Film & TV History
Jan 1 American actor George Murphy begins his term as Senator of California
- Jan 10 WKBD TV channel 50 in Detroit, Michigan (IND) begins broadcasting
- Jan 12 "Hullabaloo" premieres on NBC-TV
- Jan 16 "Outer Limits" last airs on ABC-TV
- Jan 23 Musical variety program "King Family Show", featuring big band vocal group The King Sisters, premieres on ABC TV
- Jan 28 "The Who" make their 1st appearance on British television programme "Ready Steady Go!"
Film & TV History
Feb 1 Peter Jennings, 26, becomes anchor of ABC's nightly news
- Feb 7 WVIZ TV channel 25 in Cleveland, Ohio (PBS) begins broadcasting
Golden Globes
Feb 8 22nd Golden Globes: "Becket", Peter O'Toole, & Anne Bancroft win
Music Single
Feb 8 The Supremes release single "Stop In the Name of Love"
Musical Finale
Feb 27 Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray's musical "High Spirits", based on Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit", closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 375 performances
- Mar 1 WPSX TV channel 3 in Clearfield, PA (PBS) begins broadcasting
Film Premiere
Mar 2 One of the most popular musical films of all time, "The Sound of Music", starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, premieres (Academy Awards Best Picture - 1966)
Film & TV History
Mar 4 David Attenborough becomes the new controller of BBC2
- Mar 15 WMFE TV channel 24 in Orlando, FL (PBS) begins broadcasting
Academy Awards
Apr 5 37th Academy Awards: "My Fair Lady", Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady) & Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins) win awards
- Apr 24 "Comedy in Music-Opus 2" closes at John Golden NYC after 192 performances
Television Premiere
Apr 28 "My Name is Barbra", Barbra Streisand's first television special, premieres on CBS
- May 3 KTCI TV channel 17 in St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN (PBS) 1st broadcast
- May 7 WAOW TV channel 9 in Wausau, WI (ABC) begins broadcasting
- May 16 18th Cannes Film Festival: "The Knack...and How to Get It" directed by Richard Lester wins the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
- May 16 WNJU TV channel 47 in NY-Linden, NY (TEL) begins broadcasting
- May 18 Gene Roddenberry suggests 16 names for Star Trek Captain; they include Kirk
- May 18 WTAF TV channel 29 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (IND) begins broadcasting
- May 22 "Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious", from the film "Mary Poppin" hits #66
- May 31 12th National Film Awards (India): "Charulata" wins the Golden Lotus
- Jun 7 Sony Corp introduced its home video tape recorder, priced at $995
- Jun 25 15th Berlin International Film Festival: "Alphaville" wins the Golden Bear
- Jul 1 KUID TV channel 12 in Moscow, ID (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Jul 17 WLCY (now WTSP) TV channel 10 in St Petersburg-Tampa, Florida (ABC) begins
- Jul 19 Shooting begins on Star Trek 2nd pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before"
- Jul 29 Beatles movie "Help" has Royal World Premiere at the London Pavilion Theatre in the West End of London; of Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon attend
- Aug 6 Beatles release their 5th UK album - "Help!", from the film soundtrack
- Aug 11 "Help!" a musical comedy film featuring the Beatles released in the US
The Beatles on Ed Sullivan
Aug 14 Beatles tape an appearance for "The Ed Sullivan Show"
Music History
Aug 15 Beatles play to their largest crowd of over 55,000 at Shea Stadium, New York City; among those in attending were future wives Barbara Bach and Linda Eastman [1] [2]
- Aug 16 American Football League's 9th franchise is officially awarded to Joe Robbie and television star Danny Thomas; Miami Dolphins start play in AFL's Eastern Division in 1966
- Aug 24 26th Venice Film Festival: "Sandra" directed by Luchino Visconti wins Golden Lion
- Aug 27 WTVI TV channel 42 in Charlotte, North Carolina (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Sep 4 KREZ TV channel 6 in Durango, CO (CBS/NBC) begins broadcasting
- Sep 6 KLNE TV channel 3 in Lexington, NB (PBS) begins broadcasting
Hey, Hey – We're The Monkees
Sep 8 Small ads in Daily Variety and Hollywood Reporter attract 437 young men interested in forming the world’s first manufactured boy band, "The Monkees" - 3 are chosen with British actor-singer Davy Jones already having been cast
- Sep 10 WUND TV channel 2 in Columbia, NC (PBS) begins broadcasting
Emmy Awards
Sep 12 17th Emmy Awards: "The Dick Van Dyke Show" & Dick Van Dyke win
Television Premiere
Sep 18 Mel Brooks and Buck Henry's spy spoof sitcom "Get Smart" starring Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, and Edward Platt, debuts on NBC-TV
Television Premiere
Sep 18 TV sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie", starring Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, premieres on NBC
- Sep 20 WXXW (now WYCC) TV channel 20 in Chicago, IL (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Sep 25 Beatle cartoon show begins in US
- Sep 29 WLVT TV channel 39 in Allentown, PA (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Oct 6 The Supremes release single "I Hear a Symphony"
- Oct 10 The Supremes appear on the "The Ed Sullivan Show"
- Oct 15 WEMT (now WVII) TV channel 7 in Bangor, ME (ABC) begins broadcasting
- Oct 17 WBMG TV channel 42 in Birmingham, AL (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Oct 21 KTWU TV channel 11 in Topeka, KS (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Oct 27 WCFT-TV channel 33 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (CBS) begins broadcasting
Film & TV History
Oct 30 British model Jean Shrimpton causes a sensation at Derby Day at the Melbourne races wearing a white shift dress (four inches above the knee)
Film Release
Nov 5 "Pierrot le Fou", directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina, is released
- Nov 8 US soap opera "Days of Our Lives" premieres
- Nov 13 Director Kenneth Tynan says the word "F*ck" on BBC
- Nov 14 KCST TV channel 39 in San Diego, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Nov 16 Walt Disney launches Epcot Center: Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
- Nov 19 ABC radio begins weekly "Vietnam Update" report
- Nov 20 WCNY TV channel 24 in Syracuse, NY (PBS) begins broadcasting
Film & TV History
Nov 22 "Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees" broadcast on CBS, watched by 25 million, brings Jane Goodall to international attention
- Nov 23 The Beatles film promotional video clips for 5 of their songs at Twickenham Film Studios to provide to television outlets (in lieu of live appearances)
Television Premiere
Dec 9 "A Charlie Brown Christmas", the first Peanuts animated special premieres on CBS in the US
Music Concert
Dec 17 1st concert event at Houston Astrodome: Judy Garland headlines, with The Supremes as opening act
Film Premiere
Dec 22 "Doctor Zhivago" based on the novel by Boris Pasternak, directed by David Lean and starring Omar Sharif and Julie Christie premieres in NYC
- Dec 26 "Funny Girl" based on the life of Fanny Brice, with Barbra Streisand closes on Broadway
Film Premiere
Dec 29 "Thunderball", 4th James Bond film starring Sean Connery and Claudine Auger premieres in Tokyo, Japan
- Dec 29 CBS purchases NFL TV rights for 1966-68 at $18.8 million per year
- Dec 29 The Supremes release single "My World is Empty Without You"