FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: This image was generated with Midjourney 5.2 based on historical images.
It Happened on
November 23, 1963
On November 23, 1963, the BBC aired the very first episode of Doctor Who — just one day after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It should have been a jubilant launch of a strange and exciting science-fiction serial, but instead it was broadcast into a nation — and a world — stunned by tragedy.
A story about time, loss, course-correction, and the desire to make things right arrived at the exact moment the world wished time travel were real.
The assassination dominated every newspaper, every radio station, and every television broadcast. Many viewers in the U.K. didn’t even realize Doctor Who had premiered; those who did watch often remembered the eerie emotional dissonance of seeing a new adventure begin while history had just suffered a catastrophic rupture. Even the BBC recognized the circumstances: the first episode, An Unearthly Child, was re-broadcast the following week to give the new series a fair chance — a rare move at the time.
Despite the gloomy world mood, the public response to the re-airing was remarkable. Families who watched described it as both a distraction and a comfort — something imaginative, strange and hopeful at a moment when hope felt abruptly endangered. Teachers reported children imitating the show in playgrounds; newspapers described it as “curiously compelling” and “far from ordinary children’s fare.”
What history remembers is that Doctor Who wasn’t launched in the glow of optimism — it was launched in the shadow of global grief, and that may be why it resonated so deeply.
This is the conception day event of 7 people, who also made a difference in history
273 days after the event were born.
Born on September 02, 1964 Phillip WoodPassenger of MH370 and IBM employee |
Born on August 22, 1964 Andrew WittyBritish business executive, who is the chief executive officer (CEO) of UnitedHealth Group. He was the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline between 2008 and 2017 |
284 days after the event were born.
Born on September 04, 1964 Anthony WeinerAmerican politician and sex offender from the state of New York |
Born on September 02, 1964 Keanu ReevesCanadian actor and musician |
278 days after the event were born.
Born on August 27, 1964 Stephan ElliottAustralian film director and screenwriter |
Born on August 27, 1964 Paul BernardoCanadian serial killer and serial rapist |
273 days after the event was born.
Born on August 22, 1964 Trey GowdyAmerican television news presenter, former politician and former federal prosecutor who served as the U |
People featured in this post:
Norman Kay
British composer
David Whitaker
English story editor of the Doctor Who series
Waris Hussein
British-Indian television and film director
Verity Lambert
English television and film producer
Carole Ann Ford
British actress best known for her roles as Susan Foreman in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and as Bettina in the 1962 film adaptation of The Day of the Triffids
William Russell
C. E. Webber
British television writer and playwright
Anthony Coburn
Australian television writer and producer, who spent much of his professional career living and working in the United Kingdom
Sydney Newman
Canadian film and television producer, who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s
Donald Wilson
Scottish television writer and producer who worked for the BBC.
Jacqueline Hill
British actress known for her role as Barbara Wright in the BBC science-fiction television series Doctor Who
Howard Lang
English actor known for playing Captain William Baines in the BBC nautical drama The Onedin Line
Alethea Charlton
British actress
Jeremy Young
, known professionally as Jeremy Young, English actor of Scottish descent
Eileen Way
British actress who appeared in film and television roles in a career dating back to the 1930s
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