The Story Behind American Hero and TV Icon Johnny Carson

The Birth Of A Star

Johnny William Carson was born in Corning, Iowa, on October 23, 1925. People could tell he was meant to be an entertainer at a young age. He adored making jokes and performing skits in front of an audience.

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However, no one could have known just how big an entertainer he would grow up to be. No one could have also guessed the difficult challenges he faced that became his inspiration later in life.

Young Wizard

12-year-old Carson had a strong affinity for performing magic tricks. Enticed by the thought of doing magic in front of an audience, he bought a mail-order magician’s kit. With this, he taught himself how to perform the tricks.

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He began calling himself “The Great Carson” and blew the crowd away with his impressive tricks. It was obvious that this young boy was talented, but this wasn’t the reason behind his need to receive approval.

A Tough Relationship

At a young age, Carson was desperate for the attention and approval of others around him. People guessed that the reason why Carson was so set on being approved of by others was because of his tough relationship with his mom.

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It was rumoured that Carson’s mother was a serious and timid woman. On top of that, she was terribly hard to impress. For a young boy like Carter, his most difficult audience was his mom. It was hard to make her laugh.

Becoming A Military Man

After Carson finished high school in 1943, he signed up for the U.S. Navy. If you remember, 1943 was dab smack in the middle of WWII. Carson was immediately given the task of decoding encrypted messages for the U.S. Army.

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Carson was stationed on the USS Pennsylvania. During his time there, he was recognized not only for his good work in decoding messages but also for his ability to entertain some troops with his tricks and performances.

Fond Memories

Carson spoke a lot about his fond memories while serving in the U.S. Navy. He said his fondest memory came from the time when he performed magic tricks for James Forrestal, the former U.S. Navy Secretary.

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Carson said his fondest memories in the military came from the honour and privilege he experienced. When the war ended in 1945, he went back to the United States filled with memories and ambition.