Boats

Christopher Columbus's expedition seeking a Western route from Europe to India, makes landfall in The Bahamas, thus accidentally discovering the 'new world' of North America. In 1936, Chu Berry and Andy Razaff will be inspired to write the song Christopher Columbus, which will be recorded by Fats Waller, Fletcher Henderson, Andy Kirk, Benny Goodman, The Ink Spots, Duke Ellington and many others. Adherents of the Rastafarian religion, however, see Columbus as an oppressor, thus the Burning Spear reggae song Christopher Columbus castigates the explorer for claiming to have discovered the West Indies when, in fact, they were already inhabited by the Arawak tribe. Another song inspired by Columbus is Christopho Columbo, performed by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong in the 1951 movie Here Comes The Groom. The 1960 Jimmy Jones hit, Good Timin', also refers to Columbus' achievements, with the lines "Who in the world woulda ever known what Columbus could do, If Queen Isabella hadn't hawked her jewels in 1492".

The Shipping Forecast begins as a series of telegraph messages sent to harbour towns around the United Kingdom to warn of impending storms. From 1924 it will be broadcast daily on BBC radio. The forecast will inspire many musicians, including Tears For Fears (Pharaohs), Thomas Dolby (Windpower), Radiohead, Blur, Beck, The Prodigy, Jethro Tull and Manfred Mann, to incorporate audio samples of the forecast or lyrics based on the forecast into their songs.

Steamship The Brunswick sinks in fog in the Severn Estuary near Bristol, England, UK, Europe, claiming seven lives. The treacherous waters of the estuary have claimed many ships and many lives over the years, inspiring the folk song The Brean Lament, perhaps best-known in the version by June Tabor.

Tom Costello, with piano accompaniment, records I've Made Up My Mind To Sail Away, The Black List, The Sheeny Coon and Sailing Home for G&T Records in London, England, UK, Europe.

The Eagle Burlesquers present The Wizard Of Jersey and Aboard The Good Ship Jane at the Dewey Theatre, New York City, USA.

The 48-mile long Panama Canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is opened, in Panama, Central America. It will become a key conduit for the international maritime trade. The canal will inspire references in numerous songs (by J Church, Tempest, Redman, Rakim, Ookla The Mok, Bishop Allen and others) but perhaps the most memorable is The Panama Canal by Animaniacs.

Vocal duo Billy Burton and Herbert Stuart record Soldier Boy for Columbia Records in New York City, USA.

Country music singer and guitarist Ernest Stoneman records The Titanic and The Face That Never Returned at OKeh Recording Studio, 25 West 45th St., Manhattan, New York City, USA. Neither track is released.

When Jerome Kern's musical Show Boat has its first performance on Broadway, New York City, USA. the song Ol' Man River is heard in public for the first time.

The musical Show Boat by Jerome Kern opens at The Ziegfeld Theatre, Broadway, New York City, USA, where it will run for 572 performances. On this night, the song Ol' Man River is heard for the first time.

Harry Reser and His Orchestra, record Where Did You Get That Name? and Here Comes The Show Boat [as Harry Reser's Syncopaters] in New York City, USA, for Columbia Records.

Jessie Stafford And His Orchestra record I'm Following You, I'm Sailing On A Sunbeam, in Los Angeles, California, USA, for Brunswick Records.

Vocal duo Lulu Belle Wiseman and Scott Wiseman (aka Lulu Belle and Scotty) record Remember Me, Did You Ever Go Sailing, The Wampus Cat, The Empty Stocking, Whoa Back Buck and other songs for OKeh Records in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Nigerian drummer Michael Babatunde Olatunji arrives in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, aboard a cargo ship. He has come from Africa to study at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He will go on to become one of the most celebrated percussionists and composers in jazz.

Perry Como records There's No Boat Like A Rowboat and There's A Big Blue Cloud, with Mitchell Ayres And His Orchestra and The Fontane Sisters at The Manhattan Center, New York City, USA.

Jo Stafford, with The Norman Luboff Choir, records Shrimp Boats for Columbia Records in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

MGM's movie remake of the Kern-Hammerstein musical play Show Boat, starring Howard Keel, Ava Gardner and Kathryn Grayson, is released to cinemas in Brazil, South America.

MGM's movie remake of the Kern-Hammerstein musical play Show Boat, starring Howard Keel, Ava Gardner and Kathryn Grayson, is released to cinemas in Italy, Europe.

MGM's movie remake of the Kern-Hammerstein musical play Show Boat, starring Howard Keel, Ava Gardner and Kathryn Grayson, is released to cinemas in Hong Kong, Asia.

Charlie Parker plays a gig aboard the excursions boat SS Peter Stuyvesant, New York City, USA.

It is reported that the old 78rpm record format may disappear completely, because sales of the newer, more compact, more durable 45rpm discs have rocketed, accounting for over half of the singles market. As a result, the price of 78s may be raised because they are more expensive to produce and ship, especially in smaller quantities.

Harry Belafonte records The Banana Boat Song for RCA Records in Webster Hall, New York City, USA. Although widely regarded as the song that launched the calypso craze, it is in fact in the Jamaican mento style.

Jerry Lee Lewis records Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-o-Dee, It Hurts Me So, You're The Only Star (In My Blue Heaven) and I'll Sail My Ship Alone, for Sun Records of Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Blues singer Pink Anderson records The Titanic, Boweevil, Betty And Dupree, I'll Fly Away and other tracks in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA, for Bluesville Records.

Paul Barbarin And His Jazz Band record Slide Frog Slide, Too Late, The Second Line, Give It Up and Take A Ferry Boat To New Orleans, for Atlantic Records in Preservation Hall, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

The USS Thresher, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, sinks by accident during deep-dive trials southeast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, killing all of its 129 crew members. Phil Ochs will be inspired by this incident to write his 1964 song The Thresher. Also The Kingston Trio will record Ballad Of The Thresher in June 1963.

Bill Justis, working with producer Shelby Singleton, records Gotta Travel On, Michael Row The Boat Ashore, Kisses Sweeter Than Wine and other tracks in Columbia Recording Studio, 804 16th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

A short-lived pirate radio station, Radio Atlanta, begins broadcasting in the UK based on a ship off the Essex coast. After two months on the air it will be absorbed by Radio Caroline and re-brand itself as Radio Caroline South.

The Beatles fly from Rome, Italy, to Nice, France, during a European tour. Some of the day is spent relaxing on the yacht of tour promoter Felix Marouani.

The Doors play for a private party on The Pioneer Club Boat Ride, in Los Angeles, California, USA.

UK pirate radio station Radio City is boarded by ten men and one woman. They take control of the ship and disable its transmitter. This action will lead, two days later, to the murder of Reg Calvert, owner of Radio City.

Dantalian's Chariot play at The Boat Club, Nottingham, England, UK, Europe. the band's guitarist, Andy Summers, will find greater success as a member of The Police.

Copperhead, Clover, Redlegs, The Flying Circus, Contraband and Bermuda Palms play a benefit gig for Houseboat Legal Defence in San Rafael, California, USA.

Robert Plant plays at Three Men In A Boat, Walsall, West Midlands, England, UK, Europe.

Chris Farlowe And The Thunderbirds play at The Boat House, Kew, London, England, UK, Europe.

Cliff Richard releases a new single, The Big Ship, in the UK on Columbia Records.

The Sex Pistols throw a media party, sailing up the River Thames aboard the boat Queen Elizabeth, sailing at 6.15pm from Charing Cross Pier, London, England, UK, Europe, and returning at 11.45.

Conflict, Vex and Icons play at The Boat Club, Nottingham, England, UK, Europe.

George Melly And The Feetwarmers play on the Portsmouth Festival Jazzboat, Portsmouth, England, UK, Europe.

Nelly Furtado plays at Salinas Yacht Club, Guayaquil, Ecuador, South America.

Kid Rock's Chillin' The Most Cruise leaves Tampa, Florida, USA, aboard cruise ship Carnival Inspiration, bound for four days at sea ending in the Grand Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. The trip includes live gigs by Kid Rock, Unkle Kracker and several tribute combos, not to mention a bingo session hosted by Unkle Kracker and the opportunity for passengers to have their photograph taken with Kid Rock.

An oldies nostalgia cruise sets off from Tampa, Florida, USA, to Cozumel, Mexico, Central America. Live entertainment is provided during the five days of the voyage by Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, The Drifters, The Platters, Little Anthony And The Imperials, Lesley Gore and Lou Christie.

With his $15m musical The Last Ship failing to break even at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway, New York City, USA, Sting takes over the role of shipyard foreman Jackie White from Jimmy Nail.

Yacht release a new album, I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler, on Downtown Records in the UK.