Victory at Sea is a documentary television series about warfare
in general during World War II, and naval warfare in particular,
as well as the use of industry in warfare. It was originally aired
by NBC in 1952–1953. It was condensed into a film released in
1954. Excerpts from the music soundtrack, by Richard Rodgers a
nd Robert Russell Bennett, were re-recorded for record albums.

The original TV broadcasts comprised 26 half-hour segments—
Sunday afternoons at 3pm (EST) in most markets—starting on
October 26, 1952 and ending on May 3, 1953. The series, which
won an Emmy award in 1954 as "best public affairs program",
played an important part in establishing historic "compilation" documentaries as a viable television genre.  

Peter Tork (Peter Halsten Thorkelson) was born in Washington, D.C.

Peter Tork was a guitarist, singer, and keyboardist, with the original 1960s pop
band The Monkees. Tork along with fellow band member Micky Dolenz still
perform on tours as The Monkees today. The versatile musician played banjo
on George Harrison’s album Wonderwall.

 
From left: Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork on tour as The Monkees.

Arizona Memorial and USS Missouri.

This Is Your Life is a reality documentary series broadcast on NBC-TV
from 1952 to 1961. It was originally hosted by its creator and producer
Ralph Edwards. In the show, the host would surprise guests and then
proceed to take them through their lives in front of an audience that
included special guest appearances by colleagues, friends and family.

Edwards revived the show in 1971-72, while Joseph Campanella hosted
a version in 1983. Edwards returned for some specials in the late 1980s,
before his death in 2005.

Ralph Livingstone Edwards
(June 13, 1913 – November 16, 2005)

“The Death of Socrates” on a You Are There episode.

The series “You Are There” was a CBS network program in which modern
news reporters intervened in American and world historic events as recreated
by actors. It was first heard on radio, and then moved to television where it ran
from 1953-1957. The show was written by a number of blacklisted writers using
a “front,” and touched on themes that were too controversial for other programs
to address directly. News icon Walter Cronkite was the regular host. Reporters
included veteran radio announcers Dick Joy and Harlow Wilcox.

Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009)