Today in History: Saturday, April 13, 2024

Television
Barbara Bel Geddes (pre-“Dallas”) killed her cheating husband with a frozen leg of lamb, and then cooked it and served it to the police officers investigating the murder on the “Lamb to the Slaughter” episode of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” on CBS in 1958. This was based on a short story by Roald Dahl…Sidney Poitier became the first African American to win the Best Actor in 1964 for “Lillie’s of the Field.” The Best Picture was “Tom Jones”…In 1978, NBC debuted “The Hanna-Barbera Happy Hour,” a musical variety series hosted by life-size puppets. It lasted for only four episodes…TV catfight! In 1983, Krystle (Linda Evans) and Alexis (Joan Collins) had a brawl at the mansion’s pool over Fallon (Pamela Sue Martin). It was one of many physical altercations between the two..In 1985, The Nashville Network began airing “Grand Ole Opry Live”…Also in 1985, “We Are the World” became the #1 song in the U.S. and Howard Cosell hosted the season finale of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”…The gang from fictional Mayberry, North Carolina on “The Andy Griffith Show” reunited in 1986 for made-for television movie “Return to Mayberry.” The only cast member missing was Frances Bavier as good ‘ol Aunt Bee…The final episode of late night talker “The Pat Sajak Show” aired on CBS in 1990. As a planned alternative to “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” on NBC, it only lasted 15 months…In 1996, Fox sketch comedy “Saturday Night Special,” executive produced by Roseanne Barr, was launch as an alternative to NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.“ Needless to say, it did not succeed.
 
Movies:
In 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first black individual to win the Best Actor Oscar (for “Lillies of the Field“) and the only one until Denzel Washington for “Training Day” in 2001. By coincidence, Washington won the Best Actor award on the same night when Poitier received an Honorary Oscar.

News:
An oxygen tank exploded on Apollo 13, preventing a planned moon landing in 1970.

Sports:
Remember the “Reggie” candy bar? It bowed in 1978 and was named after baseball great Reggie Jackson. It featured peanuts and was dipped in caramel and covered in chocolate…The world’s longest doubles ping-pong match ended after 101 hours in 1979…Two professional golf milestones occurred at The Masters in Augusta, Ga. The first: Jack Nicklaus won his 18th major golf tournament (still, an all-time record for any player) in 1986 and at 46 years old at the time, became the oldest ever to win The Masters. The second: Tiger Woods kicked off his legendary career becoming the youngest-ever to win The Masters at a then-21 years old in 1997.

Celebrity Birthdays:
R&B singer Al Green is 78; Ron Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy”) is 74; Caroline Rhea (“Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”) is 60; Rick Schroder (“NYPD Blue”) is 54; actress Kelli Giddish (“Law & Order: SVU”) is 44; “Girls” star Allison Williams is 36.
 
Did You Know?:
Barbara Bel Geddes was nominated for an Oscar in 1949 as Best Supporting Actress for “I Remember Mama.” Ellen Corby was also nominated in the category for “I Remember Mama,” as were Agnes Moorehead (“Johnny Belinda”) and Jean Simmons (“Hamlet”). But the winner was Claire Trevor for “Key Largo.” The Best Motion Picture that year was “Hamlet.”