Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Friday, Jan. 23, 2026
1920 American inventor Fred Morrison was born. He invented the Frisbee in 1937. He got the idea when someone offered to buy the cake pan, he and his future wife were tossing back and forth at the beach. Morrison passed away in 2010.
1977 The TV miniseries Roots began airing on ABC for eight consecutive nights. The story of Kunta Kinte (played by LeVar Burton) and his descendants drew 130,000,000 viewers for its conclusion, making it the highest-rated TV program up to that time.
1983 The TV show the A-Team debuted on NBC. The show was about four members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit who were tried and convicted for a crime they had not committed. They escaped and began working as soldiers of fortune, while still trying to clear their names and avoid capture by law enforcement and military authorities.
Music History:
1971 George Harrison became the first solo Beatle to have a No.1 when ‘My Sweet Lord’ went to the top of the charts. The song from his “All Things Must Pass” album stayed at No.1 for five weeks. The track returned to the top of the charts in 2002, following his death.
Notable Birthdays:
Actress Tiffany Theisen (from one of my wife’s favorite binges: White Collar on Netflix. 52
Princess Caroline of Monaco 69
Cheap Trick lead singer Robin Zander 73
Credit to:
Thisdayinmusic.com and Thisdaytrivia.com
