<P> The Tonight Show began broadcasting in 1954 . It has had seven official hosts , beginning with Steve Allen ( 1954 -- 57 ) , followed by Jack Paar ( 1957 -- 62 ) , Johnny Carson ( 1962 -- 92 ) , Jay Leno ( 1992 -- 2009 , 2010 -- 14 ) , Conan O'Brien ( 2009 -- 10 ) , and Jimmy Fallon ( 2014 -- present ) . It has had several recurring guest hosts , a practice especially common during the Paar and Carson eras . </P>
<P> The Tonight Show began broadcasting in 1954 . It has had seven official hosts , beginning with Steve Allen ( 1954 -- 57 ) , followed by Jack Paar ( 1957 -- 62 ) , Johnny Carson ( 1962 -- 92 ) , Jay Leno ( 1992 -- 2009 , 2010 -- 14 ) , Conan O'Brien ( 2009 -- 10 ) , and Jimmy Fallon ( 2014 -- present ) . It has had several recurring guest hosts , a practice especially common during the Paar and Carson eras . </P>
who had the tonight show before jimmy fallon
who had the tonight show before jimmy fallon
Conan O'Brien Jay Leno Johnny Carson Jack Paar Steve Allen
Conan O'Brien Jay Leno Johnny Carson Jack Paar Steve Allen