This Day In History
« Previous EntriesJanuary 28th, 2008 - This Day in History
Monday, January 28th, 20081978 - Fantasy Island Premieres
Fantasy Island is created in early 1978 as a follow-up to ABC’s surprise hit The Love Boat.
Scheduled on Saturday nights after Love Boat, Fantasy Island became a hit and ran for six years. Screen actor Ricardo Montalban played the mysterious Mr. Roarke, and his diminutive sidekick, Tattoo, was played by [...]
January 22nd, 2008 - This Day in History
Tuesday, January 22nd, 20081968 - Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In Premieres
On this day in 1968, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In makes its debut. This classic TV comedy-variety show was an instant smash that ran for five years on NBC.
The show had aired as a one-time special in September 1967, but its huge popularity led to a series several months later. [...]
January 21st, 2008 - This Day in History
Monday, January 21st, 20081959 — Alfalfa, from “Our Gang,” Shot
Carl Switzer, better known as Alfalfa from the “Our Gang” comedies, is shot and killed in a brawl. Switzer, who became a hunting guide and bartender in Northern California after his acting career fizzled, was shot after an argument over a $50 debt. Authorities ruled the shooting “justifiable homicide.”
January 16th, 2008 - This Day in History
Wednesday, January 16th, 20081976 - Donny and Marie Premieres
Music variety show Donny and Marie premieres, starring 18-year-old Donny Osmond and his 16-year-old sister, Marie. The show ran for only three years, but the brother and sister were reunited in 1998 with a daytime talk show.
January 12th, 2008 - This Day in History
Saturday, January 12th, 20081971 - All in the Family Premieres
Controversial comedy All in the Family debuts. The show, which was one of TV’s top hits for much of its 21-year run, starred Carroll O’Connor as ultra-conservative Archie Bunker; Jean Stapleton as his wife, Edith; and Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner as the couple’s liberal daughter and son-in-law.
The [...]
January 10th, 2008 - This Day in History
Thursday, January 10th, 20081984 - Lauper Ties Record for Nominations
Cyndi Lauper becomes the first female recording artist since 1967 to be nominated for five Grammy Awards, for her debut album, She’s So Unusual.
Lauper was nominated for Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. [...]
January 6th, 2008 - This Day in History
Sunday, January 6th, 20081973 - Schoolhouse Rock Premieres
The animated Saturday morning TV series of shorts called Schoolhouse Rock premieres on ABC this day in 1973 with “Multiplication Rock.”
The short musical cartoons featured lessons in math, history, science, grammar, and more, with classics like “Conjunction Junction,” “Interjections,” and “The Preamble to the Constitution.”
January 3rd, 2008 - This Day in History
Thursday, January 3rd, 20081952-Dragnet Debuts
On this day in 1952, the television series Dragnet debuts, launching a long legacy of realistic police drama on TV. Dragnet, which began as a popular radio program in 1949, boosted the popularity of the series format on TV.
Until Dragnet’s TV debut, variety shows and comedy hours had dominated prime time programming. Most television [...]
December 27th, 2007 - This Day in History
Thursday, December 27th, 20071932 - Radio City Music Hall Opens
Radio City Music Hall opens in New York City. The theater, which showed movies as well as live performances featuring the famous chorus line the Rockettes, was the largest indoor theater in the world when it opened, seating 6,200 people.
December 21st, 2007 - This Day in History
Friday, December 21st, 20071937 — Snow White Opens
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs debuts. The film, created by Walt Disney’s animation company, was the first feature-length animated movie.
The film became a classic, and box office receipts recouped the film’s cost of $1.5 million by the end of the film’s first year in circulation.
December 13th, 2007 - This Day in History
Thursday, December 13th, 20071950 — James Dean Appears in Pepsi Ad
An undiscovered actor named James Dean appears in a Pepsi commercial, dancing with other teens around a jukebox. Dean is the one who puts the money in the juke box.
Dean would later personify the angry, restless youth culture in three films that made a deep impression on [...]
December 11th, 2007 - This Day in History
Tuesday, December 11th, 20071939 - Marlene Dietrich records “Falling in Love Again”
Actress Marlene Dietrich records her hit song “Falling in Love Again.” Dietrich also became a U.S. citizen in 1939.
Born in Berlin, Dietrich came to the United States in 1930 to make movies after considerable success on the German screen. She allegedly refused several offers to return to [...]
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