This was Television on February 19
1968: Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood comes to America
After debuting on Canada’s CBS in 1963, the beloved children’s show made its U.S. debut on NET (the forerunner to PBS) on this date. The program was created and hosted by the avuncular Fred Rogers, who imparted homespun wisdom, shared original music like the famous theme song “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” and led trips to the puppet-inhabited Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood ran until 2001, with many PBS stations around the country continuing to air it in repeats as late as 2008. -A.D.
Today’s Birthdays: Justine Bateman, middle daughter (47); Lorianne Crook, emcee (56); Jeff Daniels, newsman (58); Bill Kirchenbauer, coach (60); Lee Marvin, cop (d. 1987); Victoria Justice, singer (20).
This Was Television 
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