This is Times Square in New York City, the site of the annual New
Year’s Eve ball drop since 1907. It replaced an extravagant fireworks
display from the top of the Times Building that was held from 1904 
until it was outlawed by city officials in 1906.

In 1904 The New York Times moved operations to a new skyscraper,
center above, at what was then called, Longacre Square on 42nd St.

The debut performance of THE BEACH BOYS was at the Ritchie
Valens Memorial Dance in Long Beach. The dance was headlined
by Ike & Tina Turner. The boys made only $50 apiece.

 
Rick Nelson and his band were on their way to a New Year’s Eve
sock-hop in Dallas, Texas when a fire broke out aboard their 
plane, a Douglas DC-3. The pilots were forced to make a crash  
landing northeast of Dallas. Nelson and his fiancee were killed   
along with five members of his band. Both pilots were able to 
escape through the cockpit windows and survived. After an 
investigation into the crash, the cause was found to be a 
mechanical problem with the cabin heater. 

   
                               The crash site in De Kalb, Texas

 
Nelson’s grave marker at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, Cal.

  Bo Diddley (Ellas Otha Bates) influenced many legendary 
  performers including Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, 
  and the Rolling Stones. He co-wrote Mickey & Sylvia’s 1957 hit  
  Love Is Strange. Bo Diddley was inducted into both the Rock and 
  Roll Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1987. Bo was 
  79 when he died in 2008. 

The English short-story writer,poet,and novelist was born in
Bombay, India. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in
1907. Kipling is best known for his collection of fiction
stories, The Jungle Book.