could be aborted if six or less of the helicopters remained operational, even though only four were needed for the mission. The commanders of the mission asked Carter if they could abort and in a decision that is still discussed in military circles, Carter aborted the mission. Eight US servicemen then died when one of the helicopters crashed into a transport aircraft. I think it was the only time in its history the US ever dropped to “others receiving votes” in the world power rankings.

Today in 1953 Queen Elizabeth II knighted Winston Churchill. Nick Faldo has since been knighted. That’s sort of like Babe Ruth and Don Sutton both being in the baseball Hall of Fame, no?

It was today in 2005 that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the name, Pope Benedict XVI. He resigned earlier this year, becoming the first Pope to step down since 1415 and the first to do so of his own accord since 1294. I think you can find him singing karaoke on Tuesday nights at Joe’s Crab Shack in Naples.

Tom Petty released his first solo album today in 1989, “Full Moon Fever.” Some of the Heartbreakers were a little pissed off about it, but all but one of them ended up contributing at least a little. Petty tells a great story about how Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein heard a track and shook his head no and called it terrible. The song was “Free Falling.” The lesson, as always, the lead singer is the lead singer is the lead singer. (Unless it’s Stillwater.) That song, “Running Down a Dream,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “Yer So Bad,” “The Apartment Song,” “Zombie Zoo,” I’d say TP did okay.

David Robinson wrapped up the NBA scoring title tonight in 1994 by scoring 71 points against the Clippers, to finish the year with a 29.8 average, besting Shaquille O’Neal’s 29.3. At the time Robinson was just the fourth NBA player to score over 70 in a game, joining Wilt, Elgin and David Thompson. Kobe has since joined them.

Barbara Streisand is 71, Danny Noonan (Michael O’keefe) is 58, Kelly Clarkson is 31 and Tyson Ritter (All-American Rejects) is 29.

Ritter:

1. Gives You Hell
2. The Last Song
3. It Ends Tonight
4. I For You
5. Kids in the Street
6. Dirty Little Secret
7. Swing Swing

— Bill Hubbell

I was living in Scottsdale on April 22, 2004, and it was like the entire city had the wind knocked out of it as the news spread across the radio. Pat Tillman, the ASU and Arizona Cardinal great had been killed in Afghanistan. Tillman had given up the life of a successful professional athlete join the Army after 9/11. He became an Army Ranger and was killed by friendly fire in the hellish mountains of Afghanistan. Tillman’s legacy became complicated in the near term after his death in a way that would have pissed him off to no end. He was a man who followed the voice in his head no matter what, and that’s a brave thing to do.

It was today in 2000 that federal agents stormed a home in Miami to seize 6-year old Elian Gonzalez and returned him to Cuba to live with his father. Gonzalez had been living with relatives in Miami. He turns 20 later this year and is in the Cuban Army.

Prince released his follow up to “Purple Rain” today in 1985, “Around the World in a Day.” Though it was no “Purple Rain,” it was still fantastic, with “Raspberry Beret,” “Paisley Park,” “Pop Life,” “Around the World in a Day,” and “America.”

Happy 76th to Jack Nicholson and 77th to Glen Campbell.

Nicholson:

1. A Few Good Men (the scene is court gets all the attention… this one might be better)
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
3. As Good As It Gets
4. Chinatown
5. Terms of Endearment

Campbell:

1. Rhinestone Cowboy
2. Gentle on My Mind
3. I’d Build a Bridge
4. Sunflower
5. Galveston
6. Wichita Lineman
7. A Better Place (off his last album, after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he sings beautifully about moving on)

— Bill Hubbell