History of David Frost in Timeline
Sir David Paradine Frost was a prominent English television host, journalist, comedian, and writer. He gained fame in the 1960s hosting the satirical program *That Was the Week That Was*. Frost became renowned for his insightful television interviews with leading political figures. His most notable work included the 1977 interviews with former US President Richard Nixon, which were later adapted into a stage play and film. Over his career, Frost interviewed every British Prime Minister from 1964 to 2013, and all seven American Presidents in office from 1969 to 2008, solidifying his legacy as a significant figure in broadcast journalism.
1900: Birth of Rev. Wilfred John Paradine Frost
Rev. Wilfred John Paradine Frost, David Frost's father, was born in 1900.
1903: Birth of Maude Evelyn
Maude Evelyn, David Frost's mother, was born in 1903.
April 1939: Birth of David Frost
David Paradine Frost was born in Tenterden, Kent, on April 7, 1939, to Rev. Wilfred John Paradine Frost and Maude Evelyn.
1958: Studying at Cambridge
In 1958, David Frost started studying at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
1962: Hosting That Was the Week That Was
In 1962, David Frost rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme That Was the Week That Was.
November 1963: Tribute to John F. Kennedy on TW3
On November 23, 1963, a tribute to the assassinated President John F. Kennedy formed an entire edition of That Was the Week That Was.
1963: The Profumo Scandal
Around 1969, David Frost interviewed Rupert Murdoch whose recently acquired Sunday newspaper, the News of the World, had just serialised the memoirs of Christine Keeler, a central figure in the Profumo scandal of 1963.
1963: Visit to the U.S. and Peter Cook Saving Frost
During the summer of 1963, David Frost visited the U.S. and nearly drowned in a pool until he was saved by Peter Cook.
January 1964: US version of That Was the Week That Was
On January 10, 1964, the 30-minute US series of That Was the Week That Was, also featuring Frost, ran on NBC.
1964: Interviewed British Prime Ministers
From 1964 onwards, David Frost interviewed all eight British prime ministers serving between 1964 and 2016.
May 1965: End of the US series of TW3
In May 1965, the US series of That Was the Week That Was ended its run on NBC.
1966: The Frost Report Broadcast
In 1966, The Frost Report started broadcasting, launching the television careers of John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, and Ronnie Corbett.
1966: Setting up David Paradine Ltd
In the late 1960s, specifically in 1966, David Frost began an intermittent involvement in the film industry, setting up David Paradine Ltd.
1967: Death of Rev. Wilfred John Paradine Frost
David Frost's father, Rev. Wilfred John Paradine Frost, died in 1967.
1967: Bid for an ITV franchise
In 1967, David Frost was a member of a successful consortium that bid for an ITV franchise, which became London Weekend Television.
July 1968: London Weekend Television Begins Broadcasting
In July 1968, London Weekend Television, which David Frost was involved in, began broadcasting.
September 1968: Network Programme Committee Meeting
In September 1968, there was a fraught meeting of the Network Programme Committee, where Lew Grade expressed hatred of David Frost.
1968: Contract with American Television
In 1968, David Frost signed a contract worth £125,000 to appear on American television in his own show, the largest such arrangement for a British television personality at the time.
July 1969: Apollo 11 Coverage
On July 20 and 21, 1969, during the British television Apollo 11 coverage, David Frost presented David Frost's Moon Party for LWT.
1969: Interviewed U.S. Presidents
From 1969 onwards, David Frost interviewed all seven U.S. presidents in office between 1969 and 2009.
1969: The David Frost Show
From 1969 to 1972, David Frost fronted The David Frost Show on the Group W (U.S. Westinghouse Corporation) television stations in the U.S.
1970: Part-financing The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
In 1970, David Frost part-financed The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer, gaining an executive producer credit.
1970: Engagement to Diahann Carroll
In 1970, David Frost was engaged to American actress Diahann Carroll.
1970: Frost on America TV Special
In 1970, David Frost's TV special, Frost on America, featured guests such as Jack Benny and Tennessee Williams.
January 1972: Subject of This Is Your Life
In January 1972, David Frost was the subject of This Is Your Life when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at London's Quaglino's restaurant.
1972: The David Frost Show
From 1969 to 1972, David Frost fronted The David Frost Show on the Group W (U.S. Westinghouse Corporation) television stations in the U.S.
1972: Relationship with Caroline Cushing begins
In 1972, David Frost started a relationship with British socialite Caroline Cushing.
1972: Telephone Call with Henry Kissinger
In 1972, David Frost urged Henry Kissinger to call Bobby Fischer and encourage him to compete in that year's World Chess Championship and mentioned that he was working on a novel.
1973: End of engagement to Diahann Carroll
In 1973, David Frost's engagement to Diahann Carroll ended.
1974: Interview with Muhammad Ali
In 1974, David Frost interviewed heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali at his training camp in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania before "The Rumble in the Jungle" with George Foreman.
1974: Nixon Interviews Preparations
In 1974, David Frost prepared for five 90-minute interviews with former U.S. President Richard Nixon. Nixon was paid $600,000 plus a share of the profits for the interviews.
1974: Brief engagement to Karen Graham
In 1974, David Frost was briefly engaged to American model Karen Graham.
1976: Executive Producer of The Slipper and the Rose
In 1976, David Frost was the executive producer of the British musical film The Slipper and the Rose, retelling the story of Cinderella.
1977: Frost interviews Richard Nixon
In 1977, David Frost conducted a series of interviews with Richard Nixon, which later served as the basis for the play "Frost/Nixon" by Peter Morgan.
1977: Nixon Interviews
In 1977, David Frost conducted television interviews with former U.S. President Richard Nixon. These interviews later were adapted into a stage play and film.
1977: Relationship with Caroline Cushing ends
In 1977, David Frost's relationship with British socialite Caroline Cushing ended.
1977: Broadcast of Nixon Interviews
In 1977, the Nixon interviews, which were five 90-minute interviews with former U.S. President Richard Nixon, were broadcast.
1979: Music for UNICEF Concert
In 1979, David Frost was an organiser of the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly.
1981: Marriage to Lynne Frederick
In 1981, David Frost married Lynne Frederick, the widow of Peter Sellers.
February 1983: Launch of TV-am
In February 1983, David Frost was one of the "Famous Five" who launched TV-am.
March 1983: Marriage to Lady Carina Fitzalan-Howard
On 19 March 1983, David Frost married Lady Carina Fitzalan-Howard, daughter of the 17th Duke of Norfolk.
September 1983: Frost on Sunday Begins
In September 1983, Frost on Sunday began and continued until the station lost its franchise at the end of 1992.
1983: Launch of TV-am
In 1983, David Frost was one of the people behind the launch of ITV station TV-am.
1985: That Was the Year That Was
In 1985, David Frost produced and hosted a television special in the same format, That Was the Year That Was, on NBC.
1991: Death of Maude Evelyn
David Frost's mother, Maude Evelyn, died in 1991.
1991: CPV-TV Consortium
In 1991, David Frost had been part of an unsuccessful consortium, CPV-TV, with Richard Branson and other interests, which had attempted to acquire three ITV contractor franchises.
1992: End of Frost on Sunday
David Frost's Frost on Sunday, that began in September 1983, continued until the station lost its franchise at the end of 1992.
January 1993: Breakfast with Frost on BBC
From January 1993 until May 2005, David Frost's Sunday morning interview programme Breakfast with Frost ran on the BBC.
1993: Hosting Breakfast with Frost
From 1993 to 2005, David Frost hosted the Sunday morning interview programme Breakfast with Frost for the BBC.
1995: Cook Memorial Service
At the 1995 memorial service for Cook, Alan Bennett recalled that rescuing Frost was the one regret Cook frequently expressed.
May 2005: End of Breakfast with Frost on BBC
In May 2005, David Frost's Sunday morning interview programme Breakfast with Frost ended its run on the BBC.
2005: BAFTA Fellowship
In 2005, David Frost received the BAFTA Fellowship from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
November 2006: Launch of Frost Over The World
In November 2006, David Frost began presenting "Frost Over The World", a live, hour-long current affairs program on Al Jazeera English when the network launched. The program featured interviews with notable figures.
2006: Hosting Frost Over the World
From 2006 to 2012, David Frost hosted the weekly programme Frost Over the World on Al Jazeera English.
2006: Estimated Worth
In 2006, after 40 years in television, David Frost's estimated worth was £200 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
2006: Frost/Nixon stage production in London
In 2006, the play "Frost/Nixon", developed from David Frost's interviews with Richard Nixon, was presented as a stage production in London.
2007: Frost/Nixon on Broadway
In 2007, "Frost/Nixon" was presented as a stage production on Broadway, where Frank Langella won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Nixon.
2008: Interviewing American Presidents
From 1969 to 2008, David Frost interviewed all seven American presidents in office.
2008: Frost/Nixon film adaptation
In 2008, the film adaptation of "Frost/Nixon" was released, directed by Ron Howard and starring Michael Sheen as Frost and Frank Langella as Nixon. The film received several award nominations.
February 2009: Featured on Foreign Correspondent
In February 2009, David Frost was featured on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's "Foreign Correspondent" in a report titled "The World According To Frost", which reflected on his career and the film "Frost/Nixon".
2009: Interviewed U.S. Presidents
By 2009, David Frost had interviewed all seven U.S. presidents in office between 1969 and 2009.
2009: Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award
In 2009, David Frost received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Emmy Awards.
June 2010: Frost on Satire Documentary
In June 2010, David Frost presented "Frost on Satire", an hour-long BBC Four documentary that explored the history of television satire.
2011: Frost's Views on Estimated Worth
In 2011, David Frost considered the £200 million valuation of his worth by the Sunday Times Rich List in 2006 to be a significant overestimate.
2012: Hosting The Frost Interview
From 2012, David Frost hosted the weekly programme The Frost Interview.
August 2013: Death of David Frost
David Frost died on August 31, 2013, at the age of 74, on board the cruise ship MS Queen Elizabeth, where he had been engaged as a speaker.
September 2013: Funeral Service
In September 2013, a funeral service for David Frost was held at Holy Trinity Church in Nuffield, Oxfordshire, where he was interred.
March 2014: Memorial Stone Unveiled
In March 2014, David Frost's memorial stone was unveiled in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey.
March 2014: Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey
In March 2014, a memorial service was held at Westminster Abbey to honor David Frost, and he was given a memorial stone in Poets' Corner.
2015: Death of son Miles Frost
In 2015, David Frost's son Miles died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the same condition that caused Frost's death.
2016: Interviewed British Prime Ministers
By 2016, David Frost had interviewed all eight British prime ministers serving between 1964 and 2016.
2025: David Frost vs. Docuseries to Air
In 2025, a six-part docuseries titled "David Frost vs.", based on David Frost's interviews, is scheduled to air on MSNBC.
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