It’s December 3rd and here are some reasons why this day matters in rock history:

In 1965, in Sacramento, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was knocked unconscious onstage because of an electric shock he received when his guitar made contact with his microphone.

In 1971, a fire burned down the Montreux Casino during a Frank Zappa concert. Deep Purple witnessed the inferno and went on to write “Smoke on the Water” about the catastrophe.

In 1976, an inflatable pig floated over London’s Battersea Power Station while the cover for Pink Floyd’s albumAnimals was being shot. However, the balloon broke free and drifted away, causing the Civil Aviation Authority to issue a warning to pilots flying over the city.

In 1997, Pearl Jam’s latest album,Yield, was prematurely leaked in full by a broadcast from a Syracuse radio station.

In 1999, U2 singer Bono’s missing laptop was returned to him after a fan bought it for 470 dollars and realized it had belonged to the singer and contained tracks from the band’s upcoming album.

In 2015, former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland died at the age of 48.

And in 2005, Marilyn Manson married his longtime girlfriend, Dita Von Teese, at a castle in Ireland.

And that’s what happened today in rock history.

(H/T This Day in Music)

Josh Michael