Today in History: Thursday, August 1, 2024

Television and Radio
“The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” debuted on CBS in 1971. The show was scheduled to return for a fourth season in October 1974, but Sonny and Cher separated that fall, resulting in it being canceled. After failed solo attempts by the pair to host their own variety series, they reunited in February 1976 for “The Sonny and Cher Show.” It lasted two seasons.

CBS sitcom “Good Times” ended its five-and-one-half season run in 1979. FOr more on “Good Times,” click here

Cable network MTV debuted in 1981 at 12:01 a.m. ET with the words “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” played over footage of the first Space Shuttle launch countdown of Columbia, which took place earlier that year, and footage of the launch of Apollo 11. The initial goal was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs…Rush Limbaugh began his national radio show in 1988.

Music
Chubby Checker released “The Twist” in 1960.

Also in 1960 was Aretha Franklin’s first recording session.

Sports
Reggie Jackson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in 1993.

Books
George R.R. Martin published the epic fantasy novel “A Game of Thrones”, the first in his series “A Song of Ice and Fire”, in 1996.

Celebrity Birthdays
Rapper Coolio is 61; Tempestt Bledsoe (“The Cosby Show”) is 51.

Did You Know?
When we first met Florida Evans (Esther Rolle), she was employed as Maude Findlay’s (Bea Arthur) housekeeper in Tuckahoe, New York on sitcom “Maude.“ Her husband, played by John Amos, was named Henry. So, how did she get to the projects of Chicago, with Amos now referred to as James, on spin-off “Good Times”?