Bob Gaudio

Today is the Day of Freedom and Democracy, a public holiday in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia.

The date of November 17th commemorates the 1939 Nazi storming of the University of Prague following demonstrations against the occupation of Czechoslovakia. It led to the execution of nine student leaders and over 1200 students were sent to concentration camps.

In 1989 there was a memorial march to mark the 50th anniversary of the student revolt. The authorities tried to suppress the march which only led to an avalanche of popular protests in Czech and Slovak cities. Over the following days, the protests grew into non-violent strikes at first involving students and later all citizens of Czechoslovakia.

This became known as the Velvet Revolution and marked the beginning of the end of the communist regime that had ruled the country for more than four decades. Vaclav Havel was elected president and Alexander Dubcek became federal Czechoslovak Speaker.

SIGNS!

Today is the birthday, in 1943 of Bob Gaudio, The Royal Teens, (1958 US No.3 single ‘Short Shorts). The Four Seasons, who had the 1960s hits ‘Sherry’, ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’, ‘Walk Like a Man’, and the 1976 UK & US No.1 single ‘December 1963, (Oh What A Night’). Here he is (keyboardist).

Today’s holiday is Polytechnio in Greece commemorating the massive student uprising in 1973 against the military junta that then ruled Greece.

Today is the birthday, in 1942, of Bob Gaudio. He was the keyboardist for The Four Seasons and wrote almost all of their songs, including this one.