History of Anderson Cooper in Timeline
Anderson Cooper is a prominent American broadcast journalist and political commentator, best known for anchoring CNN's Anderson Cooper 360°. Before joining CNN, he gained experience as a correspondent for 60 Minutes on CBS News and reported from war zones for Channel One News after graduating from Yale University. He also worked for ABC News in various roles, including as a correspondent and briefly as a co-anchor and reality game show host. His career highlights his dedication to journalism and news broadcasting.
1950: Birth of Leopold Stanislaus Stokowski
In 1950, Leopold Stanislaus "Stan" Stokowski, one of Anderson Cooper's older half-brothers, was born.
1952: Birth of Christopher Stokowski
In 1952, Christopher Stokowski, one of Anderson Cooper's older half-brothers, was born.
June 3, 1967: Anderson Cooper Born
On June 3, 1967, Anderson Hays Cooper was born. He later became an American broadcast journalist and political commentator.
September 17, 1970: Guest on The Tonight Show
On September 17, 1970, at the age of three, Anderson Cooper appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show with his mother.
January 5, 1978: Death of Wyatt Emory Cooper
On January 5, 1978, Anderson Cooper's father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, died at the age of 50 during open-heart surgery.
July 22, 1988: Death of Carter Vanderbilt Cooper
On July 22, 1988, Anderson Cooper's older brother, Carter Vanderbilt Cooper, died by suicide at the age of 23 by jumping from his mother's penthouse apartment.
1989: Graduation from Yale University
In 1989, Anderson Cooper graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and subsequently began traveling and shooting footage for Channel One News.
1994: Desensitization to Violence
In 1994, after reporting from various conflict zones for a few years, Anderson Cooper realized he had become desensitized to the violence he was witnessing.
1995: ABC News Correspondent
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, leading to various roles within the network.
September 21, 1999: Co-Anchor of World News Now
On September 21, 1999, Anderson Cooper rose to the position of co-anchor on ABC's overnight World News Now program.
2000: Host of The Mole
In 2000, Anderson Cooper changed career paths, taking a job as the host of ABC's reality show, The Mole.
2001: Joins CNN
In 2001, Anderson Cooper joined CNN after leaving The Mole. He anchored alongside Paula Zahn on American Morning.
2002: Weekend Prime-Time Anchor
In 2002, Anderson Cooper became CNN's weekend prime-time anchor and started 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 2004 Tsunami
In 2004, Anderson Cooper helped lead CNN's Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award-winning coverage of the 2004 tsunami.
August 2005: Coverage of Niger Famine
In August 2005, Anderson Cooper covered the Niger famine from Maradi.
September 2005: Joins NewsNight as Co-Anchor
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, later becoming a permanent arrangement.
November 2, 2005: Programming Shakeup at CNN
On November 2, 2005, a major programming shakeup at CNN resulted in Anderson Cooper's 360° program being expanded to two hours and shifted to the 10:00 pm ET slot, while Aaron Brown left the network.
2005: Hurricane Katrina Coverage
In 2005, during CNN's coverage of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, Anderson Cooper confronted various politicians about the government's response, leading to increased popularity and recognition.
May 2006: Publication of Dispatches from the Edge
In May 2006, Anderson Cooper published his memoir, Dispatches from the Edge, detailing his life and work in various locations. Some proceeds are donated to charity.
June 18, 2006: Dispatches from the Edge Tops Best Seller List
On June 18, 2006, Anderson Cooper's book, Dispatches from the Edge, topped The New York Times Best Seller list.
October 2007: Hosts Planet in Peril
In October 2007, Anderson Cooper began hosting the documentary Planet in Peril with Sanjay Gupta and Jeff Corwin on CNN.
2007: Fill-in Co-Host on Live with Regis and Kelly
In 2007, Anderson Cooper filled in as a co-host for Regis Philbin on Live with Regis and Kelly when Philbin underwent heart surgery.
2007: Multi-Year Deal with CNN
In early 2007, Anderson Cooper signed a multi-year deal with CNN, allowing him to continue contributing to 60 Minutes and doubling his salary to $4 million annually.
December 2008: Planet in Peril: Battle Lines Premieres
In December 2008, Anderson Cooper, Sanjay Gupta, and Lisa Ling teamed up for a sequel, Planet in Peril: Battle Lines, which premiered.
2008: Cooper Reveals Dyslexia
In 2008, Anderson Cooper told Oprah Winfrey that he had dyslexia as a child.
September 2010: Signs Agreement to Host Talk Show
In September 2010, Anderson Cooper signed an agreement with Warner Bros. and Telepictures to host a nationally syndicated talk show.
2010: Received National Order of Honour and Merit
In 2010, Anderson Cooper received the National Order of Honour and Merit from the Haitian government for his coverage of the Haiti earthquake.
September 12, 2011: Premiere of Anderson Live
On September 12, 2011, Anderson Live premiered, and Cooper signed a new multi-year contract with CNN to continue hosting Anderson Cooper 360°.
September 2011: Host of Anderson Live
In September 2011, Anderson Cooper began hosting his own syndicated television daytime talk show, Anderson Live.
2011: Edward Murrow Award
In 2011, Anderson Cooper received an Edward Murrow Award from the Overseas Press Club.
2011: Narrator for Broadway Revival
In 2011, Anderson Cooper was the narrator for the Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, directed by Rob Ashford and starring Daniel Radcliffe.
July 2, 2012: Cooper Discusses Private Life
On July 2, 2012, Anderson Cooper gave Andrew Sullivan permission to publish an email discussing his private life, marking a shift from his previous avoidance of the topic in interviews.
October 29, 2012: Anderson Live to End
On October 29, 2012, it was announced that Anderson Live would end after its second season due to low ratings.
2012: Comes out as Gay
In 2012, Anderson Cooper publicly came out as gay, becoming "the most prominent gay journalist on American television".
May 2013: End of Anderson Live
In May 2013, Anderson Live, Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show, aired its final episode after two seasons.
May 30, 2013: Final Episode of Anderson Live
On May 30, 2013, the final episode of Anderson Live aired after two seasons.
2014: Cooper Purchases Rye House
In 2014, Anderson Cooper and his partner Benjamin Maisani purchased Rye House, a historic estate in Connecticut.
2014: Appears in Finding Your Roots
In 2014, Anderson Cooper appeared in Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s Finding Your Roots, learning about his ancestor, Burwell Boykin, who was a slave owner.
2014: Cooper Advises Tim Cook
In 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook sought Anderson Cooper's advice before publicly coming out as gay.
March 2015: AC2 Tour Begins
In March 2015, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen began their national tour to perform their conversational stage show, AC2, starting in Boston.
2016: Cooper's Political Affiliation
As of 2016, Anderson Cooper was not registered with any political party.
2016: Moderates Presidential Debate
In 2016, Anderson Cooper became the first LGBT person to moderate a presidential debate and received several GLAAD Media Awards.
2017: The Rainbow Comes and Goes
In 2017, Anderson Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, co-authored The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss, a memoir compiled from a series of emails.
2017: Co-Host of CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2017, Andy Cohen joined Anderson Cooper as co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve coverage, succeeding Kathy Griffin.
March 2018: Cooper and Maisani Split Up
In March 2018, Anderson Cooper confirmed that he and Benjamin Maisani had split up.
June 8, 2018: Cooper Pays Tribute to Anthony Bourdain
After Anthony Bourdain died by suicide on June 8, 2018, Anderson Cooper paid tribute to him in a CNN special program, Remembering Anthony Bourdain.
October 2018: AC2 Tour Reaches 50+ Cities
By October 2018, the AC2 tour, featuring Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, had reached more than fifty cities.
2018: Co-Host of CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2018, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
2019: Guest Co-Host on Live
As of 2019, Anderson Cooper periodically serves as a guest co-host on Live when one of the two regular hosts cannot work.
2019: Co-Host of CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2019, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
April 30, 2020: Cooper Announces Birth of Son
On April 30, 2020, Anderson Cooper announced on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360° and on Instagram the birth of his son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, who was born via surrogate on April 27th and weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces.
2020: Co-Host of CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2020, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
2020: Cooper Remembers Anthony Bourdain
In 2020, Anderson Cooper paid tribute to Anthony Bourdain on the Thanksgiving episode of Anderson Cooper Full Circle, remembering him as a friend who is missed by many.
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: Co-Host of CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2021, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
2021: Cooper Publishes Book on Vanderbilt Family History
In 2021, Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe published "Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty", which is a history of the Vanderbilt family.
February 10, 2022: Cooper Announces Birth of Second Son
On February 10, 2022, Anderson Cooper announced on his CNN show that he became a father for the second time to a son named Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper. Benjamin Maisani is adopting Cooper's son Wyatt.
2022: Co-Host of CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2022, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
2022: Cooper Launches Podcast Exploring Grief and Loss
In 2022, Anderson Cooper launched a deeply personal podcast exploring grief and loss, where he interviews notable people, including Stephen Colbert, Laurie Anderson and Molly Shannon, about their experiences with grief. The podcast was inspired by the loss of his father, brother, and mother.
April 16, 2023: The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper
On April 16, 2023, CNN launched a new Sunday primetime series, The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper.
2023: Co-Host of CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2023, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
2023: Cooper Wins Webby Award for 'All There Is'
In 2023, Anderson Cooper won a Webby Award for Best Series for 'All There Is'. His acceptance speech consisted of the 5 words: "All There Is, Is Love."
2025: Co-Host of CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2025, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are scheduled to co-host CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
2026: Leaves CBS
In 2026, Anderson Cooper left his role as correspondent for the CBS News program 60 Minutes.
Mentioned in this timeline
CBS or CBS Broadcasting Inc is a major American commercial...
CNN Cable News Network is an American multinational news media...
ABC News is the news division of the American television...
New Year's Eve observed on December st marks the final...
An earthquake is a sudden shaking of the Earth's surface...
News encompasses current events communicated through various media including word...
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