What Happened On
Cheers
September 30, 1982
The TV show Cheers debuts on NBC. "Where Everybody Knows Your Name." Cheers was almost canceled during its first season where it ranked near the bottom in ratings, but eventually developed a following and became the #1 sitcom and one of the most popular sitcoms of all time.
John Ratzenberger got the role of Cliff on Cheers while auditioning for the part of Norm. Feeling his audition was not going well, he asked the producers if they had cast the part of the bar know-it-all. They liked the idea and added the character and cast him in the role.
The Flintstones
September 30, 1960
The stone-age television cartoon debuts - "Yaba, Daba, Dooo!" The Flintstones was the first animated series on the prime time schedule and was the most financially successful network animated series for three decades (until surpassed by The Simpsons).
Although the episodes were produced in color, the first two seasons were broadcast in black and white as ABC couldn't yet broadcast in color.
Howdy Doody Final Episode
September 30, 1960
The show started with Clarabell signaling that he had a big surprise to reveal. *SPOILER ALERT* The otherwise silent Clarabell revealed that he actually could speak, by saying "Goodbye, kids."
The Rifleman
September 30, 1958
The TV show The Rifileman debuts on ABC, with Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain. The character McCain used a Winchester Model 1892 rifle, customized to allow repeated firing by cycling its lever action with one hand.
Before acting, Connors played for the Boston Celtics and became the first NBA player to shatter a backboard (1946).
James Dean Killed in Car Crash
September 30, 1955
The 24-year-old actor James Dean is killed when his speeding Porsche crashed into another vehicle. He had recently filmed a public service announcement on the dangers of speeding stating, "The life you might save might be mine."
At the time of the accident, Dean was headed to compete in an auto race in Salinas, California. Riding with him was Porsche factory mechanic Rolf Wütherich. Wütherich had encouraged Dean to drive the car from Los Angeles to Salinas to break it in. At 3:30 p.m., Dean was ticketed for speeding 65 miles an hour in a 45-mile-per-hour zone about 84 miles from the crash site. In the time between the ticket and the crash, Dean stopped at a diner for a Coke. At about 5:45 p.m., an oncoming 1950 Ford Tudor was turning left ahead of Dean's Porsche. Unable to stop in time, Dean slammed into the side of the vehicle. Dean was pronounced dead at the scene. His mechanic was thrown from the Porsche, but survived. The driver of the other vehicle sustained only minor injuries.
An inquest ruled the accident was due to Dean's speeding.
The film Rebel Without a Cause was released a month later. Dean starred in only three films, of which only East of Eden (1955) was released before his death. The movie Giant was released in 1956.
The Red Skelton Show
September 30, 1951
The Emmy-winning The Red Skelton Show debuts on NBC. It would run for 20 years.
The show included many of Skelton's characters, including "Deadeye", an incredibly inept Old West sheriff; "Cauliflower McPugg", a punchdrunk boxer; "George Appleby", a hen-pecked husband; "Junior the Mean Widdle Kid" (whose trademark line was, "l DOOD IT!"); the hick "Clem Kadiddlehopper"; "Freddie the Freeloader"; and the seagulls "Gertrude and Heathcliff".
Jack the Ripper
September 30, 1888
Serial killer Jack the Ripper claims his third and fourth known victims. It is believed that he was interrupted during the first murder of the night, as her body was not mutilated, and he went on to murder and mutilate another victim an hour later. For three months he murdered and mutilated prostitutes in London's East End. He was never caught.
First Successful Tooth Extraction Using Anesthesia
September 30, 1846
Performed by Dr. William Morton using ether for anesthesia, although he unsuccessfully tried to disguise the substance he used by calling it Letheon. Shortly after, the use of ether came into common use for many types of surgery.
The word anesthesia is from the Greek for "without sensation".
First Criminal Executed in the Plymouth Colony
September 30, 1630
John Billington is hanged for murdering his neighbor. Billington was a Mayflower passenger and a signer of the Mayflower Compact. The Billington family was noted as trouble makers in the colony, including his wife, who was sentenced to sit in the stocks and be whipped for slandering John Doane.
Earthquake Strikes India
September 30, 1993
The worst earthquake since the 1930s strikes central India, killing more than 20,000 people.
New American Bible
September 30, 1970
The New American Bible is published in its entirety. It was the first Bible translated directly into English from the original text under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Church.
It was compiled from 1944 to 1970, and was translated directly from Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic to English rather than from the Latin Vulgate, as previous Catholic translations of the Bible into English had been done.
First Televised World Series Game
September 30, 1947
Game 1 is played at Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees would win the series over the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Hoover Dam as photographed by Ansel Adams (1941)
Hoover Dam as photographed by Ansel Adams (1941)
Hoover Dam
September 30, 1935
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates Hoover Dam. Its construction was completed the following March.
It was completed two years ahead of schedule. 112 people were reported killed as part of the construction of the dam.
Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S. by volume and is located near Boulder City, Nevada about 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The dam's generators provide power in Nevada, Arizona, and California. Now a major tourist attraction, nearly a million people tour the dam each year.
Arnold at the controls of a Wright Type B two-seater at the Wright Flying School
Arnold at the controls of a Wright Type B two-seater at the Wright Flying School
First Movie Stunt Pilot
September 30, 1911
Lt. Henry H. Arnold is hired as a stand-in for The Military Air-Scout.
First U.S. Hydroelectric Power Plant
September 30, 1882
A single dynamo powering 180 ten-candle-power lights opens on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin.
Birthdays
Frankie Lymon (Franklin Joseph Lymon)
Born September 30, 1942 d. 1968
American musician. In 1957, at age 14, Lymon was performing on the TV show The Big Beat, when he began dancing with a white teenaged girl. The ensuing scandal caused the cancellation of the show.
Lymon was lead singer and an original member of the integrated teenage group the Teenagers. The Teenagers' first single and their biggest hit was 1956's Why Do Fools Fall in Love.
Lymon died at the age of 25 from a heroin overdose.
Music: Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1956, #1 on the R&B chart). The movie Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998) was based on his life.
William Wrigley, Jr.
Born September 30, 1861 d. 1932
American businessman. He founded the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 1891. It would add chewing gum to its line of products the following year.
He originally sold Wrigley's Scouring Soap, offering premiums such as baking powder, as an incentive to buy his soap. He then switched to selling the baking powder offering chewing gum as an incentive to buy the baking powder. The chewing gum proved so popular that he began focusing on selling gum.
Wrigley's gum was originally made out of chicle, the milky latex of the sapodilla tree. In the 1960s they switched from chicle to synthetic rubber.
Louis Rueckheim
Born September 30, 1849 d. 1927
German-born American candy maker. He and his brother F.W. Rueckheim created Cracker Jack candy (1893). Louis developed a way to prevent the candy-coated pieced from sticking together.
Photo Credit: Alan Light
Photo Credit: Alan Light
Crystal Bernard
Born September 30, 1961
American actress, singer. TV: Happy Days (1982-83, K.C. Cunningham), It's a Living (1985-89, Amy), and Wings (1990-97, Helen).
Fran Drescher
Born September 30, 1957
American Emmy-winning actress, comedian. TV: The Nanny (1993-99, title role).
Barry Williams (Barry William Blenkhorn)
Born September 30, 1954
American actor. TV: The Brady Bunch (1969-74, Greg Brady). His book, Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg was a New York Times bestseller.
Victoria Tennant
Born September 30, 1950
English actress. Film: All of Me (1984) and L.A. Story (1991). TV: The Winds of War (Pamela Tudsbury).
Marc Bolan (Mark Feld)
Born September 30, 1947 d. 1977
English musician, lead singer for T-Rex. Music: Bang a Gong (1971, #1 Britain) and Jeepster (1971, #2 Britain). He died in a car accident.
Johnny Mathis
Born September 30, 1935
American singer, and world-class high jumper. His hits span across 30 years with more than 60 gold and platinum record. Music: Too Much, Too Little, Too Late (1978, #1).
Angie Dickinson (Angeline Brown)
Born September 30, 1931
American actress. TV: Police Woman.
Truman Capote
Born September 30, 1924 d. 1984
American Emmy-winning author. Writings: In Cold Blood (1965, based on the murder of the Clutter family). TV: A Christmas Memory (1966, Emmy).
Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in the film From Here to Eternity
Deborah Kerr (Deborah Kerr-Trimmer)
Born September 30, 1921 d. 2007
Scottish actress. Film: From Here to Eternity (1953) and The King and I (1956, Anna).
Lewis Nixon III
Born September 30, 1918 d. 1995
American WWII paratrooper. Known for his love of blended whiskey, he was portrayed by Ron Livingston in the HBO series Band of Brothers.
Buddy Rich (Bernard Rich)
Born September 30, 1917 d. 1987
American jazz drummer. He was the second-highest-paid child performer of the 1930s and although he never had a formal lesson and claims to never practice, he is considered the greatest drummer that ever lived.
Hans Geiger
Born September 30, 1882 d. 1945
German physicist, inventor of the Geiger counter (1908). He also helped to prove that the atom is composed of a dense nucleus surrounded by electrons (1913).
Nicholas IV (Girolamo Masci)
Born September 30, 1227 d. 1292
religious leader, 191st Pope (1288-92). He was the first Franciscan elected pope.
Deaths
Pete Rose (Peter Edward Rose Sr.)
Died September 30, 2024 b. 1941
American baseball player. Known as "Charlie Hustle", Pete Rose played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1986. He is the all-time hits leader (4,256), 1973 MVP, and 1975 World Series MVP. He was banned from baseball (1989) and the Hall of Fame (1991) for gambling on baseball and in 1990 was imprisoned for tax evasion.
Monty Hall (Monte Halparin)
Died September 30, 2017 b. 1921
Canadian-born American game show host. TV: Let's Make A Deal (1963-86, 1990-91).
Bergen with dummy Charlie McCarthy
Bergen with dummy Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen (Edgar John Berggren)
Died September 30, 1978 b. 1903
American ventriloquist with Mortimer Snerd and Charlie McCarthy. In 1938, Charlie McCarthy was given a degree of Master of Innuendo and Snappy Comeback by the School of Speech of Northwestern University, Illinois.
James Dean
Died September 30, 1955 b. 1931
American actor. He starred in only three films, of which only East of Eden (1955) was released before his death. His other films were Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956). His first job in TV (1952) was testing stunts for Beat the Clock. He died at age 24 in a car crash, just a month before Rebel Without a Cause was released.
Elizabeth Baur
Died September 30, 2017 b. 1947
American actress. TV: Lancer (Teresa O'Brien) and Ironside (Fran Belding).
Japanese Pilot Nobuo Fujita
Japanese Pilot Nobuo Fujita
Only Pilot to Bomb the Continental U.S. During Wartime
Nobuo Fujita
Died September 30, 1997 b. 1911
Japanese pilot. He is the only pilot to bomb the continental U.S. during wartime. His plane dropped two incendiary bombs near Brookings, Oregon in an attempt to start a forest fire. The plane had been launched from a Japanese submarine. A lookout saw the plane and the ensuing smoke and was sent along with others to put out the fire. The bomb was dropped from the wrong height and failed to cause any significant damage. Twenty years later Fujita visited Brookings and served as Grand Marshal for the local Azalea Festival. At the festival, he presented his family's 400-year-old samurai sword to the city as a symbol of regret.
Fujita was present at the Pearl Harbor attack, but his plane malfunctioned and he was unable to participate in a planned reconnaissance mission.
Rob Moroso
Died September 30, 1990 b. 1968
American race car driver, NASCAR 1990 Rookie of the Year (awarded posthumously). He died in a car crash near his home in North Carolina. He was doing 75 mph (121 km/h) in a 35 mph (56 km/h) curve with a blood alcohol level of 0.22. The accident killed himself and the driver of the oncoming vehicle.
Charles Francis Richter
Died September 30, 1985 b. 1900
American seismologist. He invented the Richter Scale (1935) for measuring earthquakes.
Paul Dehn
Died September 30, 1976 b. 1912
British Oscar-winning playwright, screenwriter. He wrote four Planet of the Apes sequels and co-scripted Goldfinger (1964).
Elizabeth "Long Liz" Stride
Died September 30, 1888 b. 1843
English crime victim. She is the third known victim of Jack the Ripper. She was not mutilated like the other victims. It is believed the Ripper was interrupted during this crime, as he went on to murder and mutilate another woman an hour later.
Catherine Eddowes
Died September 30, 1888 b. 1842
English crime victim. She is the fourth known victim of Jack the Ripper.
William Allen Miller
Died September 30, 1870 b. 1817
English scientist. He performed the first trustworthy chemical analysis of stars.