History of Anderson Cooper in Timeline
Anderson Cooper is a prominent American broadcast journalist and political commentator, best known as the anchor of CNN's 'Anderson Cooper 360°.' He also contributes to CBS News' '60 Minutes.' Cooper began his career traveling and filming in war zones for Channel One News after graduating from Yale University. He later joined ABC News in 1995, taking on diverse roles within the network, including co-anchoring, hosting a reality game show, and filling in on a morning talk show before eventually finding his home at CNN.
1950: Birth of Leopold Stokowski
In 1950, Leopold Stanislaus "Stan" Stokowski, one of Anderson Cooper's half-brothers, was born.
1952: Birth of Christopher Stokowski
In 1952, Christopher Stokowski, one of Anderson Cooper's half-brothers, was born.
June 3, 1967: Anderson Cooper Born
On June 3, 1967, Anderson Hays Cooper was born. He is now a broadcast journalist and political commentator.
September 17, 1970: Appeared on The Tonight Show
On September 17, 1970, at the age of three, Anderson Cooper appeared on The Tonight Show with his mother.
January 5, 1978: Death of Wyatt Cooper
On January 5, 1978, Anderson Cooper's father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, died at the age of 50 due to complications from 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 age 23.
1989: Graduated from Yale University
In 1989, Anderson Cooper graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
1994: Became Desensitized to Violence
By 1994, after reporting from war-torn regions for a couple of years, Cooper realized he had become desensitized to the violence he was witnessing, with the Rwandan genocide seeming trivial.
1995: Became a 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: Became Co-Anchor on World News Now
On September 21, 1999, Anderson Cooper became the co-anchor on ABC's overnight World News Now program.
2000: Hosted The Mole
In 2000, Anderson Cooper switched career paths and took a job as the host of ABC's reality show The Mole.
2001: Joined CNN
In 2001, Anderson Cooper joined CNN and was given his own show, Anderson Cooper 360°.
2002: Became Weekend Prime-Time Anchor for CNN
In 2002, Anderson Cooper became CNN's weekend prime-time anchor and has hosted CNN's New Year's Eve special from Times Square since then.
September 8, 2003: Became Anchor of Anderson Cooper 360°
On September 8, 2003, Anderson Cooper became the anchor of Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN.
2004: CNN's Peabody Award-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina and Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award-winning coverage of the 2004 tsunami
In 2004, Anderson Cooper helped lead CNN's Peabody Award-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina, and the network'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 NewsNight
In September 2005, Anderson Cooper was temporarily added as co-anchor to Aaron Brown on CNN's NewsNight to help cover the violent hurricane season.
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 shifted into the 10:00 pm ET slot formerly held by NewsNight. Aaron Brown left CNN as a result.
2005: Coverage of Hurricane Katrina Aftermath
In 2005, during CNN coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Anderson Cooper confronted Sen. Mary Landrieu, Sen. Trent Lott, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson about their perception of the government response. His coverage led to his rise as a prominent journalist.
May 2006: Published Dispatches from the Edge
In May 2006, Anderson Cooper published his memoir, Dispatches from the Edge, detailing his life and work. Some of the book's proceeds are donated to charity.
June 18, 2006: Dispatches from the Edge Topped 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: 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: Fill-in Co-Host on Live with Regis and Kelly
In 2007, Anderson Cooper was a fill-in co-host for Regis Philbin on Live with Regis and Kelly when Philbin underwent triple-bypass heart surgery.
2007: Signed Multi-Year Deal with CNN
In early 2007, Anderson Cooper signed a multi-year deal with CNN, allowing him to continue as a contributor to 60 Minutes and doubling his salary.
December 2008: Premiered Planet in Peril: Battle Lines
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: Signed Agreement to Host Talk Show
In September 2010, Warner Bros. and Telepictures announced that Anderson Cooper had signed an agreement to host a nationally syndicated talk show, initially reported as Anderson.
2010: Received National Order of Honour and Merit
In 2010, Anderson Cooper received the National Order of Honour and Merit, the highest honor granted by the Haitian government, for his coverage of the Haiti earthquake.
September 12, 2011: Anderson Live Premiered
On September 12, 2011, Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show, Anderson Live, premiered.
September 2011: Hosted Anderson Live
From September 2011, Anderson Cooper served as the host of his own syndicated television daytime talk show, Anderson Live.
2011: Received Edward Murrow Award
In 2011, Anderson Cooper received an Edward Murrow Award from the Overseas Press Club.
2011: Narrated 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 publicly acknowledges being gay
On July 2, 2012, Anderson Cooper publicly acknowledged that he is gay, after years of avoiding the topic in interviews. He gave Andrew Sullivan permission to publish an email confirming his sexual orientation.
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 due to low ratings.
2012: Came Out as Gay
In 2012, Anderson Cooper came out as gay, becoming "the most prominent gay journalist on American television".
May 2013: Anderson Live Ended
In May 2013, Anderson Live ended its run after two seasons.
May 30, 2013: Final Anderson Live Aired
On May 30, 2013, the final episode of Anderson Live aired.
2014: Cooper advises Tim Cook
In 2014, Anderson Cooper advised Apple CEO Tim Cook before Cook made the decision to publicly come out as gay.
2014: Purchase of Rye House
In 2014, Anderson Cooper and his partner, Benjamin Maisani, purchased Rye House, a historic estate in Connecticut.
2014: Appeared on Finding Your Roots
In 2014, Anderson Cooper appeared on Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s Finding Your Roots and learned about his ancestor, Burwell Boykin, who was a slave owner.
March 2015: Began AC2 Tour
In March 2015, Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper began a national tour to perform their conversational stage show AC2, opening in Boston.
2016: Cooper's political registration status
As of 2016, Anderson Cooper was not registered to any political party.
2016: Moderated Presidential Debate
In 2016, Anderson Cooper became the first LGBT person to moderate a presidential debate.
2017: Co-authored 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, compiled from a series of emails recounting their shared past. It landed on multiple best-seller lists.
2017: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve Coverage with Andy Cohen
In 2017, Andy Cohen joined Anderson Cooper as co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
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 Reached 50 Cities
As of October 2018, the two-man show AC2, starring Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper, had toured to more than fifty cities.
2018: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve Coverage with Andy Cohen
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 periodically serves as a guest co-host on Live when one of the two hosts cannot go to work.
2019: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve Coverage with Andy Cohen
In 2019, Anderson Cooper co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.
April 30, 2020: Cooper announces birth of his son
On April 30, 2020, Anderson Cooper announced the birth of his son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, who was born via surrogate on April 27.
2020: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve Coverage with Andy Cohen
In 2020, Anderson Cooper co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.
2020: Cooper remembers Anthony Bourdain on Thanksgiving
On Thanksgiving 2020, Anderson Cooper paid tribute to Anthony Bourdain on an episode of Anderson Cooper Full Circle, expressing how much Bourdain is missed.
2021: Served as 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: Publication of "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.
2021: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve Coverage with Andy Cohen
In 2021, Anderson Cooper co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.
February 10, 2022: Cooper announces birth of second son
On February 10, 2022, Anderson Cooper announced the birth of his second son, Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper.
2022: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve Coverage with Andy Cohen
In 2022, Anderson Cooper co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.
2022: Launch of "All There Is" podcast
In 2022, Anderson Cooper launched his podcast "All There Is", exploring grief and loss through interviews with notable people. The podcast was inspired by his personal experiences with loss.
April 16, 2023: Launched 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-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve Coverage with Andy Cohen
In 2023, Anderson Cooper co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.
2023: Webby Award for "All There Is"
In 2023, Anderson Cooper won a Webby Award for Best Series for his podcast, "All There Is".
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