On This Day: Introducing Jack Nicholson as Himself

Happy April 22, dear reader! Time to join Movieline on another breezy expedition through the historical arcana and milestones that helped shaped the pop culture you know and love today, when a pair of legends first graced the world while another began his long, televised goodbye.

· 1926: Charlotte Rae Lubotsky is born to Jewish immigrant parents in Milwaukee, Wisc. She'd drop the surname and eventually win your heart as Mrs. Garrett on Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. Raise your morning coffee in her name and let's see if we cant get her to reprise her role in a special episode of Law & Order -- "Tootie's Death," or something.

· 1937: Jack Nicholson is born in New York City to a showgirl mother and a father who has yet to be officially identified after 73 years. If you have any tips or suggestions on the matter, please notify Movieline immediately.

· 1974: Barbara Walters takes to NBC's air as co-host of The Today Show. Which would be awesome in itself except for her own oneupsmanship in...

· 1976: ... when Walters joined ABC and became the first woman to serve as anchor of a nightly network newscast.

· 1991: Johnny Carson announces his imminent retirement from The Tonight Show in 1992. Nice and easy -- those were the days.