Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Anderson Cooper

Discover the career path of Anderson Cooper, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Anderson Cooper is a prominent American broadcast journalist and political commentator, best known as the anchor of CNN's 'Anderson Cooper 360°' and a correspondent for CBS News' '60 Minutes.' He graduated from Yale University and started his career traveling and filming war zones for Channel One News. Before joining CNN, he worked for ABC News in various roles, including correspondent, co-anchor, and even briefly as a reality game show host. His career spans serious journalism and more mainstream media appearances.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1989: Graduated from Yale University

In 1989, Anderson Cooper graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and began traveling the world to film war-torn regions for Channel One News.

1992: Filmed Stories from Somalia, Bosnia, and Rwanda

In 1992, Anderson Cooper filmed stories from Somalia, Bosnia, and Rwanda for Channel One.

1995: Correspondent for ABC News

In 1995, Anderson Cooper became a correspondent for ABC News.

1995: Hired by ABC News

In 1995, Anderson Cooper was hired by ABC News as a correspondent.

September 21, 1999: Co-Anchor on World News Now

On September 21, 1999, Anderson Cooper became a co-anchor on ABC's World News Now.

2000: Hosted The Mole

In 2000, Anderson Cooper switched career paths to host ABC's reality show The Mole.

2001: Joined CNN

In 2001, Anderson Cooper joined CNN and began hosting his own show, Anderson Cooper 360°.

2001: Joined CNN and Hosted American Morning

In 2001, Anderson Cooper joined CNN, initially anchoring alongside Paula Zahn on American Morning.

2002: CNN Weekend Prime-Time Anchor

In 2002, Anderson Cooper became CNN's weekend prime-time anchor and began hosting CNN's New Year's Eve special from Times Square.

September 8, 2003: Anchor of Anderson Cooper 360°

On September 8, 2003, Anderson Cooper became the anchor of Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN.

2004: CNN's Coverage of the 2004 Tsunami

In 2004, Anderson Cooper helped lead CNN's Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award-winning coverage of the 2004 tsunami.

August 2005: Covered Niger Famine

In August 2005, Anderson Cooper covered the Niger famine from Maradi.

September 2005: Added as Co-Anchor to Aaron Brown on NewsNight

In September 2005, Anderson Cooper was temporarily added as co-anchor to Aaron Brown on CNN's NewsNight to help cover the unusually violent hurricane season. The show was extended to 120 minutes.

November 2, 2005: Programming Shakeup at CNN

On November 2, 2005, CNN announced a major programming shakeup where Anderson Cooper's 360° program would be expanded to two hours and moved to the 10:00 pm ET slot formerly held by NewsNight.

2005: Confronted Government Officials During Hurricane Katrina Coverage

In 2005, during CNN's coverage of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, Anderson Cooper confronted Sen. Mary Landrieu, Sen. Trent Lott, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson about the government's response.

May 2006: Published Dispatches from the Edge

In May 2006, Anderson Cooper published his memoir Dispatches from the Edge, detailing his life and work in various regions. Proceeds were donated to charity.

Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival

Check it on Amazon

October 2007: Hosted Planet in Peril

In October 2007, Anderson Cooper began hosting the documentary Planet in Peril with Sanjay Gupta and Jeff Corwin on CNN.

2007: Began Hosting CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute

In 2007, Anderson Cooper began hosting CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, a show about extraordinary deeds by ordinary people.

2007: Fill-in Co-Host on Live with Regis and Kelly

In 2007, Anderson Cooper filled in as co-host for Regis Philbin on Live with Regis and Kelly.

2007: Signed Multi-Year Deal with CNN

In early 2007, Anderson Cooper signed a multi-year deal with CNN that allowed him to continue as a contributor to 60 Minutes and doubled his salary.

2007: Correspondent for 60 Minutes

Since 2007, Anderson Cooper has been a correspondent for the CBS News program 60 Minutes, while also working as a CNN anchor.

December 2008: Planet in Peril: Battle Lines

In December 2008, Cooper, Gupta, and Lisa Ling teamed up for a sequel, Planet in Peril: Battle Lines, which premiered on CNN.

September 2010: Signed Agreement to Host Syndicated Talk Show

In September 2010, Anderson Cooper signed an agreement with Warner Bros. and Telepictures to host a nationally syndicated talk show.

September 12, 2011: Premiered Anderson Live

On September 12, 2011, Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show, Anderson (later titled Anderson Live), premiered.

September 2011: Hosted Anderson Live

In September 2011, Anderson Cooper began hosting his own syndicated television daytime talk show, Anderson Live.

July 2, 2012: Cooper Publicly Acknowledges Being Gay

On July 2, 2012, Anderson Cooper gave Andrew Sullivan permission to publish an email confirming he is gay, becoming "the most prominent openly gay journalist on American television" at the time.

October 29, 2012: Anderson Live to End

On October 29, 2012, it was announced that Anderson Live would end at the conclusion of its second season.

May 2013: Anderson Live ended

In May 2013, Anderson Live concluded its run after two seasons.

May 30, 2013: Final Airing of Anderson Live

On May 30, 2013, the final episode of Anderson Live aired.

2016: Moderated Presidential Debate

In 2016, Anderson Cooper became the first LGBT person to moderate a presidential debate and received several GLAAD Media Awards.

2017: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve Coverage with Andy Cohen

In 2017, Anderson Cooper began co-hosting CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen, succeeding Kathy Griffin.

2018: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve

In 2018, Anderson Cooper co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.

2019: Guest Co-Host on Live

As of 2019, Anderson Cooper still periodically serves as a guest co-host on Live when one of the two hosts is unavailable.

2019: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve

In 2019, Anderson Cooper co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.

2020: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve

In 2020, Anderson Cooper co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.

2021: Guest Host on Jeopardy!

From April 19 to 30, 2021, Anderson Cooper served as a guest host on Jeopardy! following the death of Alex Trebek.

2021: Published Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty

In 2021, Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe published "Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty", a history of the Vanderbilt family.

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty

Check it on Amazon

2021: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve

In 2021, Anderson Cooper co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.

2022: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve

In 2022, Anderson Cooper co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.

2022: Launched podcast exploring grief and loss

In 2022, Anderson Cooper launched a podcast where he interviews other notable people on their experiences with grief. The podcast was inspired by the losses in his own life, including his father, brother, and mother.