According to the AP, on Dec. 13:
- In 1928, George Gershwin's "An American in Paris" premiered in New York.
- In 1974, former Beatle George Harrison visited the White House at the invitation of Jack Ford, the president's son. Harrison was the first rock musician to be invited to the White House.
- In 1985, singer Phil Collins made his TV acting debut in the U.S. with an episode of "Miami Vice."
- In 1988, singer Bruce Springsteen and model-actress Julianne Phillips divorced.
- In 1992, an estimated 150,000 people showed up for a free Scorpions concert in Frankfurt, Germany. The concert was aimed at protesting violence by radical rightists.
Today's birthdays:
- Actor Dick Van Dyke is 87.
- Actor Christopher Plummer is 83.
- Country singer Buck White of The Whites is 82.
- Actor-singer John Davidson is 71.
- Actress Kathy Garver ("Family Affair") is 67.
- Singer Ted Nugent is 64.
- Guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan) is 64.
- Guitarist Ron Getman of The Tractors is 64.
- Country singer-guitarist Randy Owen of Alabama is 63.
- Actress Wendie Malick ("Just Shoot Me") is 62.
- Country singer John Anderson is 58.
- Singer Morris Day of The Time is 56.
- Actor Steve Buscemi is 55.
- Actor Johnny Whitaker ("Family Affair") is 53.
- Bassist John Munson of Semisonic is 50.
- Reality TV star NeNe Leakes ("The Real Housewives of Atlanta") is 46.
- Actor-comedian Jamie Foxx is 45.
- Singer-guitarist Tom Delonge of Angels and Airwaves and of Blink-182 is 37.
- Actor James Kyson Lee ("Heroes") is 37.
- Actress Chelsea Hertford ("Major Dad") is 31.
- Singer Amy Lee of Evanescence is 31.
- Country singer Taylor Swift is 23.
