1997: Comedy Central Introduces 'South Park'
On this day in 1997, Comedy Central introduced four unforgettable third-graders: Stan, Cartman, Kyle and Kenny, from a snowy Colorado mountain town called South Park.
The fledgling cable channel had an immediate hit with South Park, despite the fact that many of the nation's cable systems were not carrying Comedy Central when the show debuted. (That changed rather quickly, thanks largely to viewers demanding to watch South Park.)
Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the animated show is known for its foul language, dark humor and social satire, and isn't intended for children. One aspect of the show that makes it unique is that episodes are written and animated in the week prior to air, which allows the South Park team to build episodes around or include references to current events.
Full episodes can be viewed online on the South Park Studios website.