Johnny Carson and guest Eva Gabor play the “Twister” game.

On the May 3, 1966, episode of the Tonight Show, Johnny Carson took a few
minutes to demonstrate the little-known new party game. His guest that night
was actress Eva Gabor. After a few right foot reds and left hand blues, Carson
and Gabor were playfully entangled and the studio audience was in hysterics.

It has been said that if it hadn’t been for Johnny Carson, “Twister” may have
never gotten off the ground. The game went on to sell more than 3 million
copies over the next year.

Brian Thomas

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is 52 years old today.

Original run on ABC television: January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982

“PASSING THE BUCK”

The phrase “passing the buck” comes from poker where a token, called a
buck, indicated the dealer. According to the Random House Historical
Dictionary of American Slang, when It was the next person’s turn to deal,
you passed the buck. Theoretically, someone who didn’t want the
responsibility of dealing could pass the buck to another player. The
term seems to come into use around the time of the Civil War. Mark
Twain’s Roughing It (1871) says, “I reckon I can’t call that hand. Ante
and pass the buck.”

Host Buffalo Bob Smith with the first Howdy Doody puppet.

Original run on NBC: December 27, 1947 – September 24, 1960

1950