10 MILESTONES IN COMEDY

1. Mark Twain, America's first great stand-up, dies in 1910.

2. In the '20s, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton define the movie comedy for all time. Just ask Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey.

3. George Burns and Milton Berle, in 1948, light up at the Polo Lounge. Jack Benny pauses.

4. Lenny Bruce dies from a drug overdose on Aug. 3, 1966, at the age of 40.

5. "Saturday Night Live," not to be confused with "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell," debuts in October 1975.

6. The Ding Ho hosts Barry Crimmins, DJ Hazard, Steve Sweeney, Lenny Clarke, Jimmy Tingle, Steven Wright, Bobcat Goldthwait, Chance Langton, Don Gavin, Tony V, and dozens of others during the '70s.

7. On May 31, 1990, Jerry Seinfeld decides that nothing is everything.

8. In 1986, the first "Comic Relief" special with Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robin Williams debuts on HBO and Richard Pryor is live on Sunset Strip.

9. Jonathan Katz does 10 minutes at a fund-raiser for the Newton Fund for the Arts in 1988.

10. In 1999, George Carlin reinvents the stand-up special with his panther-like comic attack on HBO. Richard Jeni and Bobby Slayton Rule! Chris Rock does an unannounced late night show at the Comedy Connection.

-- Michael Blowen

This story ran on page N05 of the Boston Globe on 11/28/99.