George Washington is elected America's first president, the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnaps Patty Hearst, Fleetwood Mac releases "Rumours," and Facebook is launched, all on this day.
26 / 35
Allan warren/Wikimedia Commons
1987: Pianist and singer Liberace, at one time the highest-paid entertainer in the world, dies of pneumonia caused by AIDS at the age of 67 in Palm Springs, Calif. The musician, whose full name as Wladziu Valentino Liberace, was as famous for his flamboyant costumes and stage manner as he was for his music.