Today in History: Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Television
Holiday classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” debuted on NBC in 1964. The special aired on NBC through 1971, then moved to CBS, where it still runs annually. A series of postage stamps featuring Rudolph was issued by the United States Postal Service on November 6, 2014…“Highway to Heaven,” starring and created by Michael Landon, hit the 100-episode mark in 1988.  At the time of his death in 1991, Landon produced and starred in a pilot for a drama on CBS called “Us” about a man trying to adjust to regular life after falsely being incarcerated for 18 years.

Music:
A reported 300,000 people attended a free concert in California 1969 featuring The Rolling Stones. But it was marred by violence and four deaths.

News: 
Gerald Ford was sworn in as vice president of the United States in 1973, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew, who had resigned.

Sports:
In 1992, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice caught an NFL record 101st touchdown in a 27-3 win over Miami Dolphins at Candlestick Park.

Celebrity Birthdays:
Actor James Naughton (“Planet of the Apes”) is 78; actress JoBeth Williams is 75; talk show host Wil Shriner is 70; comedian Steven Wright is 68; Debbie Rowe, Michael Jackson’s former wife, is 65; actress Janine Turner (“Northern Exposure”) is 61; director Judd Apatow (“The 40-Year Old Virgin”) is 56; actress Lindsay Price (“Beverly Hills 90210”) is 47; actress Ashley Madekwe (“Revenge”) is 42.

Did You Know?
The character Jonathan the Angel played by Michael Landon on “Highway to Heaven” was originally introduced on Landon’s “Little House On The Prairie.“ He was played by Ernest Borgnine in a two-hour episode on Dec. 18, 1974 called “The Lord is My Shepherd.”