Today in History: Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Television
“Cavalcade of America” was first broadcast on CBS radio in 1935…“Land of the Lost” debuted on ABC radio in 1943…Doc Severinsen took over as musical director on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1967.

The identity of the dead woman floating in the Ewing pool at Southfork is revealed to be Sue Ellen’s sister Kristin Shepard (Mary Crosby) in the fifth season premiere of the original “Dallas” on CBS in 1981. Kristin actually reappeared in the series finale of “Dallas” (on May 3, 1991) when J.R. (Larry Hagman) experienced visions of what the world would be like if he had never been born..

Mary Jo Catlett joined the cast of NBC sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes” in 1982 as Pearl Gallagher, the Drummond household’s third (and final) housekeeper…In 1986, News Corp. completed its acquisition of Metromedia, thereby launching the Fox Broadcasting Company. That night, in late night, Joan Rivers debuted on the short-lived Fox late night talker “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.” Cher, Elton John and Pee Wee Herman were her first guests…CBS sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” hit the 100-episode mark in 2000, which featured Doris Roberts as Marie and Peter Boyle as Frank accidentally driving their car through Ray (Ray Romano) and Debra’s (Patricia Heaton) house.

News:
American inventor Isaac Singer patented the sewing machine motor in 1855…Aviator Laura Ingalls landed in Glendale, California to complete the first solo transcontinental flight across the United States by a woman in 1930…The first electric blanket went on sale in Petersburg, Virginia in 1946… Strawberry Fields, the section of Central Park near 72nd Street and Central Park West in New York City, was dedicated to the late John Lennon in 1985 on his son Sean’s 10th birthday and what would have been John’s 45th.

Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s musical adaptation of “Phantom of the Opera” opened in London in 1986.

Sports:
In 1989, Art Shell became the first African-American to be a head coach in the NFL. Shell’s Los Angeles Raiders defeated the New York Jets 14-7 on “Monday Night Football.”

Celebrity Birthdays
Singer Jackson Browne is 76; actor Gary Frank (“Family”) is 74; actor Robert Wuhl (“Arli$$”) is 73; Sharon Osbourne is 72; actor Tony Shalhoub (“Monk”) is 71; actor Scott Bakula (“NCIS: New Orleans”) is 70; actor John O’Hurley (“Seinfeld”) is 70; actor and producer Linwood Boomer (“Little House on the Prairie;” “Malcolm in the Middle”) is 69; actor Michael Pare is 66; Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary is 65; twin sisters Jean Sagal and Liz Sagal are each 63; director Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape of Water”) is 60; former British Prime Minister David Cameron is 58; director Steve McQueen (“12 Years A Slave”) is 55; singer P.J. Harvey is 55; champion golfer Annika Sorenstam is 54; singer Sean Lennon is 49; actor Randy Spelling (“Sunset Beach”) is 46; actor Brandon Routh (“D.C.‘s Legends of Tomorrow”) is 45; actor Zachery Ty Bryan (“Home Improvement”) is 41; organizational guru Marie Kondo (Netflix’s “Tidying Up”) is 40; comedienne Melissa Villasenor (“Saturday Night Live”) is 37; Tyler James Williams (“Abbott Elementary”) is 32; Season 10 “American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery is 31; fashion model Bella Hadid is 228.

Did You Know?
When Joan Rivers exited Fox in late night (on May 15, 1987), the program was renamed “The Late Show” and featured rotating guest hosts including Suzanne Somers. Richard Belzer and Robert Townsend. After firing prospective guest host Frank Zappa, producer John Scura replaced him with Arsenio Hall, who made his debut as a talk show host. Eventually, Hall was named the permanent replacement host in mid-1987.