Today in History: Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Television and Lifestyle
NBC’s Emmy-winning “Get Smart,” which began on NBC and moved to CBS in the fall of 1969, concluded after five seasons in 1970…McDonald’s Coportation was founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernadino, California. They rechristened their business as a hamburger stand, and later turned the company into a franchise, with the Golden Arches logo being introduced in 1953 at a location in Phoenix, Arizona…In 1977, the clan called Anderson reunited for the first of two “Father Knows Best” reunions on NBC…Milton Bradley introduced electonic game “Simon” in 1978…Aaron Spelling crime solver “Starsky & Hutch” concluded its four season run on ABC in 1979..,”Dick Clark’s Censored Bloopers,” the precursor to “Dick Clark’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes,” led into TV movie “The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island”…Classic “Jump the Shark” moment: Terrorists interrupted the wedding of Amanda (Catherine Oxenberg) and Prince Michael (Michael Pared) in the insane “Moldavian massacre” fifth-season finale of ABC’s “Dynasty” in 1985…On “Three’s Company” in 1984: Mary Cadorette was introdiced as Jack’s (John Ritter) love interest, which set the stage for upcoming one season spin-off “Three’s a Crowd”…Victoria Principal made her final appearance as Pam on CBS’ “Dallas” in 1987. And, no…it was not a dream!…Emmy did not come calling: In 1994, NBC aired TV movie “Joan and Melissa: Tear After Laughter,“ starring Joan and Melissa Rivers…The kids on ABC sitcom “Boy Meets World” — Corey (Ben Savage), Topanga (Danielle Fishel) and Shawn (Rider Strong) — graduated high school in 1998. And, yes…William Daniels as Mr. Feeney was one of their teachers in college also.

Movies
Disney introduced Micky Mouse and Minnie Mouse in a theatrical short called “Plane Crazy” in 1928.

Songs:
Peter, Paul & Mary won their 1st Grammy in 1963 with “If I Had a Hammer.” Two songs led the Billboard Top 100: “Ebony and Ivory,“ by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder in 1982; and “That’s the Way Love Goes” by Janet Jackson on 1993. Jennifer Lopez was one of the backup dancer’s in the Jackson music video.

Movies: 
“Lethal Weapon 3” opened in 1992.

Celebrity Birthdays:
Actress Anna Maria Alberghetti is 88; actress Lainie Kazan (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) is 82; actress Gunilla Hutton (“Petticoat Junction,” “Hee Haw”) is also 80;  actor and producer Chazz Palminteri (“A Bronx Tale”) is 72; “Matt Houston” star Lee Horsley is 69; football player Emmitt Smith is 55; David Charvet (“Baywatch”) is 52; “The Sopranos” star Jamie-Lynn Sigler is 43.

-Did You Know?:
Don Adams and Barbara Feldon reprised their roles as Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 in the short-lived revival on Fox in 1995. Their son Zach was played by Andy Dick…It aired for only seven episodes…In the “Father Knows Best Reunion” one of Betty’s (Elinor Donahue) young daughters, “Ellen,” was played by Kyle Richards of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”