A correction was made to this article on April 30, 2007.
September 1942
Experimental station W6XYZ begins operations at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles under the guidance of Klaus Landsberg.
Jan. 1, 1947
First telecast of the Tournament of Roses parade.
Jan. 22, 1947
Official launch of KTLA as the first commercial TV station west of the Mississippi.
Feb. 27, 1947
Live reports from a Pico Boulevard electroplating plant explosion become the world’s first on-the-spot news coverage.
Dec. 1, 1947
Stan Chambers joins KTLA.
Jan. 12, 1948
First West Coast station to televise a speech by a president (Harry Truman).
Aug. 7, 1948
“Hopalong Cassidy,” soon a national phenomenon, premieres on KTLA.
April 9, 1949
Televises the attempt to rescue 3-year-old Kathy Fiscus from an abandoned well. KTLA offers the world’s first extended news broadcast (27½ hours of live coverage).
July 1949
First telecast from sea, from the U.S.S. Valley Forge.
May 18, 1951
KTLA introduces the world to Lawrence Welk, live from the Aragon Ballroom in Santa Monica.
May 22, 1952
First live telecast of an atomic bomb test.
May 1958
KTLA’s Telecopter — the first flying remote unit by any broadcaster — takes flight.
1965
Hal Fishman joins the KTLA news team.
April 21, 1966
First independent station to win the Peabody Award (for 1965 Watts Riots coverage).
May 1971
Larry McCormick begins his 33-year KTLA career.
April 9, 1978
First on the air with video of Rodney King incident.
July 8, 1991
KTLA launches morning newsshow, successfully challenging network competition.
Jan. 1, 1997
First Webcast of the Rose Parade, at ktla.com.