TBT

The short-statured athlete was, in the words of one reporter, the hottest (and shortest) star since Yoda.

The stop-motion hit pitted celebrities in gory battles to the death.

In the 1980s, provocative talk show host Morton Downey Jr. traded barbs (and fists) with guests. Then he took it a step too far.

The device that could turn TVs and lights on with a couple of claps became a pop culture sensation, even though its makers worried people would associate it with venereal disease.

Band Aid's charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" enlisted everyone from Sting to Bananarama, but its efforts to help the Ethiopian famine didn't go exactly as planned.

'Silent Night, Deadly Night,' 1984's killer Santa slasher, led some psychologists to worry kids might develop panic disorders and even regress in their toilet training.

How an Ohio-made kitchen knife was reimagined as a piece of Japanese steel—one endorsed by Lorena Bobbitt, in a manner of speaking.

The thumbnail-sized cars were a hit thanks in large part to John Muschitta Jr., the world's fastest-talking pitchman.

For more than 30 years, 'SNL' cast members have regularly cited Steven Seagal as the worst host the show has ever had—an ignoble distinction for a program that's been on the air for half a century.

If you've ever bought a best-of CD or record, you can thank Philip Kives, the pitchman who brought us '24 Great Truck Drivin' Songs.'

In 1992, the mainstream media was eager to learn about the lexicon of the surging grunge scene. So a New York Times reporter phoned up an insider—who proceeded to make up a bunch of words.

In 1990, two movies based on the life of mobster Henry Hill hit theaters. 'Goodfellas' had Martin Scorsese. 'My Blue Heaven' had Steve Martin.