Reaching a milestone...
With that headline this should be a story about "The Flintstones". Mile-stone, Flint-stone, Bed-rock, get it ? Well in a way it is. It was on this date in 1997 that "The Flintstones" was surpassed in longevity by "The Simpsons" as the longest running prime-time animated series. In January of 2003 the Matt Groening creation passed "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" as the longest running sitcom (animated or other) ever in TV history...
Did someone mention awards ? How about 21 Emmy's, 22 Annie's and a Peabody among others ? Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, all the lovable Simpson characters came into our homes for the first time as a short on "The Tracey Ullman Show" in 1987. The first short "Good Night" aired on April 19, 1987. The series began on FOX in 1989 and has run as a weekly show ever since. The first full length episode was "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
The actors voicing the show have for the most part remained the same with Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer and Marcia Wallace...
Not to worry about "The Simpsons" going off the air anytime soon, FOX is committed to the series through the 2007-2008 seasons...
More February 9 Memories...
1825) The U.S. House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams president after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes...
1870) The U.S. Weather Bureau is authorized by Congress giving the American public someone to kick around forever (the bureau is officially known as the National Weather Service)...
1895) The game of volley ball is invented by W.G. Morgan...
1942) Daylight-saving "War Time" goes into effect with clocks turned ahead one hour...
1950) Senator Joseph McCarthy charges that the State Department is filled with Communists as we usher in that fun era called "McCarthyism"...
1955) The McGuire Sisters are #1 with "Sincerely" (originally done by the Moonglows)...
1962) Neil Sedaka records his 1st version of "Breaking Up is Hard to Do"...
1964) The Beatles make their 1st appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"...
1971) The Apollo 14 spacecraft returns to Earth after man's 3rd landing on the moon...
1971) Satchel Paige becomes the 1st Negro League player elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame...
1973) Max Yasgur who owned the farm where the original Woodstock took place in 1969, dies...
1976) "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" tops the charts for Paul Simon (it's Simon's 1st #1 hit since the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel)...
1981) Bill Haley dies of a heart attack at his home in Harlingen, Texas. Haley was 56...
1983) Prince releases "Little Red Corvette"...
1997) "The Simpsons" becomes the longest-running prime-time animated series (feature story)...
2002) Britain's Princess Margaret, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, dies at 71...
To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...
Happy Birthday To...
1922) Kathryn Grayson...
1928) Broadcast journalist Roger Mudd...
1942) Carole King...
1943) Barbara Lewis...
1943) Joe Pesci...
1945) Mia Farrow...
Today is the 40th day of 2006 with 325 days remaining in the year, 39 days until Spring and pitchers and catchers are getting closer with just 7 days remaining...
