Make Room For Daddy Christmas episode 1953 (29:14)
(Christmas IS a historic event, celebrated every year, isn't it?)
Danny Thomas (born
Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and
philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running
situation comedies in the history of American network television, the
Danny Thomas Show. In addition to guest roles on many of the comedy, talk, and musical variety programs of his time, his legacy includes a lifelong dedication to fundraising for charity. Most notably, he was the founder of
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in
Memphis, Tennessee, a leading center in
pediatric medicine with a focus on
pediatric cancer. St. Jude now has affiliate hospitals in eight other American cities as of early 2020.
[...]
Daughters Terre and
Marlo Thomas on a 1969 episode of
That Girl
A devout
Roman Catholic,
[8] Thomas was named a Knight Commander of the
Order of the Holy Sepulchre by
Pope Paul VI in recognition of his services to the church and the community. He was a member of the
Good Shepherd Parish and the
Catholic Motion Picture Guild in
Beverly Hills, California.
[26] In 1983, President
Ronald Reagan presented Thomas with a
Congressional Gold Medal honoring him for his work with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Thomas was one of the original owners of the
Miami Dolphins, along with
Joe Robbie, but he sold his share soon after the purchase. He was an avid golfer, claimed a ten
golf handicap, and competed with
Sam Snead in a charity event.
[27] Two
PGA Tour tournaments bore his name: the
Danny Thomas-Diplomat Classic in south Florida in 1969 and, along with co-founder Vernon Bell, the
Danny Thomas Memphis Classic from 1970 to 1984. He was also the first non-Jewish member of the
Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles.
[28]
In 1990, Danny Thomas was inducted into the
Television Hall of Fame.
[29]