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°. He also contributes to CBS News' 60 Minutes as a correspondent. After graduating from Yale, Cooper began his career filming war zones for Channel One News. He later joined ABC News in 1995, taking on diverse roles including co-anchor, reality show host, and morning talk show fill-in, before eventually finding his niche in cable news at CNN.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

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 tsunami.

2008: Dyslexia Revelation on Oprah

In 2008, Anderson Cooper revealed to Oprah Winfrey that he had dyslexia as a child.

July 2, 2012: Public Acknowledgement of Being Gay

On July 2, 2012, Anderson Cooper gave Andrew Sullivan permission to publish an email in which he publicly acknowledged being gay, becoming the most prominent openly gay journalist on American television.

2014: Purchase of Rye House

In 2014, Anderson Cooper and his partner Benjamin Maisani purchased Rye House, a historic estate in Connecticut.

2014: Advice to Tim Cook

In 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook sought Anderson Cooper's advice before publicly coming out as gay.

2016: Not Registered to any Political Party

As of 2016, Anderson Cooper was not registered to any political party.

March 2018: Split from Benjamin Maisani

In March 2018, Anderson Cooper confirmed his split from his long-term partner, Benjamin Maisani.

June 8, 2018: Tribute to Anthony Bourdain

After Anthony Bourdain's death by suicide on June 8, 2018, Anderson Cooper paid tribute to the celebrity chef and CNN host in a special CNN program, "Remembering Anthony Bourdain".

April 30, 2020: Announcement of Son Wyatt's Birth

On April 30, 2020, Anderson Cooper announced the birth of his son Wyatt Morgan Cooper, who was born via surrogate on April 27, during a CNN Town Hall on Anderson Cooper 360° and later on Instagram.

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2020: Tribute to Bourdain on Full Circle

On the Thanksgiving 2020 episode of Anderson Cooper Full Circle, Anderson Cooper paid tribute to Anthony Bourdain, calling him a friend and expressing how much he is missed.

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2021: "Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty" Publication

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

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2021: Guest Host on Jeopardy!

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

February 10, 2022: Announcement of Second Son's Birth

On February 10, 2022, Anderson Cooper announced the birth of his second son, Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper, at the beginning of his show on CNN. Benjamin Maisani is adopting Wyatt, who will then be known as Wyatt Maisani-Cooper.

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2022: Launch of grief and loss podcast

In 2022, Anderson Cooper launched a deeply personal podcast exploring grief and loss, interviewing notable people, inspired by his own life experiences of loss.