- Jan 1 "Farewell My Concubine" directed by Chen Kaige from novel by Lilian Lee starring Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi and Gong Li premieres in Hong Kong (Cannes Palme d'Or 1993)
Musical Finale
Jan 3 Lucy Simon & Marsha Norman's musical "The Secret Garden", based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel, starring Daisy Eagan and Mandy Patinkin, closes at St James Theater NYC after 706 performances and 3 Tony Awards
Theatrical Finale
Jan 3 Neil Simon's stage comic-drama "Lost in Yonkers", starring Mercedes Ruehl and Kevin Spacey, closes at Richard Rodgers Theatre, NYC, after 780 performances, 5 Tony Awards wins, and a Pulitzer Prize
Letterman "The Tonight Show"
Jan 8 NBC offers "The Tonight Show" to David Letterman
"El Mariachi"
Jan 8 Robert Rodriguez's "El Mariachi" debuts at the Toronto Film Fetsival - will become lowest-budgeted film ever to gross $1 million
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Jan 12 8th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Ruth Brown; Cream; Creedence Clearwater Revival; The Doors; Etta James; Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers; Van Morrison; Sly and the Family Stone; Dinah Washington; Dick Clark; and Milt Gabler
- Jan 14 David Letterman announces his show is moving from NBC to CBS
"Anna Christie"
Jan 14 Revived play "Anna Christie" opens at Criterion Theater NYC for 54 performances, starring Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson,
50th Golden Globes
Jan 23 50th Golden Globes: "Scent of a Woman", Al Pacino, & Emma Thompson win
- Jan 31 9th Sundance Film Festival: "Ruby in Paradise" and "Public Access" wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
Carmen Electra
Feb 7 Carmen Electra releases her self-titled debut album, "Carmen Electra"
- Feb 8 GM sues NBC, alleging that "Dateline NBC" program had rigged 2 car-truck crashes to show that 1973-87 GM pickups were prone to fires
Michael Jackson Talks to Oprah
Feb 10 "Michael Jackson Talks To Oprah Winfrey" airs on ABC & drew an astounding 39.3 rating/56 share, 90 million people
- Feb 11 43rd Berlin International Film Festival: "Woman Sesame Oil Maker" and "The Wedding Banquet" win the Golden Bear (tie)
Film Release
Feb 12 Comedy film "Groundhog Day" opens across the US starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, directed by Harold Ramis
Film & TV History
Feb 28 7th American Comedy Award: Jerry Seinfeld
- Mar 1 New expansion NHL team, owned in Anaheim, CA by Disney, receives its name, inspired by the 1992 Disney movie 'The Mighty Ducks'
Film & TV History
Mar 2 Actress Claudette Colbert suffers a stroke at 89
Music Concert
Mar 2 Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert held at Carnegie Hall, NYC; performers include: Sting, James Taylor, Bryan Adams, Tom Jones, George Michael, and Herb Alpert
Film & TV History
Mar 4 Katharine Hepburn admitted to hospital suffering from exhaustion
- Mar 7 Diff'rent Strokes actor Todd Bridges arrested for stabbing a tenant
- Mar 8 Katharine Hepburn released from the hospital after exhaustion
- Mar 12 Cleveland radio station WMMS-FM/101.7 is bought by Disney
- Mar 12 Entertainment Tonight's 3,000th show
Conversations with My Father
Mar 14 Herb Gardner's stage drama "Conversations with My Father", starring Judd Hirsch and Tony Shalhoub, closes at Royale Theatre, NYC, after 462 performances and a Tony Award
People's Choice Awards
Mar 17 19th People's Choice Awards: Kevin Costner & Demi Moore win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Tim Allen & Candice Bergen win (TV)
The Sisters Rosensweig
Mar 18 Wendy Wasserstein's stage play "The Sisters Rosensweig", starring Madeline Kahn, opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC for 556 performances
Hall of Fame
Mar 22 André the Giant's induction into inaugural WWE Hall of Fame is announced; no ceremony takes place and he is inducted posthumously
- Mar 28 13th Golden Raspberry Awards: "Shining Through" wins
Academy Awards
Mar 29 65th Academy Awards: "Unforgiven", Al Pacino & Emma Thompson win
Academy Awards
Mar 29 Actress Elizabeth Taylor presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her AIDS/HIV activism at 65th Academy Awards
- Mar 30 Lanford Wilson's play "Redwood Curtain", starring Jeff Daniels, opens at Brooks Atkinson Theatre, NYC; runs for 40 performances
WrestleMania
Apr 4 WrestleMania IX, Caesar's Palace, LV, NV: Yokozuna beats Bret Hart for WWF Heavyweight title
Arcadia
Apr 13 Tom Stoppard's play "Arcadia" premieres in London directed by Trevor Nunn, starring Rufus Sewell, Felicity Kendal and Bill Nighy
Walker, Texas Ranger
Apr 21 Action TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger" starring Chuck Norris debuts on CBS
Farm Aid Concert
Apr 24 Farm Aid VI held in Ames, Iowa; performers include Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Arlo Guthrie, The Jayhawks, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Cash, Ricky Van Shelton, Marty Stuart, Martina McBride, Bruce Hornsby, Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr, and Dwight Yoakam [1]
O'Brien Replaces Letterman
Apr 26 NBC announces Conan O'Brien to replace David Letterman on "Late Night"
Film & TV History
May 13 Arsenio Hall's 1,000th show retrospective seen in Netherlands
- May 13 CBS' soap opera "Knots Landing" ends 14 year-run with 334th show in Netherlands and US
- May 20 274th & final "Cheers" episode airs on NBC
- May 21 Dayanara Torres, 18, of Puerto Rico, crowned 42nd Miss Universe
- May 22 "The New WKRP in Cincinnati", an ensemble TV sitcom sequel created by Hugh Wilson and set in a struggling radio station, concludes syndicated run
Film & TV History
May 24 46th Cannes Film Festival: "Ba wang bie ji" directed by Chen Kaige and "The Piano" directed by Jane Campion jointly awarded the Palme d'Or
Film & TV History
May 24 Kim Basinger files for bankruptcy to avoid paying $7.4M settlement
TV Show Appearance
May 24 Star Trek episode "Second Chances" airs guest starring Mae Jemison, the 1st real life astronaut to appear on the show
Daytime Emmy Awards
May 26 Emmy 20th Daytime Award presentation - Susan Lucci loses for 14th time
Film & TV History
Jun 1 Connie Chung joins Dan Rather as anchors of CBS Evening News
Jurassic Park
Jun 11 "Jurassic Park", directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum opens, sets box office weekend record of $502 million
- Jun 11 "Scattergories" game show last airs on NBC-TV
- Jun 11 "Scrabble," second run," TV Game Show; last airs on NBC-TV
- Jun 13 YokoZuna beats Hulk Hogan to become WWF champ
Camelot
Jun 21 Revival of Lerner and Loewe' musical "Camelot", with Robert Goulet as King Arthur, opens at Gershwin Theater, NYC; runs for 56 performances
- Jun 25 "Late Night with David Letterman" airs for the last time on NBC-TV
Glastonbury Festival
Jun 25 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: The Black Crowes, and The Kinks headline; other performers include Winton Marsalis, Robert Plant, Velvet Underground, Hothouse Flowers, Van Morrison, John Prine, Rolf Harris, Lenny Kravitz, and Barenaked Ladies
- Jun 28 NCRV shows last "Cheers" in Netherlands
Sunset Boulevard
Jul 12 Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Sunset Boulevard", based on Billy Wilder's 1950 film, starring Patti Lupone and Daniel Benzali, opens at the Adelphi Theatre, London
- Jul 12 Talk radio host Don Imus begins broadcasting to Boston on WEEI (590 AM)
Sleepless in Seattle
Jul 25 Romantic comedy film "Sleepless in Seattle" starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, co-written and directed by Nora Ephron, is released
- Jul 27 NBC TV awarded 1996 Olympic coverage for $456 million
- Jul 29 Walter Koenig (Chekov in Star Trek) suffers a mild heart attack
- Aug 1 Walter Koenig, Chekov of Star Trek, suffers a heart attack
- Aug 2 NYC radio (WFAN) personality Don Imus' lung collapses
- Aug 2 Shamrock Broadcasting, a Disney company, officially takes ownership of Cleveland's WMMS-FM/100.7 & WHK-AM/1420
- Aug 10 Charlotte Anne Lopez, 16, of Vermont, crowned 11th Miss Teen USA
- Aug 15 Marvin Hamlisch and David Zippel's musical adaptation of Neil Simon's "The Goodbye Girl" closes at Marquis Theater, NYC, after 188 performances
- Aug 15 NYC radio (WFAN) personality Don Imus' lung collapses for 2nd time
- Aug 19 26th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at Doubletree Hotel
- Aug 30 "Late Show with David Letterman" debuts on CBS, from the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC; Bill Murray is his first guest, Billy Joel performs
Venice Film Festival
Aug 31 50th Venice Film Festival: "Short Cuts" directed by Robert Altman and "Three Colors: Blue" directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski jointly awarded Golden Lion
Music History
Sep 1 Revival of Peter Shaffer's farce double-bill "White Liars/Black Comedy" opens at Criterion Theater, NYC; runs for 38 performances
- Sep 5 David Shiner and Bill Irwin's sketch comedy "Fool Moon" closes at Richard Rodgers Theater, NYC, after 207 performances
Film & TV History
Sep 5 F. Murray Abraham released from hospital after car accident
Telethon
Sep 6 Jerry Lewis' 28th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $46,014,922
Frasier
Sep 16 "Frasier" starring Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce premieres on NBC
- Sep 18 18th Toronto International Film Festival: "The Snapper" directed by Stephen Frears wins the People's Choice Award
- Sep 18 Kimberly Clarice Aiken (SC), 18, crowned 67th Miss America 1994
- Sep 19 45th Emmy Awards: Seinfeld, Picket Fences & Ted Danson win
- Sep 19 Actress Michele Phillips (Knots Landing) is robbed at gunpoint
- Sep 19 Kimberly Clarice Aiken, 18, Miss SC wins 67th Miss America
- Sep 27 Actor Daniel Day-Lewis pleads guilty to speeding charges
Cracker
Sep 27 British crime series "Cracker" created by Jimmy McGovern starring Robbie Coltrane debuts on ITV in the UK
- Sep 29 "Grace Under Fire", sitcom starring Brett Butler, debuts on ABC-TV
- Oct 3 Peter Shaffer's stage comedy twin-bill "White Liars/Black Comedy" closes at the Criterion Theater, NYC, after 38 performances
Music History
Oct 3 World music singer Harry Belafonte performs in Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark
Private Parts
Oct 8 Howard Stern releases his 1st book "Private Parts"
Film & TV History
Nov 2 Actor Roger Moore (James Bond) has his enlarged prostate removed
Television Debut
Nov 3 TV sitcom "The Nanny" starring Fran Drescher debuts on CBS in the US
- Nov 6 Actor Howard Rollins arrested for drunk driving
- Nov 18 WWF boss Vince McMahon charged with steroid distribution
- Nov 22 Neil Simon's comedy "Laughter on the 23rd Floor", inspired by his early job writing for Sid Caesar, opens at Richard Rodgers Theater, NYC; runs for 320 performances
- Nov 27 Lisa Hanna, 18, of Jamaica, crowned 43rd Miss World
- Nov 29 Revival of Robert E. Sherman's stage drama "Abe Lincoln in Illinois", starring Sam Waterston, opens at the Beaumont Theater ,NYC; runs for 40 performances
- Nov 30 "Schindler's List", American historical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, premieres in Washington, D.C. (Academy Awards Best Picture 1994)
- Dec 7 American singer Robert Goulet undergoes prostate cancer surgery
- Dec 10 "Doom" pioneering first-person shooter video game is uploaded onto the internet by id Software
Philadelphia
Dec 14 "Philadelphia", one of the first mainstream films about AIDS, directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, premieres in Century City, California
Shannen Doherty Fired
Dec 16 Shannen Doherty (Brenda) is fired from TV series Beverly Hills 90210
Streisand's 1st Concert in 20 Years
Dec 31 Barbra Streisand performs her 1st public concert in 20 years before a sell-out crows of over 25,000 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Actors
Actresses
Comedians
Directors
Models
TV Stars