Albert A. Michelson
In an episode of the television series "Bonanza" ("Look to the Stars", broadcast March 18, 1962), Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) helps the 16-year-old Michelson (portrayed by 25-year-old Douglas Lambert (1936–1986)) obtain an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, despite the opposition of the bigoted town schoolteacher (played by William Schallert). "Bonanza" was set in and around Virginia City, Nevada, where Michelson lived with his parents prior to leaving for the Naval Academy. In a voice-over at the end of the episode, Greene mentions Michelson's 1907 Nobel Prize.
Bonanza
NBC moved "Bonanza" to Sundays at 9:00 pm Eastern with new sponsor Chevrolet (replacing "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show"). The new time slot caused "Bonanza" to soar in the ratings, and it eventually reached number one by 1964, an honor it would keep until 1967 when it was seriously challenged by the socially daring variety show, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" on CBS. By 1970, "Bonanza" was the first series to appear in the Top Five list for nine consecutive seasons (a record that would stand for many years) and thus established itself as the most consistent strong-performing hit television series of the 1960s. "Bonanza" remained high on the Nielsen ratings until 1971, when it finally fell out of the Top Ten.