Comedian, actor, director, screenwriter, and publisher Carl Reiner’s career spanned seven decades. During the early years of television comedy from 1950 to 1957, he co-wrote and acted on Caesar’s Hour and Your Show of Shows, starring Sid Caesar. In the 1960s, Reiner was best known as the creator, producer, writer, and actor on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for sale an oral birth-control pill for the first time on this day in 1960.
Chairman Newton N. Minow testifies before a Senate subcommittee.
Americans Richard Byrd (left) and Floyd Bennett (right) became the first men to fly an airplane over the North Pole on this day in 1926.
From left: Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner.
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace(May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012)
Media personality Mike Wallace was a journalist, and game show host. He interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven decade career. He was one of the original correspondents for CBS‘ 60 Minutes, which debuted in 1968. Wallace retired as a regular full-time correspondent in 2006, but appeared occasionally on the television series until 2008.
William Martin Joel is 69 years old today. He was born in The Bronx, New York City.
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and pianist Billy Joel gained fame for his song "Piano Man" and became the third best-selling solo artist in the United States.
From 1973 to 2013, he wrote 33 top forty hits, including "Just the Way You Are," which hit #3 in 1977.
He learned boxing to defend himself from bullies, and won 22 bouts in the amateur Golden Gloves circuit. He played the piano at bars to help support his mother while in high school.
Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964)
It was on this day in 1964.
Douglas General MacArthur Address a Joint session of the U.S. Congress on April 19, 1951 in Washington D. C.
It was on this day in 1976.
Hughes was an American business magnate, investor, record-setting pilot, film director, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most financially successful individuals in the world.
Howard Robard Hughes Jr.(December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976)
Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915)
Booker T. Washington was a educator, author, orator, and advisor to presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American community. He was from the last generation of black American leaders born into slavery and becamethe leading voice of former slaves and their descendants.
Booker T. Washington giving a lecture in Carnegie Hall, 1906.
On this day in 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers) became the all-time NBA regular season scoring leader when he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 31,419 career points.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.) will be 71 April 16.
Katie Couric became a CBS news anchor on this day in 2006.
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr.(November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009)
Walter Cronkite was anchor of the CBS Evening News for over 30 years and won a Peabody Award and a TCA Career Achievement Award. He was voted the Most Trusted Man in America and was the only non-NASA recipient of a Moon-rock award.
Cronkite is well known for his departing catchphrase "And that’s the way it is”.