Short answers, pulled from the story.
Adult Swim launched on the 2nd of September 2001, at 10 p.m. ET. The first program was the Home Movies episode "Director's Cut", a shelved episode that had never aired on its original network, UPN. The first anime broadcast on the block, Cowboy Bebop, also aired on the night of its launch.
Adult Swim was conceived by Mike Lazzo, Cartoon Network's original head programmer. The name is a reference to the common policy at public swimming pools where certain time intervals are reserved exclusively for adults. Lazzo considered other names including "Parental Warning" and "Parental Block" before settling on "Adult Swim".
Family Guy debuted on Adult Swim on the 20th of April 2003, and immediately boosted viewership of the block and Cartoon Network by 239 percent. Less than one year after reruns began, Fox announced on the 29th of March 2004, that it would renew Family Guy for a fourth season, reviving it from cancellation.
On the 31st of January 2007, battery-powered LED placards shaped like Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters were placed in ten cities as a marketing campaign for the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie. Boston police mistook them for explosive devices. Turner Broadcasting and marketer Interference, Inc. paid two million dollars in response, and Cartoon Network general manager Jim Samples resigned on February 9.
On the 1st of April 2012, Adult Swim replaced its lineup with Toonami, the defunct Cartoon Network anime block, as an April Fools stunt. Following positive audience reception, Adult Swim announced via Twitter on the 16th of May 2012, that Toonami would return permanently as a weekly Saturday night block starting the 26th of May 2012.
Checkered Past is a nostalgia-focused programming block that launched on the 28th of August 2023, airing classic Cartoon Network original series from the 1990s and 2000s. Its name references Cartoon Network's iconic checkerboard motif used since the channel's 1992 launch. The block airs as part of Adult Swim's expansion into earlier evening hours.