April 28, 1950 - TV host Jay Leno is born

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - On this day, April 28, 1950, American comedian and writer Jay Leno was born.

Leno went on to become the longtime host of The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2009, and again from 2010 to 2014.

Leno was raised in Andover, Massachusetts, and attended Emerson College in Boston. While working towards his degree in speech therapy, he worked as a stand-up comic in nightclubs.

After graduation, Leno moved to Los Angeles, where he served as the opening act for entertainers such as Johnny Mathis and Tom Jones.

Leno debuted on The Tonight Show in 1977 and became Johnny Carson’s permanent guest host ten years later.

When Carson retired in 1992, NBC chose Leno to replace him over David Letterman.

Leno’s selection led to the longtime rivalry between The Tonight Show and CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman, which competed in the same time slot.

Leno gave The Tonight Show a casual, trendy image, with edgier musical acts and new comedy segments.

These segments included “Jaywalking,” in which people on the street were asked basic questions that they often answered incorrectly, and “Headlines,” which showcased funny newspaper headlines from around the country.

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