In 1930 Paul and Thomas Braniff founded Braniff Airways, Inc. The two petitioned the US Postal Service for a Chicago-Dallas airmail route in 1935, making Braniff Airways the first company to hold that route, and allowing them to eventually grow into a major airline company. Braniff assisted in World War II, grew their passenger business,… Read more »
NorthPark Center, a Dallas hallmark situated near the intersection of Loop 12 and US 75, has been a staple for perusing the latest fashion trends and modern art since its opening in 1965. The original L-shaped structure took four years to build, and was the largest indoor shopping mall at the time. Developer Raymond Nasher,… Read more »
Charley Pride, the famed country singer, died this past weekend, December 12, 2020, just after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Country Music Association. This KXAS story from 1982 shares an overview of Pride’s beginnings in country music, the fame he achieved, and his thoughts on being a Black country musician. Before his career… Read more »
Back to the Future is a cult classic trilogy, that was just as popular upon first release as it is today. The original film was released 35 years ago in 1985, and the characters, story, and whimsy made it an instant hit. Bobbie Wygant interviewed writer and director Robert Zemeckis in 1985, shortly after the… Read more »
55 years ago, the Voting Rights Act was passed on August 6, 1965. This Act was initially created to ensure that racial minorities, especially in the South, were not being denied their right to vote by prohibiting state and local governments from creating discriminatory voting laws. The Act focused on voter suppression in Southern states,… Read more »
Curtis Cokes, a Dallas native, was an all-around athlete, who began his professional boxing career in 1958 at the age of 21. He worked hard to become the World Boxing Association’s Welterweight World Champion in 1966, at the age of 30. Throughout his career, many trainers approached him to move to different cities to pursue… Read more »
While the long term closure of Texas schools as a preventative measure against the novel coronavirus is unprecedented, it is not the only time that Texas schools have been closed to prevent the spread of illness. In January 1984, for example, schools in Venus, Texas closed due to an influenza outbreak in the town.
The first Earth Day was celebrated fifty years ago today, on April 22, 1970. KXAS broadcast a special about the holiday at 11 AM. The new holiday in support of environmental protection was popular in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As the original KXAS script (see image below) put it, schools at all levels, “from grade school… Read more »
The Jewish holiday of Passover begins today at sundown. Tonight families will gather for a seder to commemorate the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus. But the gatherings and perhaps the meal will look and feel a little different this year than in years past. Due to the… Read more »
On this day, thirty-five years ago, the popular Wendy’s slogan, “Where’s the Beef?” made headline news at NBC 5/KXAS, with reporter Jack Helsel taking the story. This catchphrase was introduced by the fast food chain restaurant Wendy’s, in 1984, to distinguish itself from competitors. The original commercial, a snippet featured in Helsel’s news report, is… Read more »
