Childhood

Elvis Presley makes his public debut as a singer by winning second prize at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair And Dairy Show in Tupelo, Mississippi, USA, with his rendition of Old Shep. Mrs Oleta Bean Grimes, a teacher at Lawhon Grammar School, recommends young Presley's singing to principal J.D.Cole.

Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad is born in the village of Bjørkåsen, in Ballangen near Narvik, Norway, Europe, to a Norwegian mother, Synni Lyngstad, and a German father, Alfred Haase, a sergeant in the Wehrmacht, not long after the end of the Second World War during the German occupation of Norway. She will grow up as one of thousands of children known as Tyskerbarnas (or German children), the result of a bizarre Nazi experiment to 'enrich' the Aryan gene pool. Anni-Frid will find fame as a member of Abba.

Eight-year-old Gladys Knight wins $2,000 and a gold cup as the winner of the final of the Ted Mack Amateur Hour annual competition on tv in the 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.

James Marshall Hendrix [later to become Jimi Hendrix] leaves Leschi Elementary School in Seattle, Washington, USA, because his father Al can no longer pay for their house at 2603 26th Avenue. They move to 1436 29th Avenue.

Chuck Berry releases a new single, Childhood Sweetheart, on Chess Records in the USA.

Aspiring rock guitarist Jeff Beck leaves Wimbledon School of Art in Wimbledon, London, England, UK, Europe.

Rag Doll by The Four Seasons enters the Billboard Top 40 Singles Chart in the USA on its way to No1.

Rod Stewart releases his first single, a version of the blues classic Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, on Decca Records in the UK. It fails to chart.

The Nat Adderley Octet records Never Say Yes, Work Song and Little Boy With The Sad Eyes, for Atlantic Records in New York City, USA.

Phil Spector records a version of the protest song Home Of The Brave with Bonnie And The Teasures in Goldstar Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

The Harden Trio release Tippy Toeing on Columbia Records in the USA.

Simon Says by The 1910 Fruitgum Company reaches its UK chart peak of No2.

Jazz pianist Steve Kuhn records The Night Has A Thousand Eyes, Baubles Bangles And Beads, and other tracks in Paris, France, for his album Childhood Is Forever.

Tuesday's Children play at The Marquee Club, London, England, UK, Europe, supported by Titus Groan.

The Jackson 5, including Michael Jackson spend the second of two days recording a tv special, entitled Goin' Back to Indiana.

The Jackson 5, including Michael Jackson's, latest album, Goin' Back to Indiana, enters the Billboard US Albums Chart, where it will peak at No16 during a 26-week run.

And The Cradle Will Rock by Van Halen peaks at No55 in the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart in the USA.

Johnny Marr of The Smiths marries his childhood sweetheart Angela Brown in a low-key ceremony in San Francisco, California, USA.

A concert in aid of Parents For Safe Food is held at The Royal Albert Hall, London, England, UK, Europe, featuring George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Jeff Lynne.

Sting and Trudie Styler become the parents of a girl, Eliot Pauline.

Darren Burn is found dead, aged 30, on the bathroom floor of his flat in London, England, UK, Europe. Unable to cope with the failure of his teenybop pop idol career, he had taken an overdose of his Dotheipin anti-depressant tablets.

The Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Prosecutors Offices announce that despite highly publicised allegations of child sexual abuse, no charges will be laid against Michael Jackson, but the case will remain open until 1999.

Gregory, the recently-born son of Prince and his wife Mayte, dies at the Children’s Health Care Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, because of severe birth defects (skeletal abnormalities). Gregory was a little over one week old.

In a USA Today interview, The Artist (aka Prince ) speaks about his recently born child, Gregory. According to media reports, Gregory was born with allegedly severe birth defects, on October 16th at Children’s Health Care Hospital in Minneapolis, and died a week later. Prince says, "Mayte and I decided it’s cool to talk about ourselves but not about our children. There is a rumour out that my baby died. My skin is so thick now. I care much more about my child than about what anyone writes or says." He also previews his forthcoming album, Emancipation, with a live midnight concert from Paisley Park, beamed around the world via satellite.

Debbie Rowe divorces Michael Jackson. Rowe, who receives an $8-million settlement and a house in Beverly Hills, California, USA, gives full custody rights of their children to Jackson.

Madonna begins filming a video for her latest single, American Pie, in London, UK, with director Phillip Stolzl.

Michael Jackson and his attorney fly by XtraJet from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, to Santa Barbara, California, where Jackson is arrested on child abuse charges, and then freed on $3m bail. He immediately returns to Las Vegas, where he is filming a video. An unauthorised videotape of Jackson speaking with his attorney on this flight will subsequently be offered for sale to the highest bidder.

Charges of child molestation against Michael Jackson are delayed for at least one week. This is said to because Jackson's lawyer, Mark Geragos, has raised issues which throw into doubt the motives of the family making the accusation.

Britney Spears' marriage to her childhood friend, Jason Allen Alexander, is annulled. The pair had married just two days earlier at the Little White Chapel On The Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, but twelve hours later she contacted her lawyers to ask to have their union annulled.

It is announced that actor Corey Feldman has been subpoenaed in the Michael Jackson child molestation case in Santa Maria, California, USA.

Michael Jackson arrives forty minutes late at his child molestation trial in Santa Maria, California, USA, claiming that back pain has delayed him.

UK pop entrepreneur Jonathan King is released from Maidstone Prison, having served half of a seven-year sentence for sexual offences against minors.

A family court judge gives Bobby Brown two days to prove he has the means to fund educational trusts for two children he had with Kim Ward. Brown has been failing to pay child support to his offspring.

Disgraced glam-rock singer Gary Glitter arrives back in the UK at Heathrow Airport, where he is met by British police officers investigating charges of sexual misconduct against him. He is ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

Guardianship of seventeen year old Frances Bean Cobain is awarded to Wendy O'Connor and Kimberly Dawn Cobain, the mother and sister of Frances' late Nirvana frontman father Kurt Cobain. Frances is, by this decision, removed from the custody of Cobain's wife Courtney Love.

Russian rocker Yury Shevchuk, leader of Russian band DDT, clashes openly with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at a charity literary-musical evening for children with cancer and leukemia in St. Petersburg, Russia, Europe.

Liam Gallagher, formerly of Oasis, attends Manhattan Supreme Court, New York City, USA, to discuss arrangements for his proposed child support payments for the daughter he fathered with American journalist Liza Ghorbani.

Disgraced glam-rock singer Gary Glitter is charged in London, England, UK, Europe, with eight counts of sexual offences committed against two girls aged 12–14 between 1977 and 1980.

Entertainer and pop hitmaker Rolf Harris is found guilty in Southwark Crown Court, London, UK, on twelve counts of indecently assaulting four girls in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.