Every day brings a new story. And each day contributes to story telling -- in prose and in poetry, in art and in music, on the stage, on the screen, and, of course, in books.
Today is the story of Oct. 23rd
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It is the 296th day of the year, leaving 69 days remaining in 2022.
On this date in 1925, the TV comedian and host Johnny Carson was born in Corning, Iowa.
If Carson didn't invent the late-night talk show, he certainly perfected it.
He got his start in radio after graduating from the University of Nebraska in 1949. He switched to television two years later after getting a job in Los Angeles. He became a writer for The Red Skelton Show, famously subbing as host one time on a moment's notice. He hosted a game show in New York before replacing Jack Parr on The Tonight Show.
After a year of gaining confidence, Carson started making the show his own, with comedy skits he invented, and comic personas he turned into his own. The format he used remains in use today -- an opening monologue, various comic moments, performances by guest stars, and celebrity interview. The sidekick, the house band, the interviewer's desk, and the guests' couch all became part of the show.
While a private man, Carson held a powerful place in the industry. When he moved the location of the show -- now known as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson -- from New York to Burbank, Calif., it helped shift the dynamic of television from the east to the west coast.
His final show was national, and even international, news.
Carson died in 2005 in Los Angeles.
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