December 09, 2025 - Mary Lou Retton’s Golden Year, Nike’s 3 Magic Words, and More Throwbacks

Evening, friends, Jack Reynolds here. December 9 always makes me think of a black and white TV night when a brand new show first lit up living rooms. Stick with me for that split window Corvette that had every kid pressing his nose to the glass, I sure did. And wait till you take a walk up Main Street with those old flags waving. Brings it all back, doesn't it?

On December 9, 1960, “Coronation Street” aired its very first episode, live and in black and white. I never thought a simple street could hold folks for decades. It started as a 13-episode tryout and is now the longest-running TV soap ever. Click to see how it began.

The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray split window coupe in Sebring Silver was the one we all stared at in the showroom. It ran about $4,252 new, and nice ones now bring around $150,000, with some topping $900,000. Up to 360 horsepower and a 5.9 second 0 to 60, it felt like a rocket. Click for the specs and auction highs.

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Main Street U.S.A. in 1963 smelled like popcorn and fresh paint, with families strolling past the old Town Square. Walt modeled it after his Marceline, Missouri boyhood, and it is still the park’s front porch today. Back then a full adult ticket book ran about $3.95. Click for more photos and the map of how this street keeps changing.

“Just Do It” hit the air in 1988 with that calm old runner crossing the Golden Gate, and I felt like the whole country got a little pep talk. Over the next decade Nike’s shoe share jumped from about 18% to 43%, and sales soared past $9 billion. Click to watch the original spot and hear why three simple words stuck.

Mary Lou Retton lit up the 1984 Olympics as the first American woman to win gymnastics all around gold, and she rode that smile onto the first Wheaties box for a female athlete. Folks say her post Games deals brought in around a million dollars, while her nest egg today sits near $1 to $2 million. Click for her full road from gold medals to grandma days.

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Tonight’s “Your Memory” comes from Betty in Michigan, thinking back to a snow day in 1977. She was eight and woke up to drifts higher than the porch rail. Her mom warmed cocoa on the stove, and the whole block ran sleds until dusk. My wife remembers mittens like that. Simple days sure last, dont they.

Tonight’s Quote comes from Mister Rogers, who told kids and grownups alike, “You are special, and so is your neighbor.” I watched his show when my little ones were small, and that line still feels like a good rule for living. You can Click in for the gentle man behind the sweater.

See you tomorrow. Same time, same station.

– Jack

Images are AI-generated or sourced from public-domain archives. Reader photos used with permission.