Sock It To Me
September 16, 1968
U.S. Presidential candidate Richard Nixon delivers the line “Sock it to me” on the TV show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Nixon’s five-second appearance took six takes to get it right. They had offered him the line, “You bet your sweet bippy,” but he turned it down stating he didn’t know what a “bippy” was and didn’t want to find out. Some credit this appearance before a large mostly younger audience as helping him win a close election.
M*A*S*H
September 17, 1972
The TV show M*A*S*H premieres. It was almost canceled due to poor initial ratings. However, it grew in popularity and the series finale was the most watched single U.S. TV episode in history up to that point, seen by 125 million viewers.
Jimi Hendrix Chokes to Death on His Own Vomit
September 18, 1970
The coroner would rule that the legendary singer Jimi Hendrix aspirated his own vomit and died of asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates. His girlfriend later revealed that Hendrix had taken nine of her prescribed Vesparax sleeping tablets, 18 times the recommended dosage. He had been the highest-paid act at Woodstock the previous year.