News Tabloid Claims Former Sports Great O.J. Simpson Shot Adult Movie in Miami | Feb 13, 2001
The March 1, 2001 edition of The Globe news tabloid reported that former NFL legend O.J. Simpson appeared in a three-way adult film scene, however Simpson and his lawyer Yale Galanter insisted the claim was false. Galanter made his own claim, stating that The Globe attempted to set his client up in the same manner ….
Tejano Singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez is Shot and Killed by Her Fan Club Manager | Mar 31, 1995
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez is commonly referred to as the “Queen of Tejano Music.” Her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. In 2020, Billboard magazine put her in third place on their list of “Greatest Latino Artists of All Time,” based on both Latin ….
Dear Boss Letter Received by Central News Agency of London from Jack the Ripper Serial Killer | Sep 27, 1888
The “Dear Boss” letter was a message allegedly written by the unidentified Victorian-era serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. The letter was addressed to the Central News Agency of London and dated September, 25 1888. It was postmarked and received by the media outlet on September 27, 1888. It was forwarded to Scotland Yard ….
Saucy Jacky Postcard Sent to Central News Agency of London by Jack the Ripper Serial Killer | Oct 1, 1888
A card with the postmark date of October 1, 1888 was received by the Central News Agency of London that same day. The card is now known as the “Saucy Jacky” postcard and its author claims to have been the unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. Because of the volume of hoax letters ….
Zapp Founder and Funk Musician Legend Roger Troutman is Found Shot Dead | Apr 25, 1999
Born in Hamilton, Ohio in 1951, American singer Roger Troutman helped pioneer the funk music genre and later influenced West Coast hip hop due to the scene’s heavy sampling of his music scores. Troutman frequently used a talk box, a device that is connected to a keyboard or guitar, in order to create a variety ….
Pirate TV Station Lucky 7 Hijacks Syracuse Airwaves with Screenings of Deep Throat, Rocky and Annie Hall | Apr 14 - Apr 16, 1978
The first known pirate TV station in America was Lanesville TV. Active between 1972 and 1977, Lanesville TV was operated by the counter-cultural video collective Videofreex from Lanesville, New York. However, the content aired during the Lanesville TV run were tame by comparison to a two-day VHF Channel 7 hijacking in the Syracuse, New York ….
The Mysterious Kidnapping of Singer Frank Sinatra Jr. | Dec 8, 1963
On December 8, 1963, singer Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped from Room 417 of the Harrah’s Lake Tahoe resort and held for ransom. Sinatra, who was 19 years old at the time, was released two days later after his father paid the $240,000 ransom demanded by the kidnappers. Frank Sinatra reportedly offered $1 million, but ….
Captain Midnight HBO Broadcast Signal Intrusion | Apr 27, 1986
On April 27, 1986, under the pseudonym “Captain Midnight,” American electrical engineer and business owner John R. MacDougall jammed the Home Box Office (HBO) satellite signal on Galaxy 1 during a viewing of the movie The Falcon and the Snowman. The four and a half minute message was broadcast to the eastern half of the ….
The Max Headroom TV Signal Hijacking Incident | Nov 22, 1987
The Max Headroom television signal hijacking incident took place at two TV stations in Chicago, Illinois, on November 22, 1987. During the incident, unknown perpetrators sent a pirate signal of an unidentified person wearing a Max Headroom mask and costume to thousands of regional area TV viewers. The first incident took place during the sports ….
Scarface Actress Tammy Lynn Leppert Mysteriously Disappeared on This Day in 1983 | Jul 6, 1983
Young actress, model and beauty queen Tammy Lynn Leppert (a.k.a. Tami Lynn), who had a small role in the Brian De Palma crime classic Scarface as the girl in the blue bikini during the drug-deal-gone-wrong chainsaw sequence, disappeared on July 6, 1983 under suspicious circumstances. As of March 2024, she has never been heard from ….
