Cars

While on a camping holiday, automobile manufacturer Henry Ford, recording pioneer Thomas A. Edison, and tire company owner Harvey Firestone, visit Paris, Michigan, USA. During the visit they meet a top local fiddler, Jep Bisbee. The visit will inspire Ford to launch a campaign, by means of musical competitions, to resurrect the dance music of his youth. Bisbee will go on to make recordings for Edison Records.

U.S. Highway System Route 66 is established, running from Chicago, Illinois, USA, to Los Angeles, California - a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). The road will be immortalised in the song Route 66, written by Bobby Troup and first recorded by The Nat King Cole Trio. Later versions will be recorded by Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, The Manhattan Transfer and Depeche Mode to name but a few. The road will also become the subject of the Route 66 television show in the 1960s.

After an intense, hours-long gun-battle with FBI agents who have surrounded her house at 13250 East Highway C-25, Ocklawaha, Florida, USA, gang leader Ma Barker is shot dead. She will be immortalised in song by Boney M's 1977 hit single Ma Baker - in which her name is slightly modified to make it easier to sing.

After a lengthy trial, indpendent car manufacturer Preston Tucker and six other Tucker Corporation executives are found not guilty of charges of fraud. It had been alleged that Tucker had been misusing company funds, but the trial was widely seen as part of a high-level conspiracy by the major automobile industry companies to destroy the Tucker Corporation. Although Tucker had won the day in court, his company was now in ruins. The story is told in the 1999 song The Big Three Killed My Baby by The White Stripes.

Popular vocalist Mindy Carson plays the ninth night of a two-week season at the Thunderbird Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

R'n'b vocal group The Ravens play the first night of two weeks at The Thunderbird Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

R'n'b vocal group The Ravens play the third night of two weeks at The Thunderbird Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Tennessee Ernie Ford and Molly Bee, with Cliffie Stone And His Orchestra, record Don't Start Courtin In A Hot Rod and We're A' Growin' Up in Capitol Studios, Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Chrysler announces the launch of Highway Hi-Fi, a 45rpm record player designed for use in the full Chrysler Corporation range of vehicles - Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto and Imperial. The specially-manufactured Highway Hi-Fi discs can hold up to an hour of music and "A choice of popular and classical recordings, as well as recorded readings, is available."

Erroll Garner is in Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City, USA, with concussion, following a recent vehicular accident in which a taxi cab crashed into the cab in which Garner had been travelling.

UK pop idol Cliff Richard buys himself an American car - a new Ford Thunderbird - from Lex Garages, Lexington Street, London, UK.

Ethel Waters appears as veteran blues singer Jennifer Henderson in tonight's edition of popular tv series Route 66 in the USA. She also performs a song on the show, accompanied by Coleman Hawkins, Jo Jones and Roy Eldridge.

The Rolling Stones play at The Tower Ballroom, New Brighton, UK. During the day, while driving to visit two injured fans in nearby Liverpool, the band's singer Mick Jagger is pulled over by police and fined

Last Kiss by J. Frank Wilson And The Cavaliers reaches No1 in Cash Box magazine's chart of the best-selling singles in the USA.

Chuck Berry records Lonely Schooldays, His Daughter Caroline, Dear Dad, I Want To Be Your Driver, Jamaica Farewell and other tracks in Chess Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

The Devons (formed by Chuck Girard formerly of The Castells) record This Bike Of Mine and Honda Bike for Decca Records in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Bob Seger makes his TV debut, performing Persecution Smith on a Windsor, Ontario, Canada, TV music show, Swingin' Time, hosted by CKLW-AM personality Robin Seymour. The song is remarkably similar to Bob Dylan's On The Road Again, released in the same year.

John Carter, Perry Ford and Ken Lewis of The Ivy League are injured in a car crash near Baldock, Hertfordshire, UK.

The Stanley Brothers record Are You Ready, Prayer Of A Truck Driver's Son, What A Price, Soldier's Grave and other tracks in King Recording Studio, 1540 Brewster Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Elvis Presley comes to the end of work on the film Paradise Hawaiian Style in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, and sets off to drive back to Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Joni Mitchell performs Favourite Colour, Born To Take The Highway, Blow Away The Morning Dew and Me And My Uncle on the tv show Let's Sing Out, hosted by Oscar Brand in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Having driven from Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, after completing work on the movie Paradise Hawaiian Style, Elvis Presley arrives home at Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Elvis reaches Graceland at 11.00 p.m., driving his Dodge Motor Home, followed by five accompanying cars.

Paul McCartney's Mini Cooper is involved in a crash on the M1 motorway but McCartney is not in the vehicle. The Beatles' bassist is at a party in Redlands, the home of Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards, in West Wittering, Sussex, England, UK. The driver in the accident is Mohammed Hadjij, who is allegedly using the vehicle to transport drugs to the party.

Robert Nighthawk And The Blues Rhythm Boys record Nighthawk Boogie, You Call Yourself A Cadillac and Blues Before Midnight.

Jeff Beck sustains facial injuries when he is involved in a head-on car accident near Maidstone, Kent, England, UK, Europe. He has to be hospitalised for several days and the injuries leave him with permanent scars.

Big Brother and the Holding Company play the first of three nights at The Family Dog, 660 Great Highway, San Francisco, California, USA, supported by Kaleidoscope and Devil's Kitchen.

Moby Grape, Spencer Davis, Peter Jameson and Flash Cadillac play the last of four nights at the Fillmore West, San Francisco, California, USA.

Blues singer and guitarist K.C. Douglas dies of a heart attack, aged 61, in Berkeley, California, USA. His 1948 composition Mercury Blues was recorded by numerous artists including Steve Miller, David Lindley, Meat Loaf and Dwight Yoakam.

The official coroner's report on the recent death of singer Bon Scott of AC/DC, who passed away in a car in Overhill Road, London, England, UK, Europe, is death by misadventure – acute alcohol poisoning.

Gary Numan enters the Billboard Top 40 Singles chart in the USA with Cars.

Country music star Red Sovine suffers a heart attack while driving his 1979 Ford Econoline 150 van near the intersection of Battery and Lealand Lanes in southern Nashville, Tennessee, USA, causing him to run a red light and strike an oncoming vehicle. He is pronounced dead from his injuries shortly after arriving at St. Thomas Hospital.

Glen Matlock, formerly of The Sex Pistols, is convicted of drunken driving.

Ferrari play at The Red Lion, High Steet, Brentford, London, England, UK, Europe.

Early 60s teen idol Mark Dinning dies when he suffers a heart attack in his car while driving home from an appearance at the Red Bird Inn, Jefferson, Missouri, USA. Dinning's 1960 hit single Teen Angel sold three million copies.

Eden Ahbez, the eccentric hermit beatnik songwriter who composed Nature Boy for Nat King Cole, dies from injuries sustained in a car accident, aged 86, in Los Angeles, California, USA

Beth Orton releases the single Stolen Car in the UK.

In the Superior Court, Long Beach, California, USA, Rapper Tray Deee, founder of Tha Eastsidaz with rappers Snoop Dogg and Goldie Loc, is sentenced to twelve years in prison after pleading no contest to charges arising from a 2003 shooting incident during which he fired at an occupied vehicle.

David Wayne, former singer of Metal Church, dies at home in Tacoma, Washington, USA, aged 47, of injuries resulting from a car crash which took place several months earlier.

Lady Gaga joins the increasing groundswell of artists who, following the lead of hard rockers Korn, will boycott fuel giants British Petroleum while on tour, to protest the devastating oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. Other artists supporting the boycott now include Rise Against, Mayhem, Disturbed, Godsmack, Slightly Stoopid, Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, Anthrax, Creed, Filter, Hellyeah and Flogging Molly.

Selena Gomez is involved in a minor car accident in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, when she backs her SUV into another vehicle while reversing out of a 7/11 parking lot. No-one is injujred in the collision.

A Florida, USA, judge sentences Michael Dunn to life imprisonment for the murder of African-American teenager Jordan Davis. The teenager died when Dunn fired into an SUV in Jacksonville, Florida, during an argument over loud music. The sentence includes an additional ninety years for three convictions of attempted murder and firing a weapon into a vehicle.

On her Delirium World Tour, Ellie Goulding plays at The Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany, Europe.

On their The Getaway World Tour The Red Hot Chili Peppers play at The Toyota Center, Houston, Texas, USA.