Today, also known as The Today Show, NBC’s several-hour morning news program, debuted 65 years ago … um, on this date.

The show was created by Sylvester Weaver, who also created programs with counterpart names: Tonight, which also lives on, and Tomorrow, which lives on in the spirit of late-late-night talk programs.

Today was the first morning news program on American television, and its success led to many imitators, some of which have also had long and legendary runs (such as ABC’s Good Morning America). Dave Garroway was Today‘s first host and he lasted a decade of rising in the middle of the night to travel to the studio and serve as the greeter of the dawn for everyone else. Many others have followed.

Here is the first few minutes of the first broadcast (check out Dave Garroway’s portable mic):

 
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The Jasmine Revolution, three weeks of protests in Tunisia, led to President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fleeing his nation six years ago today. The Arab Spring, which led to several other governments being overthrown, was underway.

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Giacomo Puccini’s opera Tosca premiered at the Teatro Costanzi (now the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma) in Rome on this date in 1900. Luciano Pavarotti sings “E lucevan le stelle”:

 

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Sanford and Son debuted on NBC 45 years ago tonight.

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Lewis Carroll died on this date in 1898. Humphrey Bogart died 60 years ago today. Sir Anthony Eden died 40 years ago today. Anaïs Nin died 40 years ago on this date. Peter Finch died on this date in 1977. “I’m mad as hell”:

 
Uta Hagen died in 2004 on this date. Shelley Winters died on this date in 2006. Alan Rickman died one year ago today.

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Tillie Olsen was born on this date in 1912. Yukio Mishima was born on this date in 1925. Stan Brakhage was born in 1933 on this date. Allen Toussaint was born 79 years ago today. Julian Bond was born in 1940 on this date.

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Faye Dunaway (seen in the Network clip above) is 76 today. Carol Bellamy is 75. T Bone Burnett is 69 today. Carl Weathers is 69. Lawrence Kasdan is 68. Maureen Dowd is 65. Steven Soderbergh is 54 today. Shepard Smith is 53. LL Cool J is 49. Dave Grohl is 48 today. Jason Bateman is 48.

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