On April 12, 1954, Bill Haley and His Comets recorded “Rock Around The Clock” for Decca Records. It’s considered the first rock and roll song to top the charts.

In 1966, Jan Berry of the duo Jan and Dean crashed his Corvette into a parked truck in Los Angeles. He suffered extensive brain damage and paralysis and needed several years of rehabilitation.

In 1979, Mickey Thomas became the lead singer of Jefferson Starship.

In 1989, Herbert Mills of The Mills Brothers died in Las Vegas at age 77. The group was probably best known for the song “Paper Doll.”

In 1992, the Euro Disneyland theme park opened in France.

In 1993, actor Lisa Bonet (boh-NAY’) filed for divorce from singer Lenny Kravitz. They had married in 1987.

In 1997, The Fugees played the first of two homecoming concerts in Haiti to raise money for Haitian refugees. The concerts ended up costing more money than they raised.

Today’s Birthdays: Musician Herbie Hancock is 83. Musician John Kay of Steppenwolf is 79. Actor Ed O’Neill (“Modern Family,” ″Married...With Children”) is 77. Actor Dan Lauria (“The Wonder Years”) is 76. Talk show host David Letterman is 76. Singer J.D. Nicholas of The Commodores is 71. Singer Pat Travers is 69. Actor Andy Garcia is 67. Country singer Vince Gill is 66. TV personality J Alexander (“America’s Next Top Model”) is 65. Guitarist Will Sergeant of Echo and the Bunnymen is 65. Singer Art Alexakis (al-ex-AH’-kis) of Everclear is 61. Singer Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls is 59. Actor Alicia Coppola (TV’s “Jericho,” film’s “National Treasure: Book of Secrets”) is 55. Singer Nicholas Hexum of 311 (three-eleven) is 53. Actor Retta (“Good Girls,” ″Parks and Recreation”) is 53. Actor Nicholas Brendon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) is 52. Actor Shannen Doherty is 52. Actor Marley Shelton (“Pleasantville”) is 49. Actor Sarah Jane Morris (“NCIS”) is 46. Bassist Guy Berryman of Coldplay is 45. Actor Riley Smith (“Nashville”) is 45. Actor Claire Danes is 44. Actor Jennifer Morrison (“Once Upon A Time,” ″House”) is 44. Actor Matt McGorry (“How To Get Away With Murder,” ″Orange Is The New Black”) is 37. Actor Brooklyn Decker (“Grace and Frankie”) is 36. Drummer Joe Rickard of Red is 36. Singer-guitarist Brendon Urie (YUR’-ee) of Panic At The Disco is 36. Actor Saoirse (SEHR’-shuh) Ronan is 29.