Today in History: Sunday, July 21, 2024

Television:
“Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” concluded its 10-season run on CBS in 1958…Neil Armstrong became the first person to step on the Moon at 2:56:15 AM (GMT) in 1969…”Entertainment Tonight” host Mary Hart insured her legs for $2 million at Lloyd’s of London in 1987…“The Daily Show,” initially hosted by Craig Kilborn, premiered on Comedy Central in 1996. Jon Stewart took over as the host from January 11, 1999, until August 6, 2015, making the show more strongly focused on political and news satire (in contrast with the pop culture focus during Kilborn’s tenure). Stewart was succeeded by Trevor Noah, whose tenure premiered on September 28, 2015…FX drama “Rescue Me,” starring Denis Leary, debuted in 2004. It aired for seven seasons (and 93 episodes) and ended on Sept. 7, 2011.

Movies
“Stormy Weather,“ starring Bill Robinson, Lena Horne and Fats Waller singing “Ain’t Misbehavin'” opened in theaters in the U.S. in 1943…“The Quiet Man,“ directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, was released in the UK in 1952…“Guardians of the Galaxy,” starring Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana, premiered in Hollywood in 2014…Marvel announced 10 new superhero films at Comic Con including “Blade” with Mahershala Ali, Natalie Portman as a female Thor and with Mahershala Ali, Natalie Portman as a female Thor, and the first Asian American super hero film, “Shang-Chi.“

Music:
Not singin’ in the rain: A thunderstorm cut short Diana Ross’ free concert in New York’s Central Park in 1983…”She Ain’t Worth It” by Glenn Medeiros and Bobby Brown hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1990.

Sports
In just one minute and thirty-three seconds, Mike Tyson knocked out Carl “The Truth” Williams to defend his heavyweight boxing champion title in 1989. It would be Tyson’s final match of his career as a reigning champion.

Books
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the final book in the series by J.K. Rowling, was published worldwide in 2007. Eleven million copies were solid in the first 24 hours.

Celebrity Birthdays
Actress Leigh Lawson (“Tess”) is 79; folk singer Cat Stevens (aka Yusaf Islam) is 76; “Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau is also 76; actor Jamey Sheridan (“Homeland”) is 73; “SNL” alum Jon Lovitz is 67; actor Lance Guest (“Lou Grant”) is 64; actor Matt Mulhern (“Major Dad”) is also 64; singer Emerson Hart of Tonic is 55; actor Alysia Reiner (“Orange is the New Black”) is 54; singer Fitz of Fitz and the Tantrums is also 54; actress Ali Landry is 50; actor Josh Harnett is 46; actor Justin Bartha (“The Good Fight”) is also 46; singer Romeo Santos is 43; “American Idol” singer Blake Lewis also 43; actress Betty Gilpin (“GLOW”) is 38; Chelsie Hightower of “Dancing With the Stars” is 35.

Did You Know?
Four members from the “Rescue Me” cast – Denis Leary, Adam Ferrara, Diane Farr and Lenny Clarke — all previously starred together as NYPD detectives in ABC half-hour dramedy “The Job” (2001), which aired from 2001-02. Nineteen episodes in total were produced.