On this day, April 29th,
1875–Henry James’ “Transatlantic Sketches” is published.
1944–Last “Our Gang” film released.
1945–Adolph Hitler marries Eva Braun.
1953 – Coke Time with Eddie Fisher began its TV and radio run on NBC-TV and Mutual radio. Fisher, a popular performer, was seen and heard on more TV and radio stations in 1954 than any other entertainer.
1954 – Ernest Borgnine made his network television debut in Night Visitor on Ford Theatre on NBC-TV. The versatile film (Marty) star would later become a sitcom sensation in McHale’s Navy with comedian Tim Conway on CBS and, later, as a helicopter owner in Airwolf.
1960 – Dick Clark told a House of Representatives investigating committee looking into the payola scandal that he, the host of American Bandstand, never took payola for records featured on his daily TV show. Clark would, however, relinquish rights to music publishing that he owned. The value of those rights, Clark indicated 30 years later, amounted to about $80 million.
1961 – “Spanning the globe … to bring you the constant variety of sport, the constant variety of human competition, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. This is ABC’s Wide World of Sports.” A Saturday afternoon sports program began its long run on ABC-TV. The show, featuring Jim McKay as host, along with Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, Al Michaels, Jack Whitaker, Heywood Hale Brun and others, was not an immediate hit. Although Roone Arledge’s vision of a worldwide window on televised sports got off to a slow start, ABC’s Wide World of Sports became one of TV’s most popular and enduring programs.
1967–Aretha Franklin releases “Respect.”
1968 – Hair made its way from Greenwich Village to to the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway. The show certainly opened eyes. It was the first time that actors appeared nude in a Broadway musical. Hair ran for 1,844 shows on and off Broadway. It was even more successful in its London run later. Big songs from the show: Hair (The Cowsills) and Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The 5th Dimension).
1969 – Sir Duke, Duke Ellington, celebrated his 70th birthday. He was honored with the presentation of the Medal of Freedom, the U.S. government’s highest civilian honor.
1974 – Phil Donahue’s TV show was on the move. Donahue was moving to Chicago, IL, where it would remain until 1985. The show was originally based in Dayton, OH. Following more than a decade in the Windy City, the show again moved, this time to New York City. During its stay in Chicago, Donahue earned nine Emmy Awards.
1974–President Nixon announces release of “Watergate” tapes.
1981 – Steve Carlton, the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, became the first left hander in the major leagues to get 3,000 career strikeouts. He fanned Montreal’s Tim Wallach in the first inning of a game that saw the Phillies beat the Expos 6-2. Carlton was only the sixth major leaguer to strikeout 3,000 batters.
1985 – George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, fired manager Yogi Berra. Berra was canned after only 16 games into the young baseball season. In his place, Steinbrenner brought Billy Martin back … for the fourth time.
1986 – Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox set a major-league baseball record by striking out 20 Seattle Mariner batters on the way to a 3-2 win. This record for the Bosox hurler surpassed the 19 strikeouts for a nine-inning game held by Nolan Ryan when he pitched for the California Angels. Tom Seaver of the New York Mets and Steve Carlton of the St. Louis Cardinals also held a piece of the previous 19-KO record.
1992–Riots erupt in Los Angeles over Rodney King verdict.
2005 –JAG ended it’s ten-season TV run with a flip of a coin — frozen in mid air — that still leaves us wondering if it was Harm, or was it Mac (Sara), who gave up their career in order for the couple to be together.
