20 unforgettable moments in live television history

In 1956, Elvis Presley's pelvis sparked a moral panic among pearl-clutching parents who feared the evils of dancing and the impact that suggestively shaking hips could have on their children. Following appearances on the "Steve Allen Show," which had stirred a national controversy due to some very sexualized movements during his performance of "Hound Dog," the lower half of "Elvis the Pelvis" body was obscured from the waist down as he took to the stage for "The Ed Sullivan Show."

In 1960, presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon took to the airwaves as the first candidates to appear on a televised presidential debate. Kennedy would end up winning the election, while Nixon would go on to run (and lose) for governor in California in 1962. Of course, Nixon was later elected to the presidency in 1968, five years after Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 

In one of the most sobering broadcasts in American news history, legendary newsman Walter Cronkite was tasked with informing the nation that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas in 1963. Despite his incredible composure, the emotion on Cronkite's face is visible, especially when he removes his glasses to blink away tears and collect his composure as he continues to report the news. 

Though footage of the assassination of John F. Kennedy really only exists thanks to the Zapruder film, shot by a Dallas citizen as Kennedy made his way through the city before being murdered in Dealey Plaza, the assassination of his alleged killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, happened on live television. Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner, shot Oswald in the stomach as he was being transported to the county jail. Millions of people were watching live when the murder happened on NBC, and it was captured in an iconic, Pulitzer-winning photo by photographer Robert H. Jackson. 

On July 20, 1969, the first Americans walked on the moon as Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Apollo 11 shuttle on to the surface of a whole new frontier. While glued to their television sets, Americans heard Armstrong describe the landing with these iconic words: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." 

In an address that was both televised and broadcast on the radio airwaves, President Richard Nixon announced that he would resign from the office of the presidency on August 8, 1974. The announcement came as Nixon faced increasing political pressure within his own party to resign as the Watergate scandal intensified. 

At the 1980 Winter Olympics, held in Lake Placid, New York, the "Miracle on Ice" occurred as the United States's men's Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviet Union. A victory that was just as symbolic as it was real, the American team was a major underdog that went on to beat the Soviet team 4-3. The win gets its nickname from an exclamation from U.S. television announcer Al Michaels, who asked the viewing audience, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" 

In 1986, millions of schoolchildren were glued to the television as teacher Christa McAuliffe was preparing to be the first teacher in space aboard the shuttle Challenger. 73 seconds into its ascent, the shuttle exploded, killing everyone on board. It's estimated that nearly 20 percent of the American population was watching as this tragic incident unfolded. 

In 1987, the world was enraptured by the story of Jessica McClure, a young Texas girl who fell into a well and inspired a truly heroic rescue. The 18-month-old McClure, now known to the world as "Baby Jessica," was rescued after firefighters and local oil drillers drilled a 22-foot-deep shaft so that paramedic Robert O'Donnell could get underground and rescue McClure from her precarious position. After 56 painstaking hours, McClure was removed from the well mostly unscathed.

A massive 6.9 magnitude earthquake ripped through San Francisco on October 17, 1989, killing 67 people and causing extensive damage throughout the region. Live footage of the quake was captured at San Francisco's Candlestick Park, as the San Francisco Giants prepared to take on the Oakland Athletics. 

On November 9, 1989, the concrete wall that divided East Germany and West Germany came crumbling to the ground, in a massive victory for western forces against the Iron Curtain. As the borders between the formerly divided country were opened, citizens began chipping away at the wall, demolishing the barrier that had kept them from moving freely throughout Germany. 

While performing as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, Irish singer Sinead O'Connor stirred an incredible controversy after she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II following her performance of Bob Marley's "War." It was an early call-out of the Church for its failure to address rampant sexual abuse of children, one that had a significant impact on O'Connor's career after the episode was broadcast. 

As cult leader David Koresh and members of his Branch Davidians group holed up inside their Waco compound, federal agents unleashed incendiary tear gas containers that worsened a fire started by group members — all on live television. More than 70 people died, including Koresh, and the incident spurred a national debate on excessive force from law enforcement agencies. 

In 1994, the whole world turned on their televisions to watch former NFL football player O.J. Simpson lead police on a low-speed chase in his notorious white Ford Bronco after being charged with the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown-Simpson, and Ron Goldman. The chase lasted for nearly two hours, attracting 95 million television viewers in Los Angeles and beyond. Simpson was ultimately acquitted of the murders in one of the most controversial court outcomes in American history. 

NASCAR fans watched the tragedy of a lifetime occur on live television when legendary driver Dale Earnhardt died in a fatal accident in 2001. As he embarked on the final lap of the Daytona 500, Earnhardt's car careened into a retaining wall on the track, causing a massive crash. More than 17 million viewers were watching when Earnhardt died, which spurred NASCAR to implement a host of safety regulations for drivers. 

Perhaps responsible for coining the term "wardrobe malfunction," Janet Jackson's star-shaped nipple guard caused one hell of a stir during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004. Performing alongside Justin Timberlake as he sang the lyrics "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song," Jackson seemed shocked as Timberlake pulled a portion of her costume back to expose the nipple shield. The ensuing controversy inspired countless debates about morality and censorship, and earned CBS an unprecedented $550,000 fine from the Federal Communications Commission. 

In one of the most impressive displays of patience and calm in television history, airline pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger became an instant celebrity after he deftly landed a plane that lost all engine power shortly after taking off right on the Hudson River. The incident was so iconic that it later inspired a feature film, called "Sully," starring Tom Hanks. 

In 2015, comedian Steve Harvey was tasked with hosting the Miss Universe pageant, and things didn't exactly go to plan. When it came time to read the winner's name from the envelope, Harvey announced that Miss Colombia would take home the crown. After realizing his massive error, Harvey went back on stage to tell Miss Philippines that she was the pageant's actual winner. "I have to apologize, the first runner up is Colombia," Harvey said. "Miss Philippines, take your first walk as Miss Universe." 

In 2017, while announcing the Oscar award for Best Picture, actors Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway pronounced "La La Land" the winner of the night's big trophy after being handed the wrong envelope by show producers backstage. As the producers and stars of "La La Land" took to the stage, it became clear that it was actually "Moonlight," that would take home the prize. 

As Taylor Swift accepted the 2009 MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, Kanye West gave one of the most iconic speeches in American television history right in the middle of Swift's acceptance speech. Running onto the stage, West said "Yo, Taylor, I'm gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time," referring to the music video for Beyonce Knowles-Carter's video for "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." The incident continued to spark controversy as recently as 2016, when West and Swift were beefing in the media again over his song "Famous," which negatively references Swift.