Jack Paar
He transformed late-night television from a polite variety hour into a personal, unpredictable, and often controversial conversation.
1918–2004 (age 86)·American writer and comedian·Birthday: May 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Jack Paar was a man of mercurial temperament who brought a new, intimate neurosis to the American airwaves. Taking over 'The Tonight Show' in 1957, he discarded the standard vaudeville format in favor of long, meandering, and deeply personal interviews from behind his desk. His tenure was a rollercoaster of brilliant wit, public feuds, and on-air tears, including a famous walk-off after NBC censored a joke about a 'water closet.' Paar didn't just host a show; he hosted a nightly salon where the conversation was the star, paving the way for the host-as-auteur model that followed. His exit from nightly television in 1962 marked the end of an era defined by his singular, combustible personality.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Jack was born in 1918, placing them squarely in The Greatest 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 Jack Was Born
The biggest hits of 1918
Jack's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1918Born
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Started school
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1931Became a teenager
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Could drive
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1936Could vote
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Turned 21
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1948Turned 30
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 40
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 50
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 60
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 70
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 80
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2004Died at 86
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
Key Achievements
- Hosted 'The Tonight Show' from 1957 to 1962, radically reshaping the talk show format.
- Secured the first American television interview with Fidel Castro in 1959.
- His famous 1960 walk-off protest against network censorship became a landmark television event.
- Created and hosted the successful primetime talk show 'The Jack Paar Program' after leaving 'Tonight.'
Did You Know?
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, entertaining troops with a comedy show for the Armed Forces Radio.
Paar was the first to bring a young comedian named Woody Allen to national television.
He had a famous, long-running feud with newspaper columnist Walter Winchell.
The 'Stump the Band' segment on his show was a precursor to later audience participation bits.
“I kid you not.”
