(FOX NEWS) – "A Charlie Brown Christmas," a beloved holiday
television tradition for generations of American families, debuted
to overwhelming popular acclaim despite network fears of failure
on this day in history, Dec. 9, 1965.

Expectations were low for its success, according to several
accounts of the history of the broadcast.

CBS executives were underwhelmed by the slow pace of the
production; and the network had battled behind the scenes
with "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz over the inclusion
of a scene lifted straight from the New Testament of the Bible.

Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz 
(November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000)

The telethon was held annually on Labor Day weekend beginning
in 1966and raised $2.45 billion for MDA from its inception through
2009.  Jerry Lewis was host along with Ed McMahon. 

The telethon broadcast up to 211⁄2 hours, starting on the Sunday
evening preceding Labor Day and continuing until late Monday
afternoon on the holiday itself.

The MDA stated on August 3, 2011, that Lewis had "completed
his run" as both host and national chairman and that Lewis would
not appear in the 2011 telethon.
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

"A Charlie Brown Christmas," a beloved holiday television tradition for generations of American families, debuted to overwhelming popular acclaim despite CBS network fears
of failure on this day in history, Dec. 9, 1965.  (Fox News)         

Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz 
(November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000)