“When Dave Garroway welcomed viewers to Today on that day in 1952, he ushered in a new era in broadcasting. . . . It was a place where viewers could turn to each morning to satisfy their appetite for all things news and information. It was a destination for the curious to learn more about what had happened overnight and how the day ahead might shape up. And they would see and hear it all from the best storytellers in broadcasting.”—from the foreword Throughout the history of television there has been nothing quite like NBC’s Today. Ever since the brilliant and innovative TV network executive Pat Weaver conceived the idea of broadcasting a “national newspaper of the air,” Today has chronicled the triumphs and tragedies of our times through personalities that viewers have trusted and admired. With dozens of never-before-published photographs, From Yesterday to TODAY offers an insightful and entertaining history of America’s favorite morning show from its experimental beginnings with Dave Garroway and a chimpanzee named J. Fred Muggs to its enduring success in the 21st century with co-anchors Matt Lauer and Ann Curry.

Through personal recollections from Today family members such as Barbara Walters, Tom Brokaw, Jane Pauley, Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric, Willard Scott, Matt Lauer, Al Roker, Meredith Vieira, and Ann Curry From Yesterday to TODAY will take you on the unique journey traveled by those who reported the news, reflected on cultural trends and provided comfort to a nation of viewers often before they have had that first cup of coffee. For more than sixty years, Today has delivered the public their first glimpse at the new ideas, political leaders, and social upheaval that shaped our lives. It has remained a constant in a dynamic medium that evolved from grainy black-and-white images to the computer screen. It has reminded us of the joy of living and why it is worth getting up each day.