On May 22nd, 1992, Johnny Carson hosted his final episode of "The Tonight Show" after 30 years and 4,531 episodes. The episode drew an estimated 50 to 55 million television viewers, and unlike the star-studded penultimate episode which featured an emotional performance by Bette Midler and an appearance by Robin Williams, the finale was a quiet, guest-free retrospective. In his final monologue, which he wrote himself, he famously remarked that "the Soviet Union's end did not get this kind of publicity", before ending with a tearful, sincere farewell: "I bid you a very heartfelt good night". This episode marked the end of an era in American television, as Carson had been a nightly tradition in living rooms since 1962.
