I Led 3 Lives (also known as I Led Three Lives) is an drama series
syndicated by Ziv Television Programs from October 1, 1953,
to January 1, 1956. The series stars Richard Carlson. It was a
companion piece to the radio drama I Was a Communist
for the FBI, which dealt with a similar subject and was
also syndicated by Ziv from 1952 to 1954.
Special Counsel for the U.S. Army Joseph N. Welch confronts
Sen. Joseph McCarthy
In a dramatic confrontation, Joseph Welch (above), special
counsel for the U.S. Army, lashes out at Senator Joseph
McCarthy (below) during hearings on whether communism
has infiltrated the U.S. armed forces.
Welch’s verbal assault marked the end of McCarthy’s power
during the anticommunist hysteria of the Red Scare in the
U.S.
MIKE GRACIA
The great Northeast blackout occurred on this day in 1965, as several
states and parts of Canada were hit by a series of power failures lasting
up to 13 1/2 hours. More than 30 million people were into darkness in
one of the biggest electrical power failures in history. The blackout
was caused by a misconfigured power line at a hydroelectric power
station at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
On October 20, 1947, the notorious Red Scare kicks into high gear in
Washington, as a Congressional committee begins investigating
Communist influence in one of the world’s richest and most
glamorous communities: Hollywood.
After World War II, the Cold War began to heat up between the world’s
two superpowers—the United States and the communist-controlled
Soviet Union. In Washington, conservative watchdogs worked to out
communists in government before setting their sights on alleged
“Reds” in the famously liberal movie industry. In an investigation that
began in October 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee
grilled a number of prominent witnesses, asking bluntly “Are you or
have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” Whether out
of patriotism or fear, some witnesses—including director Elia Kazan,
actors Gary Cooper and Robert Taylor and studio honchos Walt Disney
and Jack Warner—gave the committee names of colleagues they
suspected of being communists.
A small group known as the “Hollywood Ten” resisted, complaining
that the hearings were illegal and violated their First Amendment
rights.
TIM MAGUIRE
On this day in 1962, Johnny Carson began hosting the “Tonight”
show on NBC television. He was introduced by Groucho Marx
(left) who warmed up the audience with a 15-minute monologue.
Jack Paar was the previous host of the show. Carson stayed with
the late night talk show for nearly 30 years.
Johnny Carson with second banana Ed McMahon (left).
Talk show host Johnny Carson wipes his eye after
watching a series of clips from earlier shows during
the last taping of the "Tonight Show" in 1992.
