Historical eventNovember 211959

Disc jockey

American disc jockey Alan Freed (pictured), who popularized the term rock and roll, was fired from WABC-AM for his role in the payola scandal.

Everything on November 21Original source

In context

When
Saturday, November 21 195967 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1950s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1959.

What happened

American disc jockey Alan Freed (pictured), who popularized the term rock and roll, was fired from WABC-AM for his role in the payola scandal.

November 21 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1959Disc jockey
  2. 2013Euromaidan
  3. 2013Zolitūde shopping centre roof collapse
  4. 2014Kwekwe stadium stampede
  5. 2015Federal Government of Belgium
  6. 20152015 Brussels lockdown
  7. 2017Robert Mugabe
  8. 2019Tesla, Inc.
  9. 2019Benjamin Netanyahu
  10. 2021Waukesha Christmas parade attack
  11. 20222022 West Java earthquake

Also in 1959

  • September 13Luna 2The Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 (model pictured) struck the Moon, the first spacecraft to reach another celestial body.
  • September 15Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev becomes the first Soviet leader to visit the United States.
  • June 14Disneyland MonorailDisneyland Monorail System, the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere, opens to the public in Anaheim, California.
  • August 17Miles DavisAmerican musician Miles Davis released Kind of Blue, which became one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed jazz recordings o…
  • November 16The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music, a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein based on The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, opened on Broadway at the Lunt-F…
  • November 16National Airlines Flight 967National Airlines Flight 967 explodes in mid-air over the Gulf of Mexico, killing all 42 aboard.
  • March 181959 Tibetan uprisingTibetan uprising: After the 14th Dalai Lama sought refuge at Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, Chinese forces bombarded the monastery, infl…
  • March 18Hawaii Admission ActThe Hawaii Admission Act is signed into law.

Everything we record for 1959 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Disc jockey”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/disc-jockey-1959-november-21, accessed October 24, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Disc jockey happen?

November 21 1959 — 67 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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