A lot happened in 1977: South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko passed away in police custody on September 12, drawing international condemnation; two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on a runway in Tenerife, Canary Islands on March 27, resulting in the loss of 583 people; Jimmy Carter was sworn in as the 39th U.S. President on January 20, and granted unconditional pardons to Vietnam War draft evaders the very next day.
And a random woman hosted Saturday Night Live, becoming the show's most unlikely presenter and the only non-public figure to ever take on the task... Proof that not all moments make it into the history textbooks.
The 80-year-old grandmother from New Orleans had entered - and won - the show's the show's first only Anyone Can Host contest. Miskel Spillman found herself on stage, next to host, actor and screenwriter Buck Henry.
According to Australia's Nine.com, Spillman's contest entry was a "punchy pitch that abided by the 25-word count limit." It simply stated, "I'm 80 years old. I need one more cheap thrill since my doctor told me I only have another 25 years left."
"She told the Associated Press at the time that her message was inspired by her frequent declaration that she would live until 105," the site reports. She sadly passed away roughly 10 years shy of her goal.
#12
#19
#20
