TODAY IN HISTORY: FBI spends 31 months investigating rock and roll smash hit

On February 1, 1964, Indiana Governor Matthew Welsh ordered a ban on the radio play of the rock hit "Louie Louie." Welsh believed the song's content was sacrilegious and contained explicit sexual innuendo.

Despite no one in the Indiana state government being able to discern the actual lyrics, Welsh made these accusations. "Louie Louie," recorded in one take by the Kingsmen, was known for its rough, raw, and raucous style. With only one microphone hanging from the ceiling in the recording studio, lead singer Jack Ely had to shout to be heard over the drums, guitar, and bass.

However, Welsh's ban came too late. "Louie Louie" had already topped the charts across the country, becoming a hit. On the very day Welsh banned the song, it was knocked off the top spot by a British band called the Beatles. The Beatles' song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" had been at the top of the U.S. charts for seven consecutive weeks before being replaced by their follow-up single, "She Loves You."

Nevertheless, the authorities were determined to find evidence of obscenity in "Louie Louie." The FBI spent 31 months investigating the song, eventually giving up. "The Bureau advises they are unable to interpret any of the wording on the record," the final report stated. From previous recordings, the song's lyrics were quite mild. But the FBI failed to notice the profane word at the 54-second mark, where drummer Lynn Easton can be heard yelling "F—" after messing up a fill.

On February 1, 1884, after nearly 30 years of work, the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was published. The dictionary was meticulously compiled by contributors from across Britain. Late in the compilation process, editor James Murray discovered their most prolific contributor was sending his work from a mental asylum. William Chester Minor had been confined to Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum after shooting a man in the streets of London.

While confined, Minor read voraciously and made extraordinary contributions to the dictionary's compilation. Minor was eventually released on the order of Home Secretary Winston Churchill (second from left) and was repatriated to his native United States. There, he was transferred to another mental asylum and died in 1920.

On February 1, 1981, Australian cricketer Trevor Chappell bowled an underarm delivery in a one-day match against New Zealand, sparking outrage in the sport. The incident at the Melbourne Cricket Ground occurred on the final ball of the match, with New Zealand needing 7 runs to win. Shortly after, an enraged Richie Benaud delivered a commentary on camera. "I think it was a disgraceful performance by a captain making an error," he said. "That is one of the worst things I have ever seen on a cricket field."

On February 1, 1713, Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III, tired of the Swedish king and his large entourage residing in his empire, ordered an attack. Hundreds of Swedish soldiers were residing in what is now Moldova as "honored guests" of the Sultan. However, due to their immense expense, when they refused to leave, the Sultan organized an attack. Thousands of Turkish troops assaulted the Swedish camp, resulting in hundreds of casualties. But the Swedes were outnumbered, and King Charles XII was captured and deported.