Today in History: Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Television:
Syndicated series “Mischief Makers” launched on stations in 1960. The 15-minute series consisted of edited “Our Gang” silent shorts that were originally released through Pathe, as well as various shorts from the “Mickey McGuire” and “Buster Brown” theatrical series. Films from Hal Roach’s all animal series the “Dippy Doo Dads” were also occasionally shown. The series ended production in 1961, but continued to be aired by certain local television stations into the 1970s…NBC quiz show “You Bet Your Life,“ hosted by Groucho Marx, concluded after 11 seasons in 1961…In 1990, it was announced that Adam Sandler would join the cast of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live“…Seven short-lived series launched: 1) Syndicated talk show “The Howie Mandel Show” in 1998; 2) TNT comedy-drama “Memphis Beat” in 2010; 3) ABC singing competition “Rising Star” in 2014; 4) CBS thriller “American Gothic” and 5) HBO sports talk show “Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons” — both in 2016; 6) ABC singing competition “Boy Band” and 7) Spike’s sci-fi horror drama “The Mist” — both in 2017…Sitcom “American Dreamer” concluded its lone season in 1991 on NBC. It starred Robert Urich, Jeffrey Tambor, Carol Kane and Johnny Galecki. “Family Ties” creator Gary David Goldberg served as executive producer…Action drama “Stargate SG-1” ended its 10-season run in 2007. The series based on the 1994 film “Stargate” starred Richard Dean Anderson. Its first five seasons aired on Showtime; its latter five on Sci Fi channel…Teen family comedy-drama “Make It or Break It” began its three-season run on ABC Family in 2009. The series about Olympic gymnastic hopefuls starred Candace Cameron Bure and Peri Gilpin…Post-apocalyptic action-drama “The Last Ship” debuted on TNT in 2014. The series starred and was produced by Eric Dane. Famed action director Michael Bay served as one of its executive producers. It aired 56 episodes across five seasons…Legal comedy-drama “Drop Dead Diva” concluded its six-season run on Lifetime in 2014. It starred Brooke Elliott, Margaret Cho and Ben Feldman…TV Land’s “The Soul Man” concluded its series run in 2016. The sitcom that starred Cedric the Entertainer and Niecy Nash ran for 54 episodes across five seasons…The revival of amateur talent contest “The Gong Show” premiered on ABC in 2017. Mike Myers hosted the program in the role of British comedian Tommy Maitland. This version aired for two brief cycles…The second and final season of “Marvel’s Luke Cage” starring Mike Colter was released on Netflix in 2018. The series also starred Rosario Dawson and Alfre Woodard.

Movies:
Walt Disney’s “Rescuers” was released in 1977 and it became the first Disney film to get a sequel…The first theatrical film featuring the Muppets, “The Muppet Movie“, premiered in 1979…“The Karate Kid” starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue and William Zabka was released on this day in 1984. Shue, Zabka and Macchio reprised their Karate Kid roles in the current streaming series “Cobra Kai”…Also opening in 1984, Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton in “Rhinestone” which actually grossed more in its opening weekend at the box office than “The Karate Kid”…The hit animated/live action hybrid flick “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” starring Bob Hoskins and the voice of Kathleen Turner opened in 1988.

Music:
“Little” Stevie Wonder, age 13, released his first single “Fingertips,“ in 1963, which was the first live non-studio recording to go to No. 1 on Billboard…George Harrison released “Living in the Material World” in 1973. Reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: “Heaven” by Bryan Adams in 1985.

Sports:
A significant moment in African American sports history took place at Chicago’s Comiskey Park when boxer Joe Louis knocked out James Braddock in 1937 to become the world heavyweight boxing champion. One year later (to the day in 1938), Louis delivered his most impressive victory by knocking out German boxer Max Schmeling in the first round at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY. Louis held the title as world champion for 12 years, the longest reign (to date) in boxing history. Braddock’s life was depicted in the 2005 Russell Crowe film “Cinderella Man”…Remember tennis legend John McEnroe’s famous “You cannot be serious rant” in his first round win over Tom Gullikson at Wimbledon? It happened in 1981…New York Mets legend Tom Seaver retired in 1987…The Houston Rockets earned their franchise’s first NBA championship in 1994 by defeating the New York Knicks in seven games… NHL owners approved of the league’s expansion to Las Vegas in 2016. The inaugural season of the Vegas Golden Knights culminated in a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, where they lost to the Washington Capitals in five games.

News:
The first Dairy Queen opened in Joliet, Ill. in 1940…Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to killing John Lennon in 1981.

Celebrity Birthdays
Singer-actor Kris Kristofferson is 85; actor Michael Lerner is 80; actor Klaus Maria Brandauer is 78; journalist Brit Hume is also 78; singer Peter Asher of Peter and Gordon is 77; singer Howard “Eddie” Kaylan of The Turtles is 74; singer Todd Rundgren is 73; three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep is 72; actress Lindsay Wagner (“The Bionic Woman), singer Alan Osmond of The Osmonds, and politician Elizabeth Warren are also 72; actor Graham Greene (“Dances With Wolves”) is 69; singer Cyndi Lauper is 68; actor Chris Lemmon is 67; actor Bruce Campbell (“Evil Dead”, “Burn Notice”) is 63; actress Tracy Pollan (“Family Ties”) is 61; consumer advocate Erin Brockovich is also 61; Hall of Fame basketball player Clyde Drexler is 59; actress Amy Brenneman (“Judging Amy”) is 57; “The Da Vinci Code” author Dan Brown is also 57; actor Michael Trucco (“How I Met Your Mother,” “Battlestar Gallactica”) is 51; Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner is 50; actress Mary Lynn Rajskub (“24”) is also 50; “The Voice” host Carson Daly is 48; actress Lecy Goranson (“The Conners”) is also 48; actor Donald Faison (“Scrubs”) is 47; professional golfer Dustin Johnson is 37.

Did You Know?
Joe Lewis is widely regarded as the first person of African-American descent to achieve the status of a nationwide hero within the United States. He was also instrumental in integrating the game of golf, breaking the sport’s color barrier in America by appearing under a sponsor’s exemption in a PGA2. event in 1952...One of the recipients of $10,000 on “You Bet Your Life” was young author William Peter Blatty. When Groucho Marx asked what he planned to do with the money, Blatty was he was going to take some time off to work on a novel. The result was “The Exorcist,“ which was published in 1971 and was the basis of the 1973 film of the same name.