- 1949 WFMY TV channel 2 in Greensboro-High Point, NC (CBS) 1st broadcast
- 1955 Commercial television begins in UK with ITV; meanwhile on BBC radio Grace Archer is killed in a barn fire on Brookfield Farm - the BBC denies this was to spoil the launch of the rival network
- 1955 With the launch of ITV, the UK's 1st commercial television station, the 1st advert on UK TV airs for Gibbs SR toothpaste
- 1957 Western "Maverick" premieres on ABC television starring James Garner
- 1958 KTVK TV channel 3 in Phoenix, AZ (ABC) begins broadcasting
- 1964 "Man from U.N.C.L.E." premieres on NBC-TV: open channel D
- 1966 KMEB TV channel 10 in Wailuku, HI (PBS) begins broadcasting
- 1968 KMTC (now KDEB) TV channel 27 in Springfield, MO (IND) 1st broadcast
- 1969 "Music Scene" debuts on ABC-TV
Event of Interest
1976 TV dama "Charlie's Angels" starring Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith debuts
Farrah Fawcett
Kate Jackson
Television Premiere
1982 Sitcom "Family Ties starring Michael J. Fox premieres on NBC
Michael J. Fox
- 1985 37th Emmy Awards: "Cagney & Lacey", "The Cosby Show" and Tyne Daly win
Television Debut
1989 "Baywatch" starring David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson debuts on NBC
David Hasselhoff
Television Debut
1994 "Friends" TV sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman debuts on NBC, starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer
Television Debut
1999 "The West Wing" created by Alan Sorkin and starring Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe and Richard Schiff, debuts on NBC
Martin Sheen
Emmy Awards
2002 54th Emmy Awards: The West Wing, Friends, Michael Chiklis and Allison Janney win
Television Debut
2004 "Lost" created by J.J. Abrams and starring Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly debuts on ABC in the US
J. J. Abrams
Event of Interest
2004 Teen noir series "Veronica Mars" created by Rob Thomas and starring Kristen Bell premieres on UPN in the US
Kristen Bell
Television Premiere
2009 Crime drama "NCIS LA" starring Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J and Daniela Ruah premieres on CBS
Chris O'Donnell
LL Cool J
Emmy Awards
2013 65th Prime time Emmy Awards: "Breaking Bad" and "Modern Family" win
Aaron Paul
Bryan Cranston
- 2019 Billy Porter becomes the first openly gay actor to win an Emmy for lead actor in a drama series for "Pose"
Emmy Awards
2019 71st Emmy Awards: "Fleabag", "Game of Thrones", "Chernobyl", Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jharrel Jerome win
