Today in History: Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Television:
“The Imogene Coca Show,” a half-hour combination of situation comedy and variety, ended on NBC in 1955 after one season…Half-hour sketch comedy “The Dave Thomas Show” ended its five-episode run on CBS in 1990…Two high-profile celebrities passed away in 2009: Farrah Fawcett at the age of 62 and Michael Jackson at age 50…”Late Night with David Letterman” on NBC concluded in 1993 after 11 seasons. Letterman exited for CBS, of course, after NBC gave “The Tonight Show” hosting spot to Jay Leno…There were three other series finales (and both on NBC): Comedy-variety “The Jonathan Winters Show” in 1957; sitcom “Day By Day” (with Julia Louis-Dreyfus pre “Seinfeld”) in 1989; and, daytime drama “Another World” in 1999.

Movies:
“Klute“, starring Jane Fonda (in her first Best Actress Oscar-winning role) and Donald Sutherland, opened in 1971.

Supernatural horror film “The Omen,“ starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, opened in 1976…“Blade Runner,“ directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer, was released in 1982…The romantic comedy “Sleepless in Seattle” starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Rob Reiner and Bill Pullman opened in 1993.

“Independence Day,“ starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum, opened in 1996…Comedy “Big Daddy” starring Adam Sandler and Jon Stewart was released in 1999…Michael Moore‘s “Fahrenheit 9/11” opened in 2004. Earning a reported $222 million worldwide, it is the highest-grossing documentary film of all-time.

Music:
Stevie Wonder released “Where I’m Coming From” in 1971…Barry White’s “Can’t Get Enough of You Babe” came out in 1975…Prince released his “Purple Rain” album in 1984…Jay-Z‘s debut studio album “Reasonable Doubt” was released in 1996…Maroon 5 released their debut album “Songs About Jane” in 2002. It featured two Top-5 hits “This Love” and “She Will Be Loved” — both tunes still heavily played on today’s adult contemporary radio stations…Reaching No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: “Got to Give It Up (Part 1)” by Marvin Gaye in 1977: “Foolish Beat” by Debbie Gibson in 1988.

Sports:
The San Antonio Spurs selected Wake Forest power forward Tim Duncan as the first pick of the NBA Draft in 1997. Duncan was part of the Spurs’ first NBA championship when they completed sweep of the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals on the same date in 1999. He was also a key member of four additional NBA championship Spurs teams (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) throughout his storied 19-year professional career.

Books and Periodicals:
“Het Achterhuis” (“The Diary of a Young Girl“), or better known as “The Diary of Anne Frank“, was first published in 1947. During the Maxi occupation of the Netherlands, Anne Frank received a blank diary as one of her presents on 12 June 1942, her 13th birthday.

Technology
Microsoft released the operating system Windows 98 in 1998.

Celebrity Birthdays
Actress June Lockhart is 99; actress Barbara Montgomery (“Amen”, “The Women of Brewster Place”) is 85; actress Mary Beth Peil (“The Good Wife”, “Dawson’s Creek”) is 84; Hall of Fame New York Knicks basketball player Willis Reed is 82; singer Carly Simon is 79; actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 77; Ricky Gervais is 63; basketball player Dikembe Mutombo is 58; “The Office” star Angela Kinsey is 53; “Dead To Me” star Linda Cardellini is 49; actress Busy Phillips is 45.

Did You Know?
Carly Simon won an Oscar in 1989 for Best Original Song for “Let the River Run” in film “Working Girl”…Six original cast members from “The Brady Bunch” — Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, Ann B. Davis, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight and Mike Lookinland — reunited on the episode of “Day By Day” titled “A Very Brady Episode.” It was telecast on Feb. 25, 1989. For a look, click here …Carly Simon appeared as herself in a 1989 episode of ABC drama “thirtysomething” and was a guest-caller named Marie on a 1995 episode of NBC sitcom “Frasier.“