Today in country music history:

2006 - Heartland went to number one with "I Loved Her First."

2004 - Big & Rich picked up their first gold single for "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)." 

2004 - Sara Evans earned her first double platinum album for Born to Fly.

2001 - Alan Jackson woke up at 4:00 AM to write "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" in memory of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

1996 - Lonestar received its first gold album for its self-titled debut project.

1995 - David Lee Murphy went to number one with "Dust on the Bottle."

1991 - Tracy Lawrence's debut album Sticks and Stones was released.

1939 - Bill Monroe made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry singing "Foggy Mountain Top" and "Mule Skinner Blues."

Birthdays:

Charlie Daniels - singer, Grand Ole Opry member, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," "Long Haired Country Boy"

Brad Paisley - singer, "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)," "When I Get Where I'm Going," "Welcome to the Future"

Image: Russ Harrington/EMI Nashville

Provided by ABC News Radio