“Welcome to Tonight’s show… I’m Jimmy Fallon and I’ll be your host. For now.”
That was the beginning of Jimmy Fallon’s monologue during his first episode The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon February 17, 2014, exactly 10 years ago today.
The Saturday night live The alum, 49, was grateful at the time — “My life has never been this cool,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “Right now everything is so good that I feel more than happy.” — and now he’s grateful, celebrating the anniversary after Friday’s taping with a champagne toast with his studio staff.
In honor of the milestone, PEOPLE takes a look The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon by numbers.
Jimmy Fallon with Tariq ‘Black Thought’ Trotter of The Roots on ‘The Tonight Show’ January 9, 2024
Todd Owyoung/NBCUniversal
1926: Total shows, which included more than 4,000 guests and 1,500 musical performances.
5: Previously Tonight’s show hosts: Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno.
$1,400: How much Fallon apparently made during the premiere when he took his seat in the back Tonight’s show table for the first time and joked: “My friend who said I would never be a host Tonight’s show — and you know who you are — you owe me $100, my friend.” That led to a parade of stars handing him the money: Robert De Niro (Fallon’s first guest on Late night), Tina Fey, Joe Namath, Rudy Giuliani, Mariah Carey, Tracy Morgan, Joan Rivers, Kim Kardashian, Seth Rogen, Lindsay Lohan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mike Tyson, Lady Gaga and Stephen Colbert (who threw coins at the host instead of giving him cold hard cash).
Jimmy Fallon breaks out the champagne to celebrate Questlove’s Oscar win on ‘The Tonight Show’
16: How many times Michael Strahan has been a guest, so far he is the most booked guest on the show. Tyler Perry, Andy Cohen and Kevin Bacon follow at 15.
8: The Times Fallon’s friend, Justin Timberlake, was on the show, including his two musical performances.
10 each: Times Blake Shelton and Meghan Trainor were a musical act, the most of any artist.
13: Comedian Nate Bargatze visits, four times as a speaking guest and nine as a stand-up performer.
120: Holiday sweaters made over the years and given away.
Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon hilariously read dramatic versions of Christmas carols
394 million: YouTube views for the show’s most viewed video, “Jimmy Fallon, The Roots & Star Wars: The Force Awakens Roles Sing Star Wars Medley (a cappella).”
4 Minutes: Duration of a race through New York with Jimmy Fallon in a 3-D motion simulator at Universal Studios Florida.
11: Total Emmy nominations.
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Jimmy Fallon toasts the 10th anniversary of ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’.
Todd Owyoung/NBCUniversal
Matthew McConaughey and Jimmy Fallon perform the hilarious ‘Tight Pants’ dance on Tonight’s show – To watch
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11:35 PM ET/PT: Time to watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, weekdays on NBC.
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Source: HIS Education