It’s June 24th and here are some reasons why this day matters in rock history:

In 1996, Van Halen announced that Sammy Hagar had left the band, and that David Lee Roth was back as a temporary replacement.

In 2007, The White Stripes’ final album,Icky Thump, went to number one on the U-K album chart but only made it to number two in America.

In 1999, Eric Clapton put 100 of his guitars up for auction to raise money for his Crossroads Centre rehab facility. The sale made five-million dollars for the center.

In 2001, Blink-182 scored their second number one album with Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.

A court found Led Zeppelin not guilty of stealing the opening chords to “Stairway to Heaven” from the band Spirit’s song “Taurus.”

In 1992, Billy Joel received his high school diploma from Hicksville High School on Long Island, New York. He failed to graduate with his class in 1967 because of missed gym and English credits.

And in 2008, a blogger who posted tracks from Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy got a visit from the FBI and a cease-and-desist letter.

And that’s what happened today in rock history.

(H/T This Day in Music)

Mel Taylor