Today in History: Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Television
Tom Brokaw became host of NBC’s “Today’s Show” in 1976 and remained in the job until 1981...“The Late Show with David Letterman” debuted on CBS in 1993 and stayed on the air through May 20, 2015. Billy Joel was the first musical guest…Post-apocalyptic science-fiction drama “Falling Skies” starring Noah Wyle concluded its five-season, 52-episode series run on TNT in 2015…At the MTV Video Music Awards in 2015, rapper Kanye West — after receiving the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award from guest presenter Taylor Swift — announced in his acceptance speech that he would run for President of the United States in 2020. He followed through on that promise but only received approximately 70,000 votes nationwide…In 2017, reports surfaced that composer Alf Clausen was let go from the Fox animated hit “The Simpsons.“ Throughout his 27-year stint with the show scoring its music, he received a record 23 Emmy nominations, winning the prestigious award twice in 1997 and in 1998…USA Network legal drama “Suits” aired its 100th episode in 2017. It concluded on September 25, 2019 after 134 episodes…Two series premiered in 2019: Amazon drama “Carnival Row” starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, and the short-lived “When Calls The Heart” spinoff “When Hope Calls” on the recently-launched streaming service Hallmark Movies Now…In 2020, ABC paid tribute to actor Chadwick Boseman (who had passed away two days prior) with a commercial-free telecast of his 2016 blockbuster superhero film “Black Panther”, followed by the special “Chadwick Boseman – A Tribute for a King”…In 2020, The CW simulcast “The MTV Video Music Awards” for the first time ever, thanks to the merger between Viacom and CBS. The ceremony was hosted by Keke Palmer. The night’s big winner was Lady Gaga who took home five awards.

Movies
“Slumdog Millionaire”, based on the novel “Q & A” by Vikas Swarup, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Dev Patel premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2008, It won eight Oscars including Best Picture and Best Achievement in Directing…Film “Roma” directed and written by Alfonso Cuarón starring Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2018. It won three Oscars including Best Achievement in Directing…Film “The Favourite” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Olivia Coleman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone opened at the Venice Film Festival in 2018. Coleman won the Academy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.

News
In 1983, U.S. astronaut Guion S. Bluford, Jr. became the first African American to travel into space, serving as a mission specialist aboard the shuttle orbiter Challenger. He later flew on three other missions...Rosa Parks was robbed and beaten by Joseph Skipper in 1994. Parks was known for her refusal to give up her seat on a bus in 1955, which sparked the civil rights movement.

Sports
Ty Cobb, who became one of the game’s greatest offensive players and one of its fiercest competitors, made his major league debut, with the Detroit Tigers in 1905…Casey Stengel announced his retirement after 55 years in baseball in 1965…The Big Ten Network, the cable sports network covering the college teams within the Big Ten conference, launched in 2007.

Celebrity Birthdays
Business magnate and philanthropist Warren Buffett is 93; actress Elizabeth Ashley is 84; actor-turned-politician Ben Jones (“The Dukes of Hazzard”) is 82; actor John Kani (“Black Panther”) is 80; comedian Lewis Black (“The Daily Show”) is 75; actor Timothy Bottoms (“The Last Picture Show,” “The Paper Chase”) is 70; actor Michael Chiklis (“The Fantastic Four,” ″The Shield”) is 60; actress Michael Michele (“ER,” ″Homicide: Life on the Street”) is 57; actress Cameron Diaz is 51; TV personality Lisa Ling (“The View”) is 50; singer-songwriter Bleta Rexha (aka Bebe Rexha) is 34. On this day was the birth of two classic TV stars: “Hazel” herself, Shirley Booth, who was born in 1898; and “My Three Sons” patriarch Fred MacMurray, who was born in 1908.

Did You Know?
With 11-seasons under his belt as host of NBC’s “Late Night with David Letterman” (from 1982 to 1993), Letterman at 33 years in total has the longest tenure as a late night talk show host historically.