Confucius
A stiff-shouldered newspaper columnist who became the unlikely gatekeeper of American entertainment, introducing the nation to everything from ballet to The Beatles.
Born -551 (age 2577)·Chinese philosopher (c. 551 – c. 479 BCE)·Birthday: September 28
Biography
Ed Sullivan possessed no obvious talent for show business—he couldn't sing, dance, or tell a joke. What he had was a newspaperman's instinct for what mattered and the stubborn authority of a Sunday school teacher. His variety show, born from radio and vaudeville, became a weekly appointment for a fragmented country seeking common ground. With a gesture of his arm and a famously wooden demeanor, he presented a staggering mosaic of mid-century culture: opera singers shared the stage with plate spinners, Broadway stars with acrobats, and a young Elvis Presley with a mouse puppet named Topo Gigio. His genius was curatorial, not performative. He understood that television was a window, and he held it open wide, trusting the American family to decide what they liked. In doing so, he didn't just host a show; he hosted the nation's collective living room for 23 years.
#1 When Confucius Was Born
The biggest hits of -551
Confucius's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
-551Born
-546Started school
-538Became a teenager
-535Could drive
-533Could vote
-530Turned 21
-521Turned 30
-511Turned 40
-501Turned 50
-491Turned 60
-481Turned 70
-471Turned 80
2026Age 2577 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and hosted The Ed Sullivan Show, the longest-running prime-time variety program in U.S. television history (1948–1971).
- Provided a national platform for The Beatles' iconic first U.S. television appearance in 1964, viewed by over 73 million people.
- Consistently showcased a vast range of performers, from high culture (Bolshoi Ballet) to emerging rock and roll (Elvis Presley, The Doors) to comedy legends.
- Used his influence to promote racial integration on television, regularly featuring Black artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and The Supremes.
Did You Know?
He was originally a sportswriter and Broadway gossip columnist for the New York Daily News.
His famous stiff posture was due to a neck injury sustained in a car accident.
He introduced the phrase 'really big shew' (his pronunciation of 'show') into the American lexicon.
He paid The Beatles $10,000 for their three appearances in 1964 and 1965—a fraction of their going rate by the last booking.
The show was broadcast from CBS Studio 50, which was renamed the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1967; it later became the home of The Late Show with David Letterman.
“To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.”
