This Day in Showbiz History… February 17

edsON THIS DAY IN 2025:

Singer Ed Sheeran (pictured) turns 34 today and both heiress/TV star Paris Hilton and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt turn 44. This day also marked the birthday of the late, South African-based actor Malcolm Terrey.

US actor Hal Holbrook, who died in January 2021 at the age of 95, was born on this day in 1925. Actress Denise Richards turns 54 today, director Michael Bay turns 60 and actress Rene Russo celebrates her 71st birthday.

Interestingly, the world’s first superhero, The Phantom, a cartoon strip by Lee Falk, made his first appearance in comics on this day in 1936.

The Giacomo Puccini opera Madama Butterfly had its premiere in Milan on this day in 1904, while Bohemian composer Franz Gotz died on this day in 1815, aged 59.

The song topping the South African Springbok Radio chart this week in 1969 was Cry To Me by local act The Staccatos. It spent three  week at No 1. Just saying…