Everyone knows that I Love Lucy made television history when it first premiered in October 1951. But did you know that Lucille Ball’s famous mannerisms and comic genius were perfected through radio? Lucy had spent three seasons on CBS radio as Liz Cooper in the comedy My Favorite Husband, when she decided to give television a whirl.

CBS was enthusiastic about the idea, but they had their reservations. The notion of a red-haired wife and a Cuban bandleader husband didn't settle well with them, despite the fact that Lucy and Desi were married in real life. Lucy, however, was uncompromising – and with a little effort she soon convinced CBS to let Desi join the cast.

While the premise of I Love Lucy wasn’t all that different from other comedies of the day, it was so wacky and quirky that it was an immediate hit from the very beginning. In fact, it was Lucy’s goofball antics that made audiences relate to her all the more and, in turn, idolize her.

It wasn’t long before Lucy became a national icon, and the events in her life became America’s events. The success of I Love Lucy and the quality in which it was produced set a standard for all the rest of television to come – and to this day it remains in a league of its own. With reruns that have never stopped running, the show is as popular as ever all over the world.