By Amanda Whitaker
Lifestyle Editor
Sept. 9, 1956–Elvis Presley appears on national television for the first time, on the Ed Sullivan Show. His gyrating hips, however, would not be seen until his subsequent appearance on the show on Oct. 28.
Sept. 10, 1953–Swanson sells it’s first “TV dinner.” “You mean I can increase my consumption of heavily saturated fats without having to miss a single episode of “Howdy Doody”? Such innovation!”
Sept. 11, 1962–Drummer Ringo Starr replaces Pete Best of “The Beatles.” To become part of “the Fab Four,” Starr had to leave some obscure band you’ve probably never heard of.
Sept. 12, 1927–Sigmund Romberg’s musical “My Maryland” premieres in NYC. The brilliant production featured odes to The Chesapeake Bay, the Baltimore oriole, and the RoFo chicken slider, I assume.
Sept. 13, 1977–First TV viewer discretion warning appears on “Soap,” a sitcom featuring Billy Crystal as a gay ventriloquist. So, wait, was the public being warned about the presence of a homosexual character, or the creepiness of ventriloquism?
Sept. 14, 1814–Francis Scott Key pens what would later be known as “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Little did he know that his patriotic anthem would be butchered by the likes of Roseanne Barr and Christina Aguilera.
Sept. 15, 1971–First broadcast of “Columbo” on NBC. Police detectives across the nation have been drawing their inspiration from the bumbling, disheveled, and naïve title character ever since.