Iowa Almanac
Iowa Almanac -- Tuesday, October 01, 2024
The King assumes his throne, more from the Iowa Almanac in a moment. "The 57th Chevrolet is here, sweet, smooth and sassy." Your road trips will never be the same, when you're behind the wheel of an American legend. Camp Courageous is giving you the chance to win a 57 Chevy Bel Air Sportgoop. This is the car people turn their heads for. Get your raffle tickets now at campcourageus.org. Learn more and get your raffle tickets now. For a chance to glide down the road in a classic 57 Chevy, visit campcourageus.org. John William Carson, known to the world as Johnny, was born in Corning, Iowa on October 23rd, 1925. But it was on this date, October 1st, in 1962, that a 36-year-old Johnny Carson first took the stage as host of NBC's Tonight Show program. For the next 30 years, Carson dominated late night TV as no one else has before or since. His nightly monologue was required viewing and helped reflect and set the national mood on politics, pop culture, and daily life in our times generally. Carson also lived in Clarinda, Avoca, and Red Oak, Iowa before his family moved to Norfolk, Nebraska, when Johnny was 8 years old. He taught himself magic and often performed as a teen as the great Carsonie. The love of entertaining led him to the still new world of broadcasting, first in Omaha and then Los Angeles, where in 1950 he got his first comedy show, Carson's Cellar. Soon it was on to New York to host a series of game shows while also filling in as host of various other programs, including substituting for Jack Parr on his version of the Tonight Show. The King of late night, Carson presided over the Tonight Show in parts of four different decades and gave countless comedians and entertainers their big break on his program. It's hard to believe it's been more than 30 years since he left television, but in a testament to the popularity of his work, reruns of the original programs from the 1970s and 1980s, Air Nightly on TV stations across the country. The first Tonight Show starring Iowa's Johnny Carson took to the air on this date in 1962. And that's Iowa Almanac for October 1st. There's more online at IowaAlmanac.com. Until tomorrow, I'm Jeff Stein. Einstein.