April 18, 1963

On this day in 1963, comedian Conan O’Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. His family traces its ancestry back to County Kerry, though they descend from pre-Civil War era immigrants. O’Brien studied history and literature at Harvard University, where he eventually graduated magnum cum laude. During his time at Harvard, he was president of the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine. After writing for both Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, he was asked by executive producer Lorne Michaels to audition to be the new host for Late Night. Unlike other late-night talk shows of the time, Late Night With Conan O’Brien came to be known for it’s absurd, juvenile, and often edgy humor.