Joe Franklin Day

Joe Franklin Day is an annual American holiday dedicated to Joe Franklin. He won the love of thousands of Americans through his television shows. The holiday is celebrated on March 9.

History

The television star’s real name is Joseph Fortgang. He was born in the Bronx on March 9, 1926. The date of Joe Franklin Day was chosen to commemorate his birthday. From an early age, he was interested in various radio programs, and at the age of 16, he began working on the radio, collecting recordings for the speeches of M. Blok.

After serving in the Army during WWII, he began working in television, creating his own show, “The Joe Franklin Show.” He invited various famous people to his show and interviewed them. Such a TV show was new at the time and became very popular. Among the invited guests were famous writers, artists, singers, and many others. Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali—the list goes on and on.

Viewers decided to commemorate Joe Franklin and his great television show with Joe Franklin Day. This holiday allows you to learn more about this great man and is also a great excuse to revisit episodes of his best talk show.

Interesting Facts

• Joseph Fortgang is considered the father of the television talk show. It is thanks to his work that this genre became popular.
• More than 21,000 episodes of his show were produced over the years. It’s incredible to think of how many famous people Joe invited for interviews.
• In addition to his television work, Fortgang opened the Comedy Club in New York City and trained young comedians.

How to Celebrate

Check out different episodes of The Joe Franklin Show featuring the stars you’re most interested in. Find out more information about Fortgang.

Spread the word on social media. Ask other users if they have watched Fortgang’s talk show. If so, which stars do they remember the most from the interviews?

When is Joe Franklin Day in 2025?

Joe Franklin Day is observed on March 9 each year.

Observations