1931: The Empire State Building opened in New York City, and composer George Gershwin performed his "Rhapsody in Blue" on the building's organ during the opening ceremony. This performance was broadcast on national radio and is considered one of the most significant cultural events in American history.

1966: The Beatles performed their final UK show, appearing at the NME Poll Winners concert at Wembley Empire Pool (now Wembley Arena). A stacked lineup also featured Roy Orbison, The Rolling Stones, The Seekers, The Small Faces, Dusty Springfield, The Who and The Yardbirds.

1967: Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas, Nevada. The wedding was a highly publicized affair and drew a great deal of media attention. The couple had one child together, Lisa Marie Presley.

1977: The Grateful Dead's concert at Barton Hall in Ithaca, New York, on May 1st, 1977, is often regarded as one of the band's best shows. The performance was recorded and later released (somewhat erroneously) as the live album "Cornell 5/8/77."

1984: Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father in Los Angeles, California. The death of the legendary soul singer was a shock to the music world and led to widespread mourning.

1994: Kurt Cobain, the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana, died on April 5th, 1994, but his death was officially ruled a suicide by gunshot on May 1st of that year.

Words: Thomas Jackson

Header Image: Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead, shot by Jared K. Miller