By The Associated Press
On Dec. 15, 1939, the film “Gone with the Wind” premiered in Atlanta.
In 1943, keyboardist Fats Waller died of pneumonia outside Kansas City, Missouri, during a cross-country train trip from Los Angeles to New York. He was 39.
In 1944, a plane carrying bandleader Glenn Miller disappeared during a flight over the English Channel. He was a U.S. Army major at the time. Forty years later, British authorities said the plane was probably hit by explosives jettisoned from British fighters.
In 1959, the Everly Brothers recorded “Let It Be Me” in New York. It was the first time they didn’t record in Nashville and the first time they recorded with strings.
In 1966, movie producer Walt Disney died of lung cancer in Los Angeles. He was 65.
In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Plastic Ono Band made its concert debut in London.
In 1977, members of the Sex Pistols were denied visas to enter the U.S., two days before they were to appear on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” Their replacement was Elvis Costello and the Attractions, who interrupted their own performance of “Less Than Zero” to play “Radio Radio.”
In 1985, actors Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nielsen were married. They divorced less than two years later.
In 1988, singer James Brown was sentenced to six years in prison for leading police on a chase through two states.
In 1990, singer Rod Stewart married model Rachel Hunter in Beverly Hills, California, after meeting three months earlier. They divorced in 2006.
In 1992, Dr. Dre released his debut studio album, “The Chronic.”
Today’s birthdays: Singer Cindy Birdsong of The Supremes is 85. Drummer Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five is 82. Drummer Carmine Appice (ah-PEES’) of Vanilla Fudge is 78. Actor Don Johnson is 75. Actor Melanie Chartoff (“Rugrats,” ″Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”) is 74. Director Julie Taymor (Broadway’s “The Lion King”) is 72. Actor Justin Ross (“A Chorus Line”) is 70. Bassist Paul Simonon (SIM’-uh-nun) of The Clash is 69. Country singer Doug Phelps (The Kentucky Headhunters, Brothers Phelps) is 64. Actor Helen Slater is 61. Actor Paul Kaye (“Game of Thrones”) is 60. Actor Molly Price (“Third Watch”) is 59. Actor Garrett Wang (WONG) (“Star Trek: Voyager”) is 56. Actor Michael Shanks (“Stargate SG-1”) is 54. Actor Stuart Townsend (“Queen of the Damned”) is 52. Actor Geoff Stults (“Grace and Frankie,” new “Odd Couple”) is 48. Crowd-hyper Kito Trawick of Ghostown DJs is 47. Actor Adam Brody (“The O.C.”) is 45. Actor Michelle Dockery (“Downton Abbey”) is 43. Actor George O. Gore II (“My Wife and Kids”) is 42. Actor Camilla Luddington (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 41. Guitarist Alana Haim (HYM) of Haim is 33. Actor Maude Apatow (AP’-ih-tow) (Film’s “Knocked Up,” TV’s “Euphoria”) is 27.
