Today in History: Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Television
Live 90-minute variety series “Your Show of Shows,” starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, concluded its five season run on NBC in 1954. Other featured performers included Carl Reiner and Howard Morris (“The Andy Griffith Show”), while the writers included Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart (“M.A.S.H.”) and Woody Allen…Two other classic series ended: “The Milton Berle Show” on NBC in 1956 and “The George Gobel Show” on CBS in 1960…ABC presented its first broadcast of the Indianapolis 500 in 1965. The telecast, anchored by Charlie Brockman, was part of the network’s Saturday “Wide World of Sports” telecast…Konami released the arcade game Frogger in 1981… Also in 1981, “Night Flight” debuted. The late night showcase of short films and music videos ran for seven years on USA network… In 1987, “Nightline” on ABC telecast its 1st “Town Meeting” and the subject was AIDS. 

Movies:
“The Untouchables,” starring Robert De Niro and Kevin Costner, was released in 1987. It resulted in an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Sean Connery…”Patriot Games,” with Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, opened in theaters in 1992… “The Truman Show,“ starring Jimmy Carrey, Laura Linney and Ed Harris was released in 1998.

Songs:
Paul McCartney released his eighth solo album, “Flowers in the Dirt,” in 1989…. Boy band New Kids on the Block released their third studio album “Step by Step” in 1990… the Grammy-winning debut album of Alicia Keys entitled “Songs in A Minor” was released in 2001.

Celebrity Birthdays
News correspondent Bill Moyers is 90; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is 83; financial expert Suze Orman is 73; saxophonist Kenny G is 68; actress Beth Hall (“Mom”) is 66; actor Jeff Garlin (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “The Goldbergs”) is 62; actor Ron Livingston (“Sex and the City’s” Post-It Guy) is 57; Chad Allen (“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”, “St. Elsewhere”) is 50; actress Liza Weil (“How to Get Away with Murder”, “Gilmore Girls”) is 47; Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz is 45.

Did You Know?
Chad Allen played Tommy Westphall on NBC’s “St. Elsewhere,” the autistic boy who apparently imagined the entire six season run of the classic 1980s medical dramedy.