Today in NBC History
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Historical Events
Events 1 - 100 of 466
1920-04-20 - Big Show ends 2 year run on NBC radio
1921-03-21 - Walter Kerr Theater (Ritz, CBS, NBC, ABC) opens at 223 W 48th St NYC
1922-07-25 - AT&T begins broadcasting on WBAY (NYC-later WEAF, WNBC, WRCA & WFAN)
1926-10-09 - NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation) forms
1926-11-15 - 1st formal radio network, RCA takes over AT&T 25 station Network (NBC)
1928-03-19 - "Amos & Andy" debuts on radio (NBC Blue Network-WMAQ Chicago)
1928-12-23 - NBC sets up a permanent, coast-to-coast radio network
1929-10-24 - Ruby Vallee's Fleishmann Hour begins broadcasting on NBC radio
1930-07-30 - 1st broadcast of "Death Valley Days" on NBC-radio
1930-10-20 - Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, premiers on NBC radio
1931-04-06 - 1st broadcast of "Little Orphan Annie" on NBC-radio
1931-10-30 - W2XB TV channel 1 in NYC, NY (NBC) begins broadcasting
1932-04-28 - 1st broadcast of "One Man's Family" on NBC-radio
1932-05-02 - Jack Benny's 1st radio show premieres (NBC Blue Network)
1932-12-02 - "Adv of Charlie Chan" 1st heard on NBC-Blue radio network
1933-06-23 - Don McNeill's Pepper Pot (Breakfast Club) begins 35½ year run on NBC
1935-03-24 - Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour goes national on NBC Radio Network
1935-07-20 - 1st broadcast of "Gang Busters" on NBC-radio
1937-01-25 - 1st broadcast of "Guiding Light" on NBC radio
1937-11-13 - NBC forms 1st full-sized symphony orchestra exclusively for radio
1937-12-12 - NBC & RCA sends 1st mobile-TV vans onto the streets of NY
1937-12-25 - Arturo Toscanini conducts 1st Symphony of the Air over NBC Radio
Actress Mae West
1937-12-27 - Mae West performs Adam & Eve skit that gets her banned from NBC radio
1938-03-26 - NBC radio performance of Howard Hanson's 3rd Symphony
1938-05-17 - Radio quiz show "Information Please!" debuts on NBC Blue Network
1938-07-26 - 1st radio broadcast of "Young Widder Brown" on NBC
1939-04-30 - NBC/RCA 1st public TV demo with FDR at opening of NY World's Fair
1939-08-06 - 1st broadcast of "Dinah Shore Show" on NBC-radio
1941-07-01 - 1st coml TV licenses granted-W2XBS-WNBT (NBC) & WCBW (CBS), NYC
1941-07-01 - WNBT TV (W2XBS, Now WNBC) channel 4 in NYC (NBC) begins broadcasting
1941-08-31 - Great Gildersleeve, a spin-off of Fibber McGee & Molly debuts on NBC
1941-09-03 - KYW TV channel 3 in Philadelphia, PA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1944-02-21 - "War As It Happens" news show premieres on NBC TV (NYC only)
1944-08-13 - Jackie Gleason-Les Tremayne show premieres on NBC radio
1946-05-09 - 1st hour long entertainment TV show, "NBC's Hour Glass" premieres
1946-05-09 - 1st variety show on TV "NBC's Hour Glass," premieres
1946-11-01 - WEAF radio changes call letters to WNBC (NYC)
1947-02-08 - KSD (now KSDK) TV channel 5 in St Louis, MO (NBC) begins broadcasting
1947-03-04 - WWJ (now WDIV) TV channel 4 in Detroit, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
1947-05-07 - "Kraft Television Theater" premieres on NBC
1947-06-27 - WRC TV channel 4 in Washington DC (NBC) begins broadcasting
1947-10-27 - WMAR TV channel 2 in Baltimore, MD (NBC) begins broadcasting
1947-11-12 - KPO-AM in San Francisco CA changes call letters to KNBC (now KNBR)
1947-11-20 - "Meet the Press" makes network TV debut on NBC
1947-12-27 - 1st "Howdy Doody Show," (Puppet Playhouse), telecast on NBC
1948-01-18 - Ted Mack's "Original Amateur Hour" begins, DuMont (later NBC/ABC/CBS)
1948-02-05 - "Nature of Things" science show premieres on NBC prime time
1948-02-09 - WLWT TV channel 5 in Cincinnati, OH (NBC) begins broadcasting
1948-02-16 - 1st newsreel telecast, "20th Century Fox-Movietone News" shown on NBC
1948-03-20 - 20th Academy Awards - "Gentleman's Agreement," L Young, R Colman win minutes by 2nd live televised musical Arturo Toscvanni on NBC
1948-06-08 - "Milton Berle Show" premieres on NBC TV
1948-06-09 - WBZ TV channel 4 in Boston, MA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1948-07-21 - WSPD TV channel 13 in Toledo, OH (NBC) begins broadcasting
1948-09-21 - "Texaco Star Theater" with Milton Berle premieres on NBC-TV
1948-09-28 - WBAP-TV, (NBC affiliate) Fort Worth Texas, begins broadcasting
1948-09-29 - WBAP (now KXAS) TV channel 5 in Fort Worth-Dallas, TX (NBC) begins
1948-11-24 - WAVE TV channel 3 in Louisville, KY (NBC) begins broadcasting
1948-11-25 - KING TV channel 5 in Seattle, WA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1948-11-29 - "Kukla, Fran, & Ollie" debuted on NBC
1948-11-29 - KOB TV channel 4 in Albuquerque, NM (NBC) begins broadcasting
1948-12-11 - WMC TV channel 5 in Memphis, TN (NBC) begins broadcasting
1948-12-18 - WDSU TV channel 6 in New Orleans, LA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-01-01 - KPRC TV channel 2 in Houston, TX (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-01-03 - "Colgate Theater" dramatic anthology series premieres on NBC TV
1949-01-16 - KNBH (now KNBC) TV channel 4 in Los Angeles, CA (NBC) 1st broadcast
1949-01-31 - 1st daytime soap on TV "These Are My Children" (NBC in Chicago)
1949-03-15 - WICU TV channel 12 in Erie, PA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-03-15 - WLWD (now WDTN) TV channel 2 in Dayton, OH (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-03-18 - WGAL TV channel 8 in Lancaster, PA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-03-21 - WTVJ TV channel 4 in Miami, FL (NBC/CBS) begins broadcasting
1949-04-03 - WLWS (now WCMH) TV channel 4 in Columbus, OH (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-05-29 - Candid Camera, TV comedy Variety, moves to NBC
1949-06-06 - WKY (now KTVY) TV channel 4 in Oklahoma City, OK (NBC) 1st broadcast
1949-06-14 - WROC TV channel 8 in Rochester, NY (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-06-24 - "Hopalong Cassidy" becomes 1st network western (NBC)
1949-07-02 - "Red Barber's Clubhouse" sports show premieres on CBS (later NBC) TV
1949-07-07 - "Dragnet" premieres on NBC radio; also a TV series in 1951 & 1967
1949-07-10 - WJAR TV channel 10 in Providence, RI (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-08-15 - WOTV TV channel 8 in Grand Rapids, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-09-01 - KMTV TV channel 3 in Omaha, NB (CBS/NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-09-15 - WJAC TV channel 6 in Johnstown, PA (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting
1949-10-16 - WDAF TV channel 4 in Kansas City, MO (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-10-31 - WOC (now KWQC) TV channel 6 in Davenport, IA (NBC) 1st broadcast
1949-11-15 - KRON TV channel 4 in San Francisco, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-11-15 - WSAZ TV channel 3 in Huntington-Charleston, NV (NBC) 1st broadcast
1949-12-01 - WKTV TV channel 2 in Utica, NY (NBC) begins broadcasting
1949-12-11 - WOAI (now KMOL) TV channel 4 in San Antonio, TX (NBC) 1st broadcast
1950-01-30 - "Robert Montgomery Presents" dramatic anthology premieres on NBC TV
1950-02-15 - WSYR (now WSTM) TV channel 3 in Syracuse, NY (NBC) begins broadcasting
Actor & Director Mel Brooks
1950-02-25 - "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca premieres on NBC Writers include Mel Brooks, Neil Simon & Woody Allen
1950-07-10 - "Your Hit Parade" premieres on NBC (later CBS) TV
1950-07-20 - "Arthur Murray Party" premieres on ABC TV (later DuMont, CBS, NBC)
1950-09-30 - WSM TV channel 4 in Nashville, TN (NBC) begins broadcasting
1951-02-03 - "Victor Borge Show," debuts on NBC TV
1951-05-14 - Ernie Kovacs Show, TV Variety debut on NBC
1951-06-09 - "Doodles Weaver Show," debuts on NBC-TV
1951-06-22 - Gene Rayburn & Dee Finch show premieres on NBC radio
1951-06-30 - "Victor Borge Show," last airs on NBC-TV
1951-07-02 - Bob & Ray show premieres on NBC radio
1951-09-04 - NBC extends to become a 61 station coast-to-coast network
Famous Birthdays
Birthdays 1 - 61 of 61
1867-03-25 - Arturo Toscanini, Parma Italy, temperamental conductor (NBC)
1890-08-05 - Erich Kleiber, Vienna Austria, conductor (NBC Symphony 1945-46)
1890-08-12 - Al Goodman, Nikopol Russia, orchestra leader (NBC Comedy Hour)
1907-09-29 - Richard Harkness, Artesian SD, newscaster (Story of the Week, NBC)
1908-02-13 - Pauline Frederick, journalist/correspondent (UN, NBC TV)
1910-05-12 - Gordon Jenkins, Webster Grove Mo, orchestra leader (NBC Comedy Hour)
1911-08-09 - Robert McCormick, Danville Ky, NBC newscaster (Current Opinion)
1911-12-10 - Chet Huntley, Cardwell Mont, newscaster (NBC Huntley-Brinkley Report)
1915-11-26 - Earl Wild, Pitts Pa, composer/pianist (Caesar's Hour, NBC Symph 1942)
1919-01-25 - Edwin Newman, NYC, newscaster/journalist/author (NBC-TV, Comment)
1920-04-28 - Nan Merriman, US/Neth singer (Arturo Toscanini NBC Orch)
1920-07-10 - David Brinkley, Wilmington NC, NBC news anchor (Huntley-Brinkley)
1920-07-17 - Bill Monroe, New Orleans La, newscaster (NBC-TV, Congressional Report)
1921-09-12 - Frank McGee, Monroe La, news anchor (NBC Evening News)
1921-10-13 - Harper MacKay, Boston Mass, orchestra leader (NBC Follies)
1923-02-02 - Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Smith, Tx, journlist/author (WNBC, NY Daily News)
1924-12-23 - Floyd Kalber, Omaha Neb, newscaster (NBC Weekend News Anchor-1973)
1926-01-11 - Grant Tinker, broadcasting executive (NBC-TV)
1927-01-27 - Nancy Dickerson, journalist (NBC)
1927-07-14 - John William Chancellor, Chicago Ill, news anchor (NBC, VOA)
1927-11-05 - Robert Abernethy, Geneva Switz, Newscaster (NBC News Encore)
1927-11-29 - Vin[ce] Scully, sportscaster (NBC Baseball Game of the Week)
1928-01-08 - Sander Vanocur, Cleve Ohio, news anchor (NBC Weekend News)
1928-02-09 - Roger Mudd, Wash DC, news ancher (CBS Weekend News, NBC Evening News)
1928-03-24 - Byron "Yanks" Janis, McKeesport Pa, pianist (NBC Symphony Orch)
1929-01-07 - Douglas Kiker, NBC newsman (1970 Peabody Award)
1930-03-06 - Lorin Maazel, Neuilly France, conductor (NBC Symphony Orch 1941)
1930-06-09 - Marvin Kalb, NYC, educator/newscaster (CBS/NBC, Meet the Press)
1931-01-19 - Robert MacNeil, Montreal, news anchor (NBC Weekend News, 1965-67)
1931-06-21 - Lawrence K Grossman, News president (NBC-TV)
1932-02-01 - John Hart, Denver Colo, newsman (CBS News Retrospective, NBC News)
1933-12-28 - Jack Perkins, Cleve Ohio, newscaster (Prime Time Sunday, NBC Magazine)
1935-09-10 - John Palmer, Kingsport Tenn, news anchor (NBC Weekend News)
1936-03-12 - Lloyd Dobbins, Newport News Va, newscaster (NBC News Overnight)
1936-05-12 - Tom Snyder, Milwaukee Wisc, newscaster (Tommorow, NBC Weekend News)
1936-10-12 - Tony Kubek, shortstop (NY Yankees)/sportscaster (NBC-TV, Madison Square Garden)
1937-09-13 - Fred Silverman, broadcasting exec (ABC/NBC/CBS)
1938-09-20 - Pia Lindstrom, critic (WNBC-TV)/journalist (From Russia With Love)
1939-08-28 - Cassie Mackin, newswoman (NBC TV)
1939-11-19 - Garrick Utley, Chic Ill, newscaster (1st Tuesday, NBC Weekend)
1940-02-03 - Jim Hartz, newscaster (NBC-TV, Innovations)
1940-02-06 - Tom Brokaw, Yankton SD, news anchor (NBC Nightly News 1982- )
1940-07-23 - Don Imus, radio disc jockey (WNBC)
1940-12-15 - Nick Buoniconti, NFL linebacker (Miami Dolphins)/sportscaster (NBC)
1941-06-12 - Marv Albert, NYC, "Yes!" sportscaster (NBC-TV)/back biter
1944-08-15 - Linda Ellerbee, Bryan Texas, newscaster (Weekend, NBC Overnight)
1946-08-20 - Connie Chung, TV news anchor (NBC, CBS)
1946-10-20 - Connie Chung, Washington DC, news ancher (NBC, CBS)
1946-10-30 - Andrea Mitchell, NYC, newscaster (NBC-TV, Summer Sunday USA)
1947-10-12 - Chris Wallace, Chic Ill, newscaster (NBC Weekend News)
1948-02-02 - Jessica Savitch, Kennet Sq PA, news anchor (NBC)
1949-01-13 - Brandon Tartikoff, TV exec (NBC)
1949-03-12 - Mary Alice Williams, news reporter (NBC-TV)
Television Journalist Tim Russert (1950-05-07)
1950-05-07 - Tim Russert, Buffalo NY, American television journalist and host of NBC's Meet the Press, (d. 2008)
1950-10-31 - Jane Pauley, Indianapolis Indiana, newscaster (Today, NBC Weekend)
1953-02-26 - Bree Walker, news anchor (WNBC TV, KNBC TV)
1953-12-27 - Arthur Kent, newscaster [Scud Stud], (NBC-Gulf War coverage)
1954-08-20 - Al Roker, Queens NY, weatherman (NBC, Today)
1954-12-02 - Stone Phillips, news host (NBC Dateline)
1962-03-24 - Star Jones, attorney/TV hostess (NBC, Inside Edition)
1962-06-13 - Hannah Storm, sports journalist (CNN, NBC)
Famous Weddings
Weddings 1 - 10 of 10
1983-06-24 - "NBC Sports" sportscaster Bob Costas (31) weds Carole Randall Krumenacher
1986-11-28 - NBC's Ahmad Rashad marriage proposal is accepted by Phylicia Ayers-Allen during halftime of Det Lions-NY Jets football game
1999-06-13 - CNBC anchor-reporter Maria Bartiromo (31) weds son of multimillionaire financier Saul Steinberg, Jonathan Steinberg (34) in Long Island, New York
2004-07-24 - Former MSNBC news anchor Ashleigh Banfield (36) weds real estate financier Howard Gould (31) in Kenora, Ontario
2005-10-09 - "The O.C." writer and talk show host Regis Philbin's daughter Jennifer Joy Philbin (31) weds NBC comedy series "The Office" writer Michael Schur (32) at St. Ignatius Loyola Church in New York City
2005-12-03 - NBC correspondent Hoda Kotb (41) weds New Orleans tennis coach Burzis Kanga in the Dominican Republic
2006-01-02 - NBC correspondent Chip Reid weds Nina Block in Hawaii
2006-04-02 - NBC "Weekend Today" anchor Campbell Brown (38) weds FOX News contributor Dan Senor (34) at the Beaver Creek Chapel in Beaver Creek, Colorado
2006-11-04 - Radio and television journalist Alison Stewart (40) weds MSNBC vice-president of prime-time programming Bill Wolff (40) at the stylish New York restaurant Cipriani 23rd Street
2008-09-19 - NBC's The Biggest Loser contestant Matt Hoover (30) weds Suzy Preston (30) at the Grand Lido Negril resort in Jamaica
Famous Divorces
Divorces 1 - 1 of 1
2012-06-05 - NBC musical drama series "Smash" actress Debra Messing (43) divorces actor and producer Daniel Zelman (44) by their mutual decision after 10 years of marriage
Famous Deaths
Deaths 1 - 17 of 17
1957-01-07 - Al White, choreographer (NBC Comedy Hour), dies
1957-01-16 - Arturo Toscanini, Italian US conductor (NBC), dies in NYC at 89
1972-01-10 - Al Goodman, Russian/US orchestra leader (NBC Comedy Hour), dies at 81
1974-03-20 - Chet Huntley, newscaster (NBC Huntley-Brinkley Report), dies at 62
1983-10-23 - Jessica Savage, Margate NJ, newscaster (NBC Weekend), dies at 36
1983-10-24 - Jessica Savitch, news anchor (NBC-TV), dies at 35
1984-05-01 - Gordon Jenkins, orchestra leader (NBC Comedy Hour), dies at 73
1986-10-22 - Jane Dornnacker, WNBC-AM NYC helicopter traffic reporter, dies doing a live traffic report as her copter crashes
1990-02-18 - Hulk, fictional character in "Death of Incredible Hulk" on NBC, dies
1991-08-14 - Douglas Kiker, newscaster (NBC-TV), dies of a heart attack at 61
1994-04-03 - Betty Furness, actress/news consumer reporter (WNBC), dies at 78
1994-04-03 - Pat Harper, NYC news anchor (WPIX, WNBC), dies
1994-04-17 - Peter Hacker, US journalist/actor (NBC, Broadcast News), dies at 69
1995-08-16 - John Cameron Swayze, news anchor (NBC), dies at 89
1996-07-12 - John Chancellor, news anchor (VOA, NBC), dies at 68
1997-08-27 - Brandon Tartikoff, TV exec (NBC), dies at 48
Television Journalist Tim Russert (2008-06-13)
2008-06-13 - Tim Russert, American television host, NBC News Meet the Press moderator, dies at 58
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