Crane’s Mill Wayback Machine: October 1st in History—Johnny Carson, Cable Cars, and Epcot Center

Join us for another trip on the Crane’s Mill Wayback Machine. Today, we take a look at October 1st in history!

October 1st in New Jersey usually means the end to any late summer/early fall trips to the Jersey shore, with our flip flops and bathing suits traded for hiking boots and flannel shirts. This date has also played host to a number of interesting events throughout history. Today, we’ll take a look back at a few we thought you might enjoy.

Heeeere’s Johnny: First up, on October 1, 1962, Johnny Carson hosted his first Tonight Show. Guest Joan Crawford helped Johnny kick off his late night career, which would span a full 30 years before his 1992 retirement.

The City that Knows How to Get Around: The iconic cable car system in San Francisco is fun and functional. While it began in 1878, it was October 1, 1964 (50 years ago today) when the cars were declared a national landmark. Anyone who has visited the City by the Bay knows first-hand of the beauty and charm these moving landmarks posses. Did you know? New Jersey and New York have a history in the cable car business as well. Click here to read more from a useful resource.

Permanent World’s Fair: Jumping ahead to today’s date in 1982, the world saw the opening of Disney’s Epcot Center. Epcot, an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, was a vision of Walt Disney himself. A futuristic city-like community, Epcot drew inspiration from technology and different cultures to provide visitors a World’s Fair open all year round. The marvelous theme park continues to thrive today as countless guests enjoy the sights, sounds, and food Epcot has to offer.

Stay tuned to the Crane’s Mill Courier, and be sure to send us emails with your favorite blasts from the past—we just might feature your memories right here on our blog!