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°' and a correspondent for CBS News' '60 Minutes.' After graduating from Yale, he began his career filming conflicts for Channel One News. He then joined ABC News in 1995, taking on diverse roles within the network before solidifying his position as a leading news anchor and personality.
1950: Half-Brother Leopold Born
In 1950, Anderson Cooper's older half-brother, Leopold Stanislaus "Stan" Stokowski, was born. He is from Gloria Vanderbilt's marriage to Leopold Stokowski.
1952: Half-Brother Christopher Born
In 1952, Anderson Cooper's older half-brother, Christopher Stokowski, was born. He is from Gloria Vanderbilt's marriage to Leopold Stokowski.
June 3, 1967: Anderson Cooper Born
On June 3, 1967, Anderson Hays Cooper was born. He would later become a broadcast journalist and political commentator, anchoring Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN and serving as a correspondent for 60 Minutes.
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 Father
On January 5, 1978, Anderson Cooper's father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, died at the age of 50 due to complications from open-heart surgery. Cooper considers his father's book Families to be a guide on how to live his life.
July 22, 1988: Brother's Suicide
On July 22, 1988, Anderson Cooper's older brother, Carter Vanderbilt Cooper, died by suicide at the age of 23, by jumping from the 14th-floor terrace of Vanderbilt's New York City penthouse apartment. Gloria Vanderbilt later wrote about her son's death in the book A Mother's Story. Carter's suicide sparked Anderson's interest in journalism.
1989: Graduated from Yale University
In 1989, Anderson Cooper graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Following graduation, he began traveling and shooting footage in 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, expanding his experience in international reporting.
1994: Became Desensitized to Violence
By 1994, Anderson Cooper realized he had become desensitized to the violence he was witnessing as a journalist, particularly during the Rwandan genocide.
1995: Became a Correspondent for ABC News
In 1995, Anderson Cooper became a correspondent for ABC News, marking a significant step in his broadcast journalism career.
1995: Hired by ABC News
In 1995, Anderson Cooper was hired by ABC News as a correspondent. During his time there, he also worked as a co-anchor, reality game show host, and fill-in morning talk show host.
September 21, 1999: Became Co-Anchor on 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: 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°. He has been the show's host since then.
2002: CNN Weekend Prime-Time Anchor and New Year's Eve Host
In 2002, Anderson Cooper became CNN's weekend prime-time anchor. Since 2002, he has hosted 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 tsunami
In 2004, Anderson Cooper helped lead CNN's Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award-winning coverage of the tsunami.
August 2005: Covered Niger Famine
In August 2005, Anderson Cooper covered the Niger famine from Maradi, providing on-the-ground reporting of the crisis.
September 2005: Temporary Co-Anchor of NewsNight
In September 2005, Anderson Cooper was temporarily added as co-anchor to Aaron Brown on CNN's NewsNight to cover the unusually violent hurricane season. This arrangement was later made permanent.
November 2, 2005: Programming Shakeup at CNN
On November 2, 2005, CNN announced a major programming shakeup, expanding Anderson Cooper's 360° program to two hours and shifting it into the 10:00 pm ET slot formerly held by NewsNight. Aaron Brown left CNN following the changes.
2005: Hurricane Katrina Coverage
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 the government's response. His impassioned coverage led to a rise in popularity.
May 2006: Published Dispatches from the Edge
In May 2006, Anderson Cooper published a memoir for HarperCollins titled Dispatches from the Edge, detailing his life and work in Sri Lanka, Africa, Iraq, and Louisiana. Proceeds were 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 while Philbin recovered from heart surgery.
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 to a reported $4 million annually.
December 2008: Planet in Peril: Battle Lines Premiered
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, Anderson Cooper signed an agreement with Warner Bros. and Telepictures to host a nationally syndicated talk show, which would be named Anderson (later Anderson Live).
2010: Received National Order of Honour and Merit
In 2010, Anderson Cooper received a National Order of Honour and Merit, which is 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 nationally syndicated talk show, Anderson Live, premiered. As part of the talk show deal, Cooper signed a new multi-year contract with CNN.
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 acknowledges being gay
On July 2, 2012, Anderson Cooper gave Andrew Sullivan permission to publish an email stating that he is gay. According to The New York Times he was 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 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 Cooper's syndicated daytime talk show, Anderson Live, ended its run.
May 30, 2013: Final Anderson Live Aired
On May 30, 2013, the final episode of Anderson Live aired after two seasons.
2014: Purchase of Rye House
In 2014, Anderson Cooper and his long-term partner, Benjamin Maisani, purchased Rye House, a historic estate in Connecticut.
2014: Appeared on Finding Your Roots
In 2014, Anderson Cooper appeared in Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s Finding Your Roots, where he learned about an ancestor, Burwell Boykin, who was a slave owner from the southern United States.
2014: Advice to Tim Cook
In 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook sought Anderson Cooper's advice before publicly coming out as gay.
March 2015: AC2 Tour Opened
In March 2015, Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper began their national tour with their conversational stage show, AC2, opening in Boston. The idea for the show came after Cooper interviewed Cohen about his book, The Andy Cohen Diaries.
2016: Cooper not registered to any political party
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. He has also received several GLAAD Media Awards.
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. The book, compiled from a series of emails, recounted their shared past and Vanderbilt's tumultuous childhood.
2017: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2017, Anderson Cooper's close friend, Andy Cohen, joined Cooper in succeeding Kathy Griffin as co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
March 2018: Split from partner
In March 2018, Anderson Cooper confirmed that he and Benjamin Maisani had split up.
June 8, 2018: 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 Fifty Cities
As of October 2018, the two-man show AC2, featuring Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, has continued to tour, reaching more than fifty cities.
2018: Co-hosted 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 still periodically serves as a guest co-host on Live when one of the two hosts cannot go in to work.
2019: Co-hosted 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: Birth of son Wyatt Morgan Cooper
On April 30, 2020, Anderson Cooper announced on Anderson Cooper 360° the birth of his son Wyatt Morgan Cooper, who was born via surrogate on April 27 and weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces (3.2 kilograms).
2020: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2020, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
2020: Tribute to Anthony Bourdain
In 2020, Anderson Cooper paid tribute to Anthony Bourdain on the Thanksgiving episode of Anderson Cooper Full Circle, saying that he was "proud to call Anthony Bourdain a friend", and adding: "He is so, so missed by so 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-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2021, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
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.
February 10, 2022: Announcement of second son's birth
On February 10, 2022, Anderson Cooper announced on CNN that he had become a father for a second time to a son named Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper. His partner, Benjamin Maisani, is in the process of adopting Cooper's son Wyatt.
2022: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2022, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
2022: Launch of personal podcast exploring grief and loss
In 2022, Anderson Cooper launched a deeply personal podcast exploring grief and loss, interviewing notable people like TV host Stephen Colbert, musician Laurie Anderson, and comedian Molly Shannon about their experiences. The podcast was inspired by Cooper's own experiences with grief, including the loss of his father, brother, and mother.
April 16, 2023: CNN Launched The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper
On April 16, 2023, CNN launched a new Sunday primetime series called The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper.
2023: Co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve
In 2023, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage.
2023: Webby Award for All There Is
In 2023, Anderson Cooper won a Webby Award for Best Series for All There Is. His acceptance speech was "All There Is, Is Love."
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