On February fourth, 1938, “Our Town,” Thornton Wilder’s play about small-town life in America, opened on Broadway.

In 1961, singer Johnny Burnette underwent an emergency appendectomy in Los Angeles and was forced to cancel a British tour. He’s known for the hit “You’re Sixteen,” which was on the Top 40 charts at the time.

In 1969, Columbia Records signed Johnny Winter to a five-year, $300,000 contract, which was unprecedented for a new artist.

In 1971, The Osmonds received their first gold record, for “One Bad Apple.”

In 1983, singer Karen Carpenter died of cardiac arrest in Downey, California, at age 32. She had suffered from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa.

In 1987, Liberace died at his home in Palm Springs, California, of AIDS-related complications. He was 67.

In 1993, entertainer Ben Vereen was discharged from a rehabiliation center in New Jersey. He had been getting therapy for seven months after he was hit by a truck near his home in Malibu, California.

Today’s birthdays: Actor William Phipps is 91. Comedian David Brenner is 77. Actor Gary Conway (“Burke’s Law”) is 77. Drummer John Steel of The Animals is 72. Singer Florence LaRue of the Fifth Dimension is 69. Singer Alice Cooper is 65. Actor Michael Beck is 64. Actress Lisa Eichhorn is 61. Singer Tim Booth of James is 53. Country singer Clint Black is 51. Guitarist Noodles of The Offspring is 50. Country bassist Dave Buchanan of Yankee Grey is 47. “Daily Show” correspondent Rob Corddry is 42. Bassist Rick Burch of Jimmy Eat World is 38. Singer Natalie Imbruglia is 38. Rapper Cam’ron is 37. Singer Gavin DeGraw is 36.