August 7














1885 -- Mary William Ethelbert Appleton  Burke is in
Washington DC. Daughter of internationally famous
clown Billy Burke, 'Billie' and her family settled in
London, where she saw some of the classics of English
theater and fell in love with show business. Known
worldwide as 'Glenda, the Good Witch' in 'The Wizard of
Oz,' she married Showman Flo Ziegfield in 1914 and
they remained married until his death in 1932.
Billie's television connection is somewhat tentative, with
appearances on 'Playhouse 90,' 'The Eddie Cantor
Comedy Theater' and '77 Sunset Strip.'
But, hey, when you're on 'The Wizard of Oz,' you have
carte blanch onto 'This Date in Television History.'
Billie died of natural causes on May 14, 1970. She was
86 years young.







           



1941 -- Television station WNBT, Channel 4 in New
York City, broadcasts the first audience participation in
TV history. Audience members played charades in what
Puget Sound Radio, in their excellent almanac, credits
as the beginning of commercial television in the U.S.


1949 -- 'Martin Kane, Private Eye' debuts on Mutual
radio. Six weeks later it will become a television series
and air until 1954, then return with a brief run in 1957-58
as 'The New Adventures of Martin Kane' with the series
set in London and Paris.









           




1955 -- Wayne Knight is born in 1955 in Cartersville,
Georgia. Best-known for the role of Newman (or, more
precisely, as 'Newman') on 'Seinfeld,'  Wayne has
surprisingly deep Southern roots for a NYC mailman. In
addition to his hometown, Wayne attended the
University of Georgia only to leave to join one of the
best regional theaters in the country, The Barter Theatre
Company in Abingdon, Virginia.











Along with his role in 'Seinfeld,' Wayne has also had
notable roles in such big-screen hits as 'Jurassic Park'
and 'Basic Instinct.


1966 -- Guests on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' included Judy
Garland, Peter Sellers and Tom Jones. Now that's
entertainment!



1974, legendary New York deejay Bruce Morrow
('Cousin Brucie') did his last show on WABC before
moving to WNBC.
           






    









In 2005, Canadian-born ABC TV news anchor Peter
Jennings succumbed to cancer at age 67.
Billie Burke (L) was
55 when 'The
Wizard of Oz' was
released. Margaret
Hamilton (R) was
39. Wickedness
sure does age a
person . . .
According to The TV
Guide Guide to TV,
nearly 20 shows,
including Martin
Kane, have gotten
'New Adventures,'
including Adam 12,
The Addams Family,
Batman, Charlie
Chan, Gilligan,
He-Man, Superman
and, of course,
Winnie the Pooh.
According to
imdb.com, before
landing the role of
Newman in 'Seinfeld,'
Wayne Knight (L)
auditioned for the role
of George Costanza.