Today in History: Future US Sen. John McCain released North Vietnamese captivity
Today is Friday, March 14, the 73rd day of 2025. There are 292 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On March 14, 1973, future U.S. senator and presidential candidate John McCain was released from North Vietnamese captivity after being held as a prisoner of war for over five years.
Also on this date:
In 1794, Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin, an invention that revolutionized the American cotton industry.
In 1879, Albert Einstein, who would revolutionize physics and the human understanding of the universe, was born in Ulm, Germany.
In 1964, a jury in Dallas found Jack Ruby guilty of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, and sentenced Ruby to death. (Both the conviction and death sentence were overturned, but Ruby died before he could be retried.)
In 1967, the body of President John F. Kennedy was moved from a temporary grave to a permanent memorial site at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
In 1980, a LOT Polish Airlines jet crashed while attempting to land in Warsaw, killing all 87 people aboard, including 22 athletes and staff members of the U.S. boxing team.
In 2015, Robert Durst, a wealthy eccentric linked to two killings and his wife's disappearance, was arrested by the FBI in New Orleans on a murder warrant a day before HBO aired the final episode of a serial documentary about his life. (Durst would be convicted in the shooting death of his friend, Susan Berman; he died in January 2022 while serving a life sentence in California.)
In 2018, Stephen Hawking, the best-known theoretical physicist of his time, died at his home in Cambridge, England, at the age of 76 after living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for 55 years.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Michael Caine is 92. Country musician Michael Martin Murphey is 80. Actor-comedian Billy Crystal is 77. Country singer Kristian Bush is 55. Actor Betsy Brandt is 52. Actor Grace Park is 51. Actor Corey Stoll is 49. Actor Chris Klein is 46. Actor Jamie Bell is 39. NBA star Stephen Curry is 37. Actor Ansel Elgort is 31. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Simone Biles is 28.
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Two musical revolutionaries, Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, leave life's stage nearly simultaneously
Advertisement Brian Wilson captured the California sound With his late brothers Carl and Dennis, Beach Boys co-founder Wilson was the architect of the California sound that captured surfing and sun, beaches and girls. Yet for all the 'Fun, Fun, Fun,' there was something much deeper and darker in Brian's abilities as a composer. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up It was more than disposable music for teen-agers. He had an unparalleled melodic sense, hearing sounds in his mind that others couldn't. He could worm his way into your head and then break your heart with songs like 'In My Room' and 'God Only Knows.' The tour de force 'Good Vibrations' —- had anyone ever heard of the theremin before he employed its unearthly wail? — is a symphony both complex and easily accessible. 'He was our American Mozart,' musician Sean Ono Lennon wrote on social media. Advertisement The 1966 album 'Pet Sounds' was a peak. Wilson felt a keen sense of competition with the Beatles. But they had three writers, including Sean's dad, John Lennon. Wilson was largely alone, and he heard impatience and doubt from other Beach Boys, whose music he provided. He felt the pressure in trying to follow up 'Pet Sounds,' and 'Smile' became music's most famous unfinished album. Wilson, a damaged soul to begin with because of an abusive father, never reached the heights again. He descended into a well-chronicled period of darkness. Sly Stone helped assemble a new kind of musical landscape Rock star Sylvester "Sly" Stone of Sly and the Family Stone appears in April 1972. Uncredited/Associated Press Stone's skills came in creating a musical world that others only dreamed of at the time. The Family Stone was an integrated world — Black and white, men and women — and the music they created was a potent mixture of rock, soul and funk. It made you move, it made you think. For a period of time from 1967 to 1973, their music was inescapable — 'Dance to the Music,' 'Everybody is a Star,' 'Higher,' 'Hot Fun in the Summertime,' 'Sing a s Simple Song,' 'Family Affair,' 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).' Their performance at Woodstock was a milestone. 'His songs weren't just about fighting injustice, they were about transforming the self to transform the world,' musician and documentarian Questlove, who lovingly tended to Stone's legacy, wrote this week. 'He dared to be simple in the most complex ways — using childlike joy, wordless cries and nursery rhyme cadences to express adult truths. His work looked straight at the brightest and darkest parts of life and demanded we do the same.' From his peak, the fall was hard. Years of drug abuse took its toll. Periodic comeback attempts deepened a sense of bewilderment and pity. Advertisement In a world where many musical icons died young, each endured Music is littered with stories of sudden, untimely and early deaths. Yet until this week, both men lived on, somewhat improbably passing average life expectancies. Wilson, by many measures, achieved some level of peace late in life. He had a happy marriage. He was able to see how his music was revered and appreciated and spent several years performing it again with a younger band that clearly worshiped him. It was a postscript not many knew, said journalist Jason Fine, who befriended Wilson and made the 2021 documentary, 'Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road.' 'That sort of simple message he really wanted to give people through his music going back to the '60s — a sense of warmth, a sense that it's going to be OK in the same way that music lifted him up from his darkness, he'd try to do for other people,' Fine told The Associated Press in an interview then. 'I think now, more than earlier in his career, he accepts that he does that and that's a great comfort to him.' Stone emerged to write an autobiography in 2023. But less is known about his later years, whether he found peace or died without the full knowledge of what his music meant to others. 'Yes, Sly battled addiction,' Questlove wrote. 'Yes, he disappeared from the spotlight. But he lived long enough to outlast many of his disciples, to feel the ripples of his genius return through hip-hop samples, documentaries and his memoir. Still, none of that replaces the raw beauty of his original work.' Did Sly Stone and Brian Wilson live lives of tragedy or triumph? It's hard to say now. One suspects it will become easier with the passage of time, when only the work remains. That sometimes brings clarity. Advertisement 'Millions of people had their lives changed by their music,' DeCurtis said. 'Not just enjoyed it, but had their lives transformed. That's quite an accomplishment.'
Yahoo
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Carnie Wilson Mourns Dad Brian Wilson: ‘I've Never Felt This Kind of Pain Before'
Following the death of Beach Boys frontman and legendary songwriter Brian Wilson at 82, his daughter Carnie Wilson shared a moving tribute to him on social media. 'I have no words to express the sadness I feel right now,' Carnie wrote alongside a photo of her, Brian and sister Wendie. 'My Father @brianwilsonlive was every fiber of my body. He will be remembered by millions and millions until the world ends.' More from Rolling Stone Al Jardine Pays Tribute to Beach Boys Bandmate Brian Wilson: 'My Brother in Spirit' Elton John Calls Late Brian Wilson 'The Biggest Influence on My Songwriting' Elton John, Carole King, More Remember Brian Wilson: 'His Cherished Music Will Live Forever' She continued, saying she was 'lucky to have been his daughter and had a soul connection with him that will live on always.' 'I've never felt this kind of pain before, but I know he's resting up there in heaven … or maybe playing the piano for Grandma Audree his Mom,' she wrote. At the end of her tribute, she said that she 'will post something else soon but this is all my hands will let me type,' adding, 'I love you Daddy….I miss you so much already.' Brian formed the Beach boys with his younger brothers Dennis and Carl in 1961 with their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. His prolific legacy includes dozens of ubiquitous hit singles with the Beach Boys, including three Number One tracks ('I Get Around,' 'Help Me, Rhonda,' and 'Good Vibrations'). His family announced his death in a statement Wednesday. 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now,' his family wrote on social media. 'Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.' Wilson's family did not provide a cause of death, but it was revealed in February 2024 that the Beach Boys member was battling dementia. 'The world mourns a genius today, and we grieve for the loss of our cousin, our friend, and our partner in a great musical adventure,' the band wrote in a statement. 'Brian Wilson wasn't just the heart of the Beach Boys — he was the soul of our sound. The melodies he dreamed up and the emotions he poured into every note changed the course of music forever. His unparalleled talent and unique spirit created the soundtrack of so many lives around the globe, including our own. Together, we gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom — music that made people feel good, made them believe in summer and endless possibilities. 'We are heartbroken by his passing,' the group continued. 'We will continue to cherish the timeless music we made together and the joy he brought to millions over the decades. And while we will miss him deeply, his legacy will live on through his songs and in our memories.' 'Brian Wilson, my friend, my classmate, my football teammate, my Beach Boy bandmate and my brother in spirit, I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives for as long as you were,' Jardine said in a separate statement to Rolling Stone. 'I think the most comforting thought right now is that you are reunited with Carl and Dennis, singing those beautiful harmonies again. You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Yahoo
an hour ago
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Elton John Calls Late Brian Wilson ‘The Biggest Influence on My Songwriting'
As the music industry mourns the death of Brian Wilson, who co-founded the Beach Boys and an entire genre of California rock, Elton John paid special tribute to his friend on Instagram. 'Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him,' John explained in caption to a photo of the pair in a room flush with studio equipment. 'He sang 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight' at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me. played on his solo records, he sang on my album, The Union, and even performed for my AIDS Foundation.' More from Rolling Stone Elton John, Carole King, More Remember Brian Wilson: 'His Cherished Music Will Live Forever' Beach Boys' Former Manager on Brian Wilson: 'The Three Wilsons Are Finally Back Together' Brian Wilson Learns to Smile John explained that their relationship grew beyond music. 'I grew to love him as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever; he was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever. A true giant.' Wilson's family announced his death on social media Wednesday afternoon, Eastern. While they did not provide a cause, it was revealed that legendary singer and producer was battling dementia in February 2024. Stars like Carole King, Graham Nash, Mick Fleetwood, Nancy Sinatra, and more have shared their own tributes to Wilson. 'The world mourns a genius today, and we grieve for the loss of our cousin, our friend, and our partner in a great musical adventure,' the band wrote in a statement. 'Brian Wilson wasn't just the heart of the Beach Boys — he was the soul of our sound. The melodies he dreamed up and the emotions he poured into every note changed the course of music forever. His unparalleled talent and unique spirit created the soundtrack of so many lives around the globe, including our own. Together, we gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom — music that made people feel good, made them believe in summer and endless possibilities. 'We are heartbroken by his passing,' the group continued. 'We will continue to cherish the timeless music we made together and the joy he brought to millions over the decades. And while we will miss him deeply, his legacy will live on through his songs and in our memories.' Listen to 25 essential Brian Wilson songs here. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
