On this day, December 7, in 1956, Helen O’ Connell became the first woman to appear on the NBC Today Show.  She was a talented American singer, actress and dancer, who was a part of the Jimmy Dorsey band.  The readers of Down Beat voted O’Connell to be the best female singer in 1940 and 1941.  In 1940, she also won the Metronome magazine poll for best female vocalist.

When she first got married in 1943, she gave up show business.  But with the end of her marriage, she returned to television and made several regular appearances.  At one point, O’Connell co-hosted the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, had her own show on NBC about how to conduct interviews with celebrities, and more.