Carson ends his late-night reign

May 22, 1992: After a three-decade reign on NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” Johnny Carson said goodbye in an emotional final broadcast. “As the show drew to a close, and with his wife, Alex, and two grown sons, Chris and Cory, in the audience, the 66-year-old Carson, his voice cracking, said simply to viewers: ‘I bid you a very heartfelt good night,’ ” The Times reported. As sidekick Ed McMahon and Carson shook hands, McMahon told Carson, “It’s been a joy.”