Jack Paar Timeline

May 1, 1918: Jack Paar is born in Canton, Ohio.

1948: His first film role is in RKO's Variety Time.

1949: Appears in the RKO film Easy Living with Victor Mature and Lucille Ball.

1950: Appears in the RKO film, Walk Softly, Stranger.

1951: Stars in the Twentieth Century Fox comedy, Love Nest, with Marilyn Monroe.

1952: Hosts Up to Paar, an NBC game show.

1953: Hosts the game show, Bank on the Stars.

1957: Paar begins hosting the Tonight Show, replacing Steve Allen.

1959: Paar receives criticism after interviewing Fidel Castro.

1959: The Tonight Show's name is changed to The Jack Paar Show.

July 1959: Paar reduces his live broadcasts to four nights per week and airs "The Best of Paar" on Friday nights.

1960: Publishes his first book, I Kid You Not.

Feb. 10, 1960: Paar tells a joke about a "water closet" which is a euphemism for "bathroom." NBC censors edited the comment from the show.

Feb. 11, 1960: Paar announces that he is leaving the show as a protest against NBC's censorship of the term "water closet." He says: "I've made a decision about what I'm going to do. I'm leaving The Tonight Show. There must be a better way to make a living than this, a way of entertaining people without being constantly involved in some form of controversy. I love NBC ... But they let me down."

March 7, 1960: Paar returns to the show after a month-long absense. His opening line after returning is: "As I was saying before I was interrupted ... "

1961: Paar broadcasts his show from Berlin as the Berlin Wall is being built.

1961: Publishes his second book, My Saber is Bent.

Nov. 1962: Guest Jonathan Winters jokes about fellow guest Bette Davis' laryngitis. Bette Davis responds, "You go to hell."

1965: Publishes his third book, Three on a Toothbrush.

Sept. 10, 1965: The show makes its final broadcast. Paar's dog is the only audience member.

1983: Publishes his fourth book, P.S. Jack Paar.

Jan. 27, 2004: Paar dies in Greenwich, Connecticut at the age of 85.