Eugene Allen “Gene” Hackman is a retired actor and a novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and
two British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards in a career that spanned
four decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow
in Bonnie and Clyde. His major subsequent films include his role as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection (1970) Hooseriers (1986), Unforgiven (1992) and
his final film role before retirement was in Welcome to Mooseport (2004). 

           Gene Hackman, left, and Warren Beatty from Bonnie and Clyde

Elvis Presley made his first national television appearance on CBS’s Stage Show. The program, produced in New York, was hosted on alternate weeks by big band leaders
and brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Elvis was booked for six appearances on the show over a two month period.

Music legend Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John” became the
100th number one single of the Rock era on this date in
1961. Jimmy wrote the song in an hour and a half while
flying to Nashville for a recording session. It was his
only chart topper.