Video: 'The Dick Van Dyke Show S1E01 The Sick Boy and the Sitter'
(Tuesday, October 3, 1961, 8:00 p.m. EDT) — Comedy writer Rob Petrie talks his wife Laura into leaving their “sick” son Richie with a babysitter while they attend a big party on tonight’s debut episode of the American television sitcom series The Dick Van Dyke Show on CBS. Continue reading ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ debuts on CBS-TV 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 3 1961)
Video: 'Disney World Opens - 1971 | Today In History | 1 Oct 18'
(Friday, October 1, 1971, 10:00 a.m. EDT) — Walt Disney World, an entertainment resort complex near Orlando, Florida, opened this morning. Continue reading Walt Disney World entertainment resort complex opens near Orlando 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 1 1971)
(Sunday, April 30, 1939, 3:12 p.m. EDT) — Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to deliver a speech on live television today as he officially opened the 1939–40 New York World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, a public park in the northern part of Queens, New York City. Continue reading FDR delivers first televised presidential speech 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 30 1939)
Video: 'The Ed Sullivan Show - Vol. 1 (Hosted by Carol Burnett)' (June 20, 1948, at 10:17)
(Sunday, June 20, 1948, 9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT) — Toast of the Town, an American television variety show hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan, debuted tonight on CBS, broadcast live from CBS Studio 51, The Maxine Elliott Theater at Broadway and 39th St. in New York City. Continue reading ‘Toast of the Town’ debuts on CBS-TV 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 20 1948)
Video: 'PBS Documentary "Television" - Episode 3 of 8' (June 8, 1948, at 47:03)
(Tuesday, June 8, 1948, 8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT) — The television version of the American comedy-variety radio series Texaco Star Theatre debuted tonight on NBC with Milton Berle as the first host (Berle was named the permanent host that fall). Continue reading ‘Texaco Star Theatre’ debuts on NBC-TV 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 8 1948)
Video: 'PHILO FARNSWORTH "SMALL SCREEN, BIG DREAMS" part 1' (Sept. 7 1927, at 26:55)
(Wednesday, September 7, 1927) — American television pioneer Philo Farnsworth, 21, succeeded in transmitting the image of a line through purely electronic means with a device called an “image dissector” today at his laboratory at 202 Green Street in San Francisco.
Video: 'PHILO FARNSWORTH "SMALL SCREEN, BIG DREAMS" part 2'
(Thursday, April 7, 1927, 3:25 p.m. EST) — The image and voice of U.S. Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover were transmitted live this afternoon from Washington to New York in the first successful long-distance demonstration of television (click here to watch a film of today’s event).
Video: '1936 Television song'
(Monday, November 2, 1936, 3:00 p.m. GMT) — The British Broadcasting Corporation inaugurated “high-definition” television service today from a converted wing of the Alexandra Palace in London. Continue reading BBC Television Service officially begins regular broadcasts 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 2 1936)
Video: 'Oddity Archive: Episode 70 - The DuMont Network'
(Thursday, August 15, 1946) — The DuMont Television Network made its debut today over two stations, WABD in New York and WTTG in Washington, D.C.
Video: 'First Television Broadcast NBC/RCA July 7, 1936 Part 1 of 2'
(Tuesday July 7, 1936, afternoon EDT) — The NBC division of RCA made its first television broadcast today in New York, a 30-minute variety show featuring speeches, dance ensembles, monologues, vocal numbers and film clips. Continue reading NBC makes first public television broadcast 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (July 7 1936)
