Back in the Day-Michael Did Not Bleach His Skin, Know What I Mean Vern, and Elvis’ First Recording

February 10th a great day in history, Elvis made his first recording, Van Halen’s first album, and we lost a few great actors.

1846 – The MORMONS began their exodus from Illinois to Utah.

1863 – P.T. BARNUM staged the wedding of GENERAL TOM THUMB and Mercy Lavinia Warren, both little people, in New York City. The tiny couple had to stand on a piano to greet their guests.

1956 – ELVIS PRESLEY made his first recording in Nashville. “Heartbreak Hotel” was the A-side; “I Was The One” was the B-side.

1978 – VAN HALEN’S DEBUT ALBUM WAS RELEASED! The self-titled LP has sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. . . . and contains the monster jams “You Really Got Me”, “Runnin’ With The Devil”, “Jamie’s Cryin’” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love”!

1979 – DIRE STRAITS’ MASTERPIECE, “SULTANS OF SWING”, WAS RELEASED.

1987 -  Surgeon General C. EVERETT KOOP told a House panel he supported TV ads for prophylactics because of the health threat posed by AIDS.

1992 – MIKE TYSON was convicted of raping Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America contestant.

1993 – In OPRAH WINFREY’S 90-minute TV interview, MICHAEL JACKSON dispelled the, quote, “god-awful rumors including bleaching my skin.”

He said his “whiteness” was caused by a disorder that destroys pigmentation of the skin called vitiligo.

–He also admitted that he had MINOR plastic surgery on his once-normal nose. Ninety million people tuned in, making the program the fourth most-watched show in America (excluding Super Bowls) of all-time.

1993 – GARRY KASPAROV, arguably the greatest chess player of all time, was defeated by IBM supercomputer Deep Blue.

2000 – JIM VARNEY, the master thespian who starred in FOURTEEN “Ernest” movies,  and did the voice of Slinky Dog in “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″, died of cancer at 50.

2005 – TOM SIZEMORE was arrested for using a prosthetic penis to try to pass a drug test. He was sentenced to 17 months in prison and then another four months in a drug treatment program.

2008 – “Jaws” superstar ROY SCHEIDER died of cancer at the age of 75.

(via Thursday’s Back In The Day Events » Birthdays And Holidays » More Sections » The Complete Sheet » Wise Brother Media.)