August 18th - Death of Scott McKenzie (2012)

It's been 13 years since the American singer/songwriter, Scott McKenzie, passed away.

He's best known for singing "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair," which was written by John Phillips of “Mamas and the Papas”. That song was originally used to promote the Monterey International Pop Music Festival..

Released in May 1967, the song immediately became popular, reaching No.1 in the UK and Ireland, though it only got to No.4 in the US. Phillips claimed that he completed the song in just 20 minutes, and it is credited with bringing thousands of young people to San Francisco in the late 1960s.

Scott McKenzie, born Philip Wallach Blondheim III in January 1939, lived in North Carolina and Virginia, where he and John Phillips became friends. He passed away in Los Angeles, having had Guillain-Barré syndrome for two years..

Also on this date:-

1940, Battle of Britain: Air battle known as "The Hardest Day" occurs; the Luftwaffe loses approximately 69 aircraft and the RAF 68 in one of the largest ever air battles.

1960, The Beatles make their first public performance at the Indra Club in Hamburg, Germany

2008, Belarusian weightlifter Andrei Aramnau breaks three world records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total on his way to winning the men's 105 kg gold medal at the Beijing Olympics