NBC Celebrates 100 Years of Broadcasting American History
For 100 years, NBC has helped bring American history home, connecting generations of Americans to the news, sports, entertainment and cultural moments that have shaped the nation.
November 13, 2026
From its earliest days in radio to the rise of television and today’s media landscape, NBC has been at the forefront of how Americans experience the world. Through a century of defining moments, NBC has been there as history unfolded, bringing it into homes across the country and helping generations of Americans experience it together.
As NBC celebrates its 100th anniversary, take a look back at some of the historic firsts and defining moments that have shaped both NBC and American life.
A Look Through History: The Broadcast Moments That Shaped NBC and America
Through some of the nation’s greatest triumphs and most challenging moments, NBC has helped shape how Americans understand the world around them and experience culture.
1926: NBC's First National Radio Broadcast
On November 15, 1926, founder David Sarnoff established the National Broadcasting Company as the nation’s first permanent radio network, marking the beginning of connecting Americans through broadcasting.
1939: NBC Broadcasts President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the World's Fair
On April 30, 1939, NBC launched the first electronic television broadcast, bringing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt from the World’s Fair in New York to homes nationwide. This leap noted an early milestone in presidential and American television history, uniting the nation as a whole from coast-to-coast thanks to NBC’s technological advances.
1939 – 1945: NBC Radio Covers World War II and V-E/V-J Day
During WWII, Americans turned to radio to learn the news from across the globe, tuning into NBC to hear historic reporting delivered directly into their homes. Throughout the war, NBC Radio's role went beyond delivering wartime news to Americans, it informed a nation through its live updates from the front lines and in critical moments, culminating in V-E and V-J Days in the summer of 1945.
1947: NBC is the First to Broadcast World Series
NBC helped bring America’s pastime to the people as it was the first to broadcast the World Series in 1947. Jackie Robinson played in this historic game series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, the first ever racially integrated championship. NBC and MLB’s partnership remains strong, with NBCSN covering Sunday Night Baseball and the MLB Wild Card Round and the past season of Sunday Night Baseball became the most watched since 2007.
1947: Meet the Press Debuts
Two years after its radio debut, Meet the Press took to the TV screens, bringing D.C. to every part of America and establishing an enduring connection between the nation and the capital. Today, Meet the Press holds the title for the longest running television program in American history and is #1 in the key A25-54 demo.
1949: NBC and the TV Network Pool Televise their First Presidential Inauguration
President Harry S. Truman’s second inauguration on January 20, 1949, was the first televised broadcast of a presidential inauguration. An estimated 10 million people tuned in to NBC and the other members of the television pool to watch Truman get sworn in during the first ever racially integrated presidential inauguration on live television.
1952: TODAY Debuts on NBC
TODAY marked the beginning of an American morning television institution during a transformative decade for television as the first network early-morning show. Sixty years later, the TODAY show continues to define the morning news landscape, recently finishing the 2025-2026 broadcast season as the #1 morning news program in total viewers and the key demo.
1953: First Nationally Televised Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
In 1953, NBC broadcast the first nationally televised Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and for over 70 years since, it has continued to bring holiday excitement to American homes. Through their extensive partnership, Macy’s and NBC have become centerpieces at the Thanksgiving dinner table, uniting Americans as they watch the floats and balloons traverse the streets of Manhattan. NBC will continue to be an integral part of the holiday traditions with broadcast and streaming rights to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade through 2034.
1954: The Tonight Show Premieres
1954 brought the premiere of The Tonight Show, introducing audiences to a late-night talk show format that would transform the media landscape for decades. From Steve Allen in 1954 to Jimmy Fallon today, The Tonight Show has remained the blueprint for late-night television, shaping cultural moments and conversation since its inception, and notably inventing the monologue. The show has brought guests from film, television, music, and even presidents to the late-night couch and it remains the longest-running talk show in television history, filming daily from Studio 6B.
1963: Broadcasts of the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Movement
Uniting correspondents across 75 locations in the United States, NBC News aired a three-hour primetime report known as The American Revolution of ’63 to examine the civil rights struggles nationwide. From this historic news special broadcast to having Martin Luther King Jr. and other key civil rights leaders on Meet the Press, NBC played a major role in bringing these crucial American civil rights moments from the frontlines to eyes nationwide.
1964: First Olympic Broadcast
NBC broadcasted the first live telecast of any kind from Japan to the United States with coverage of the 1964 Summer Olympics. As the broadcasting home for the Olympic Games since 1988, NBC has instilled national excitement and pride as Americans watch and cheer on athletic achievements across the world. Through NBC’s commitment to bringing Americans the Olympic Games, people across the country have been able to tune in and support their loved ones going for gold, and can continue to do so, as NBCUniversal has extended their Olympics Games rights through the 2034 Winter Olympics in Utah.
1967: First Broadcast of the Super Bowl
From broadcasting the first Super Bowl in 1967 between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs, to Sunday Night Football’s unprecedented 15 consecutive years as primetime’s #1 show, NBC has long been at the center of some of football’s biggest moments. For generations, fans across the country have turned to NBC to cheer on their favorite teams and experience the football traditions that bring millions of Americans together.
1969: NBC News Covers the Apollo 11 Moon Landing
NBC News covered the historic Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969, taking one small leap for mankind and a giant leap for media, bringing America’s innovation from the surface of the moon to screens nationwide. The Apollo crew’s historic mission was watched by over 90% of U.S. TV households with NBC News reporting from the front lines.
1975: Saturday Night Live Debuts
On October 11, 1975, Chevy Chase’s infamous words “Live from New York, It’s Saturday Night” were heard across the nation for the first time as Saturday Night Live debuted on NBC. In the five decades since, the show has continued to influence the television landscape with its witty comedy, political satire, and cultural commentary.
1993: The "Must See TV" slogan debuts on NBC
NBC's campaign highlighted an iconic lineup of shows, including Seinfeld, Cheers, Wings and Fraiser, which led to later success of NBC sit-coms like Parks & Recreation and The Office. These iconic sitcoms not only influenced pop culture, they became pop culture. From the Manhattan apartments to the Scranton workplaces, these shows have broken records and established NBC as the home for sitcoms and “Must See TV.”
2001: NBC News' Tom Brokaw delivers breaking news on September 11
As the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded, NBC News was there, reporting live from the scene and helping Americans make sense of an unimaginable moment. In the days and weeks that followed, Tom Brokaw and NBC News continued to chronicle the aftermath of the attacks and a profound sense of grief and national unity, reflecting NBC News’ longstanding role in covering the moments that define our country and our shared history.
2008: Michael Phelps Makes Olympic History
NBC brought Americans together to cheer on Team USA as Michael Phelps won an unprecedented eight gold medals at a single Olympic Games. His record-setting performance became a defining moment in American sports, part of an extraordinary career that would ultimately make him the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 28 medals, including 23 golds.
2025: Saturday Night Live Celebrates 50 Years
On February 16, 2025, NBC brought generations together for SNL50: The Anniversary Special, celebrating five decades of comedy, music and cultural commentary. The live celebration honored a show that has helped shape American culture since 1975, bringing its past and present together on the Studio 8H stage.
2026: A Legendary February of Sports
In February 2026, NBC brought American audiences together around three of the world’s biggest sporting events: the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Super Bowl LX and NBA All-Star Weekend. Across an extraordinary 17-day stretch, fans shared in championship moments, Olympic achievements and the excitement of watching some of the world’s greatest athletes compete.
2026: The 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
On November 26, 2026, NBC will bring the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade into homes across the country, continuing a national broadcast tradition that began in 1953. With its signature balloons, floats and performances, the milestone celebration will bring generations together around one of America’s most beloved holiday traditions.
100 Years of Historic Moments on NBC
For a century, NBC has brought generations together around the moments and stories that have shaped American culture, evolving alongside audiences across television, film, news, sports, streaming, and experiences around the world.
As NBCUniversal looks to the next 100 years, it is carrying that legacy forward with the same spirit of innovation and ambition. The platforms may change and the ways audiences connect will continue to evolve, but NBC’s purpose remains the same: to create unforgettable experiences, bring people together, and remain a meaningful part of people’s lives for generations to come.
