9. Ed Murrow Passing
The man whose formal name was Edward R. Murrow passed away in 1965 after contracting lung cancer. While it didn’t happen on air, his passing didn’t escape thorough coverage. As a broadcaster, Murrow had been at the forefront of tough subjects like McCarthyism, and homophobia. He was critical of the anti-communist sentiment cutting through the United States, especially as it pertained to the fear spread by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Murrow’s show, See It Now, created a massive backlash against the Senator. Murrow asked the questions that others at the time were afraid to ask, raising the bar for journalists and broadcasters. He also changed the way people thought. Sadly, Murrow also taught us that three packs of cigarettes per day will certainly bring an early death.