Daily Archives: September 26, 2014

Reagan debuts as ‘General Electric Theater’ host 60 years ago this hour (Sep 26 1954)


Video: 'General Electric Theater - Winner By Decision' (Nov. 6, 1955)

(Sunday, September 26, 1954, 9:00 p.m. EDT) — Actor Ronald Reagan debuted tonight as the only host of the CBS television series General Electric Theater. GE added a host to provide continuity in the anthology format.

‘Gilligan’s Island’ debuts on CBS 50 years ago this hour (Sep 26 1964)


Video: 'Gilligan's Island Intro Episode1' (Sept. 26, 1964)

(Saturday, September 26, 1964, 8:30 p.m. EDT)Gilligan’s Island, a situation comedy that followed the comic adventures of seven castaways as they attempted to survive the island on which they had been shipwrecked, debuted tonight as a regular television series on CBS. It starred Bob Denver, Alan Hale, Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. Continue reading ‘Gilligan’s Island’ debuts on CBS 50 years ago this hour (Sep 26 1964)

1,159 people die when ferry sinks in Tsugaru Strait 60 years ago tonight (Sep 26 1954)

(Sunday, September 26, 1954, 10:43 p.m. local time) — The Japanese commercial ferry Toya Maru capsized and sank tonight during a typhoon in the Tsugaru Strait several hundred meters off the shore of Hakodate.

Of the 1,309 on board, only 150 people survived, while 1,159 (1,041 passengers, 73 crew and 41 others) died.