Cathy Lee Crosby
A champion athlete turned television pioneer, she brought a competitive spirit to the wild world of 1980s reality TV.
Born 1944 (age 82)·American actress, tennis player·Birthday: December 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
Cathy Lee Crosby's path to the screen was paved on the tennis court. A nationally ranked amateur player, she brought the discipline of an athlete to an entertainment career that began with modeling and small acting roles. Her big break came not from a scripted drama, but from the burgeoning genre of reality television. As the original co-host of the wildly popular 'That's Incredible!' she became a familiar face in American living rooms, guiding viewers through stunts and human interest stories with a steady, credible presence. While she also acted in films, including an early television movie portrayal of Wonder Woman, it was her role as a trustworthy television host that cemented her place in pop culture. Crosby's career represents a unique bridge between the world of professional sports and the unpredictable energy of early reality TV.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Cathy was born in 1944, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cathy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1944
#1 Movie
Going My Way
Best Picture
Going My Way
Cathy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1944Born
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1949Started school
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1957Became a teenager
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Could drive
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1962Could vote
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Turned 21
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1974Turned 30
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 40
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 50
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 60
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 70
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 80
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 82 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-hosted the groundbreaking reality television series 'That's Incredible!' from 1980 to 1984.
- Starred as Wonder Woman in a 1974 television movie that preceded the more famous Lynda Carter series.
- Was a nationally ranked amateur tennis player before her entertainment career.
Did You Know?
She is the daughter of late-night television host and bandleader Bob Crosby.
She dated tennis legend Billie Jean King for a period in the 1970s.
She won the women's doubles title at the 1962 U.S. Hardcourt Championships.
“Tennis taught me discipline, but television taught me how to tell a story.”
