The debut of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video, Whitney Houston’s rendition of the “Star-Bangled Banner” at the Super Bowl, landing on the moon in 1969, The Beatles’ first appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech are among the 75 most memorable moments in American television history.
MLK’s speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Aug. 28, 1963, is ranked in the top 10 of the list compiled by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The list was released the day of the Emmy Awards which airs on Monday, Jan. 15, and coincides with MLK’s holiday, the Associated Press reports.
The Television Academy ranked the Apollo’s landing on the moon in 1969 — along with Neil Armstrong’s declaration of a “giant leap for mankind” — as the No. 1 moment in the annals of TV history. This is followed by the coverage of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, and in Pennsylvania as No. 2. The “British invasion” led by The Beatles on the iconic “Ed Sullivan Show” is ranked No. 3.
King’s captivating oration during the apex of the Civil Rights Movement came in at No. 6.
Academy members from the television industry worked in collaboration with academics to comb through eight decades of TV history and vote on the most dynamic and impactful.
These are some of the other momentous TV events that made the top 75 list and their rankings, according to the Television Academy:
- The 1983 final episode of “M.A.S.H.” (No. 8)
- The episode of “Ellen” where Ellen DeGeneres reveals she’s gay (No. 13);
- Linus reciting the nativity story in 1965’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (No. 14);
- The infamous “Soup Nazi” episode of “Seinfeld” (No. 27);
- The controversial, cut-to-black final moment of “ The Sopranos ” in 2007 (No. 36).
- The debut of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video from the Thriller album in 1983 (No. 48);
- Whitney Houston’s Super Bowl “Star-Spangled Banner” performance (No. 65)
