Ricky (Desi Arnaz) and Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) in ‘I Love Lucy’ (Bestwalle)

“I Love Lucy” premiered on Oct. 15, 1951 and ran for almost six years. The iconic series followed Lucy (Lucille Ball) as she got into lovable scrapes and exasperated her husband Ricky (Desi Arnaz). Arnaz frequently played the straight man to heighten Ball’s screwball antics.

The show broke a barrier in a notable way: It was the first to feature an interracial couple, since Ball was white and Arnaz was Cuban. CBS initially was hesitant to cast them together, since they didn’t think America would believe that a white woman would marry a Hispanic man. But Ball put her foot down, and she and Arnaz created one of the most beloved couples in sitcom history.