What Happened On
60 Minutes
September 24, 1968
The news program 60 Minutes debuts on CBS, featuring Harry Reasoner and Mike Wallace.
The Munsters
September 24, 1964
The TV show The Munsters debuts on CBS. It depicted the typical day-to-day life of a family of monsters and their unusual niece.
If Lily is a vampire and Herman is Frankenstein's monster and Eddie is half vampire and half werewolf, where did the half werewolf come from?
The Bullwinkle Show
September 24, 1961
Rocky and Bullwinkle get a prime-time slot and the new name, The Bullwinkle Show, when Rocky and His Friends moves from ABC to NBC.
Their "friends" included Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale.
The show drew a large adult audience, even though it was a cartoon (and a poorly animated one at that - even by the standards of the day).
It was also one of the first cartoons whose animation was outsourced, with its storyboards shipped to a Mexican studio. One of the creators Bill Scott described some of the problems that arose during production of the series: "We found out very quickly that we could not depend on Mexican studios to produce anything of quality. They were turning out the work very quickly and there were all kinds of mistakes and flaws and boo-boos… They would never check… Mustaches popped on and off Boris, Bullwinkle's antlers would change, colors would change, costumes would disappear… By the time we finally saw it, it was on the air."
Both Rocky and Bullwinkle were given the middle initial "J" in reference to creator and producer Jay Ward.
USS Enterprise underway in 2004
USS Enterprise underway in 2004
First Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier
September 24, 1960
The USS Enterprise (CVN-65) is launched at Newport, Virginia. At 1,123 feet (342 m), she was the longest naval vessel ever built and with eight nuclear propulsion reactors, the Enterprise is also the only aircraft carrier to have more than two nuclear reactors. She was decommissioned in 2017.
Soldiers from the 101st Airborne escort the black students into Central High School in Little Rock
Soldiers from the 101st Airborne escort the black students into Central High School in Little Rock
Little Rock Crisis
September 24, 1957
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower orders federal troops to enforce the court order allowing blacks to enter Central High School in Little Rock. Three weeks earlier, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus had ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine blacks from entering all-white Central High School, in what became known as the Little Rock Crisis. Eisenhower then federalized the Arkansas National Guard removing them from Faubus' control and then sent in elements of the 101st Airborne Division to protect the black students. In retaliation, Faubus shut down all four Little Rock public high schools for the 1958-59 school year, in what is referred to as "The Lost Year."
The students became known as "The Little Rock Nine," and in 1999 were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Aikich being treated shortly before his death
Aikich being treated shortly before his death
First Hydrogen Bomb Fatality
September 24, 1954
A Japanese fisherman dies after having been exposed to fallout from a U.S. H-bomb test on March 1 at Bikini Atoll, near the Marshall Islands. The fishing boat was outside of the declared danger zone, but the bomb was twice as powerful as predicted and covered the ship and crew with radioactive ash. The crew attempted to leave the area, but spent several hours retrieving fishing equipment from the sea, increasing their exposure. While being treated for radiation sickness, the crew members contracted hepatitis from the blood transfusions. Aikichi Kuboyama, the boat's chief radioman, died from an underlying liver cirrhosis compounded by the secondary hepatitis infection.
The movie Godzilla (1954) was partially inspired by this event.
KFC logo (1952-78)
KFC logo (1952-78)
Kentucky Fried Chicken
September 24, 1952
The first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise opens, featuring the recipe of 11 herbs and spices created by Colonel Sanders. By 1963 there were 600 KFC restaurants, making it the largest fast food chain in the U.S. at the time.
In 1930 Sanders began selling fried chicken and other food from a gas station. In 1939 he was dissatisfied with the 35 minutes it took to fry chicken in an iron frying pan. Since he believed deep frying lowered the quality, he came up with the idea of deep frying them in a pressure cooker, a new invention of the day. This could cook chicken as fast a deep fryer yet he felt it retained the quality of pan frying. The following year, he finalized his "Original Recipe" of 11 herbs and spices.
Famous Sex-Change Operation
September 24, 1951
George becomes Christine. Former GI Christine Jorgensen became the first widely-known sex change recipient in the U.S. The procedure was performed in Denmark under the supervision of Dr. Christian Hamburger. Several months later, the New York Daily News ran a front page story with the headline, "Ex-GI Becomes Blonde Bombshell" about her, making her an instant celebrity.
Tax collector being tarred and feathered
Tax collector being tarred and feathered
Whiskey Rebellion
September 24, 1794
U.S. President George Washington orders a 15,000-man militia to suppress an uprising of western Pennsylvania farmers. They were protesting an excise duty placed on stills and spirits distilled in the U.S.
Columbus' Second Voyage to the "New World"
September 24, 1493
The explorer Christopher Columbus sets sail on his second voyage to the "New World," on which he brought the first cattle and discovered the Virgin Islands.
The Program
September 24, 1993
The movie The Program premieres. Over the next few days a teenager is killed and several other teenagers are injured while trying to imitate a scene from the movie showing kids lying in the middle of a road as cars pass by. Disney then cut the scene from the film.
This stunt was performed by trained professionals in a controlled environment and should not be attempted.
The Sci-Fi Channel
September 24, 1992
The science fiction channel debuts. Its first show was the film Star Wars.
First Unmanned Spacecraft to Land on the Moon and Return
September 24, 1970
Soviet Luna 16 lands back on Earth. It brought back 101 grams of lunar soil.
First Transatlantic Telephone Cable
September 24, 1956
The first transatlantic telephone cable goes into operation, between Newfoundland and Scotland.
Eisenhower Suffers Heart-Attack
September 24, 1955
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffers a heart attack. He would spend six weeks recovering in the hospital.
First Blind Airplane Flight
September 24, 1929
Jimmy Doolittle takes off and lands using only instruments.
First Around-the-World Bicycle Trip by a Woman
September 24, 1895
Annie Londonderry arrives back in Boston. She had departed in June of 1894. For her journey, she was awarded a $10,000 prize.
Until a few days prior to starting her journey, she had never ridden a bicycle.
Her real name was Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, but New Hampshire's Londonderry Lithia Spring Water Company paid her $100 to carry their advertisement on her bike and go by the name "Annie Londonderry" for the duration of her trip.
Black Friday
September 24, 1869
Stock market panic due to crashing gold prices caused by an attempt to corner the market by Gould and Fisk.
First Flight of a Dirigible
September 24, 1852
Henri Giffard of Paris flies his hydrogen-filled 3-horsepower steam-powered craft.
Federal Judiciary Act
September 24, 1789
Passed by the U.S. Congress. It established the six-member U.S. Supreme Court and the office of Attorney General.
Birthdays
Jim Henson
Born September 24, 1936 d. 1990
American Emmy-winning muppeteer. Creator of the Muppets (1956), including Kermit the Frog, and winner of 18 Emmy, 7 Grammy, 4 Peabody, and 5 ACE awards. He died of toxic shock syndrome after experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Young on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission
Young on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission
John Young
Born September 24, 1930 d. 2018
American astronaut. He was the ninth person to walk on the Moon (as Commander of Apollo 16 in 1972), he was the first person to fly solo around the Moon (Apollo 10 in 1969), and is one of only three people to have flown to the Moon twice. He is the only person to have piloted, and been commander of four different classes of spacecraft: Gemini, the Apollo Command/Service Module, the Apollo Lunar Module, and the Space Shuttle.
Inventor of the Neon Light
Georges Claude
Born September 24, 1870 d. 1960
French physicist. He invented the neon light (1910).
Prime Minister Eaten by Mob
Johan de Witt
Born September 24, 1625 d. 1672
Grand Pensionary (Prime Minister) of Holland (1653-72). He and his brother were lynched by an angry mob who ate their body parts, including their roasted livers. He had neglected the Dutch army causing the Dutch Republic to be easily invaded by an alliance of countries that included England and France. He and his brother were blamed for the defeats and were lynched in The Hague, where their bodies were cannibalized by the mob.
Phil Hartman (Phillip Edward Hartmann)
Born September 24, 1948 d. 1998
Canadian-born American actor. He was shot to death by his wife in a murder-suicide. During a heated argument earlier that evening, he had threatened to leave her if she began using drugs again. After he went to bed, she shot him while he slept at about 3 am, killing herself later that morning as police were removing the children from the home.
TV: Saturday Night Live, Pee-Wee's Playhouse (Captin' Carl. He and Paul Reubens co-created the Pee-wee Herman character), and The Simpsons (voice of Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz). He also designed album covers for bands such as Poco.
Linda McCartney (Linda Louise Eastman)
Born September 24, 1941 d. 1998
American photographer, singer, wife of Paul McCartney (1969‑).
Svetlana Beriosova
Born September 24, 1932 d. 1998
Lithuanian-born British prima ballerina, created the leads in Le Baiser de la Fée and Perséphone.
Anthony Newley
Born September 24, 1931 d. 1999
English singer, actor, composer. Film: Oliver Twist (the Artful Dodger). He and Leslie Bricussse wrote the musical Stop the World, I Want to Get Off (1961) and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971).
Sheila MacRae
Born September 24, 1921 d. 2014
English-born American singer, actress. TV: The Honeymooners (1966-71, replacing Audrey Meadows as Alice Kramden).
Jim McKay
Born September 24, 1921 d. 2008
American Emmy-winning sportscaster. TV: Wide World of Sports (1961-1998).
Konstantin Chernenko (Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko)
Born September 24, 1911 d. 1985
President of the Soviet Union and general secretary of Soviet Communist Party (1984-85).
Severo Ochoa
Born September 24, 1905 d. 1993
Spanish-born American Nobel-winning biochemist. He shared the 1959 Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology with Arthur Kornberg for his discoveries that furthered the research in heredity.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
Born September 24, 1902 d. 1989
Religious leader of Iran. He led the 1979 revolution which overthrew the Shah of Iran and became the country's Supreme Leader (1979-89), instigated the Iranian Hostage Crisis, and was Time Magazine's 1979 Man of the Year. He had spent more than 15 years in exile for his opposition to the Shah. He issued a fatwa calling for the death of author Salman Rushdie for his novel The Satanic Verses (1988).
Ham Fisher (Hammond Edward Fisher)
Born September 24, 1900 d. 1955
American cartoonist. Created Joe Palooka (1927).
Sir Howard Walter Florey
Born September 24, 1898 d. 1968
Australian-born British physician, won a Nobel prize (1945) for his work with Alexander Fleming in developing penicillin.
F. Scott Fitzgerald (Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald)
Born September 24, 1896 d. 1940
American author. Writings: This Side of Paradise (1920) and The Great Gatsby (1925).
Ismet Inönü
Born September 24, 1884 d. 1973
Turkish statesman, its first prime minister (1923-37), and second president (1938-50).
Founder of Mars Candy
Frank C. Mars (Franklin Clarence Mars)
Born September 24, 1883 d. 1934
American candy maker. Founder of Mars, Inc., maker of the Milky Way (1923) and Snickers Bar (1930).
Adam Willis Wagnalls
Born September 24, 1843 d. 1924
American publisher, co-founder of Funk & Wagnalls Company (1891), who first published their famous dictionary in 1912.
John Marshall
Born September 24, 1755 d. 1835
4th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1801-35), and principal founder of the U.S. system of constitutional law. The Liberty Bell cracked whiled tolling his death.
Vitellius dragged into the streets and killed
Vitellius dragged into the streets and killed
Aulus Vitellius
Born September 24, A.D. 15 d. A.D. 69
Roman Emperor (A.D. Apr-Dec 69). Shortly after he took the throne, the armies of the eastern provinces proclaimed Vespian emperor. When Vitellius heard this news many of his supporters deserted him and he agreed to resign. However, when Vespian's army arrived they were attacked by the public and 50,000 people were killed in the ensuing battle. Vitellius was eventually dragged from his hiding place and killed uttering his final words, "Yet I was once your emperor."
Deaths
Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel)
Died September 24, 1991 b. 1904
American Pulitzer-winning children's author. His first children's book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1937) was rejected by more than two dozen publishers. Books: The Cat in the Hat (1957), How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957), and Green Eggs and Ham (1960).
Schlitzie
Died September 24, 1971 b. 1901
American sideshow performer. Schlitzie was one of the most famous sideshow performers of the 20th century. He was born with microcephaly, that left him with an unusually small brain and skull, a small stature (he stood about four feet tall [122 cm]), and myopia. Schlitzie had the cognitive ability of about a three-year-old and could only speak in monosyllabic words and form a few simple phrases. However, he was able to perform simple tasks, and it is believed that he understood most of what was said to him. He was described as affectionate, exuberant, sociable and loved dancing, singing, being the center of attention, and performing for anyone he could stop and talk with.
On the sideshow circuit, microcephalic people were usually promoted as "pinheads" or "missing links", and Schlitzie was also billed under such titles as "The Last of the Aztecs". He performed with such famous circuses as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Clyde Beatty Circus, and the Tom Mix Circus. He also appeared in movies, including The Sideshow (1928) and the cult classic Freaks (1932).
Schlitzie's birth parents abandoned him and he was raised in various carnivals and sideshows, but in 1935, George Surtees, a chimpanzee trainer, adopted him, becoming his legal guardian. When Surtees died in 1965, his daughter committed Schlitzie to a Los Angeles county hospital. Another circus performer, Bill "Frenchy" Unks who worked at the hospital in the off season, recognized Schlitzie and observed that Schlitzie seemed to miss the carnival, and being away from the public eye had made him very depressed. Hospital authorities determined that the best care for Schlitzie would be to make him a ward of Unks' employer, showman Sam Alexander, and return him to the sideshow, where he remained until 1968.
Photo Credit: HorsePunchKid
Photo Credit: HorsePunchKid
Buckwheat Zydeco (Stanley Dural, Jr.)
Died September 24, 2016 b. 1947
American Grammy-winning accordionist and zydeco musician. Popularized zydeco, the stomp style of music from the swamps of Louisiana.
Tommy Bond
Died September 24, 2005 b. 1926
American actor. Film: The Little Rascals (1933-34 as Tommy and 1936-40 as the bully Butch). He appeared in 27 Our Gang films. Film: Superman serials (1948, Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950, Jimmy Olsen).
John Washington Butler
Died September 24, 1952 b. circa 1876
American politician, Tennessee state senator. He was the author of the anti-evolution law which resulted in the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial.
Hans Geiger
Died September 24, 1945 b. 1882
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).
Carl Laemmle
Died September 24, 1939 b. 1867
German-born American motion picture executive. He founded Universal Pictures (1912) and was one of the first to promote actors by their own names.
Peter Carl Faberge
Died September 24, 1920 b. 1846
Russian goldsmith, jeweler. Creator of the Faberge eggs.
Pedro I
Died September 24, 1834 b. 1798
founder and first Emperor of the Empire of Brazil (1822-31).
John Sevier
Died September 24, 1815 b. 1745
American pioneer and Indian fighter, first and only governor (1785-88) of the state of Franklin. He was also the first governor (1796-1801) of Tennessee.
Paracelsus
Died September 24, 1541 b. 1493
Swiss physician, alchemist. He was one of the first to recognize that illnesses had specific causes that could be treated, as opposed to the then-current belief that they were caused by the imbalance of body fluids.
Innocent II
Died September 24, 1143 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 164th Pope (1130-43).
Liberius
Died September 24, 366 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 36th Pope (352-366).