History of Geraldo Rivera in Timeline
Geraldo Rivera is an American journalist, attorney, author, and political commentator. He is known for hosting the tabloid talk show *Geraldo* and the news magazine program *Geraldo at Large*. He gained notoriety with the live TV special *The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults*. He worked at Fox News Channel from 2001 to 2023 and served as a co-host on *The Five* from 2022 to 2023. Currently, he is a correspondent-at-large with NewsNation as of February 2024.
July 4, 1943: Geraldo Rivera Born
On July 4, 1943, Geraldo Michael Rivera was born Gerald Michael Rivera.
1965: Graduated from University of Arizona
In 1965, Geraldo Rivera received a B.S. in business administration from the University of Arizona after transferring from the State University of New York Maritime College.
1969: Graduated from Brooklyn Law School
In 1969, Geraldo Rivera graduated near the top of his class from Brooklyn Law School and was admitted to the New York State Bar.
1969: Interviewed by Al Primo
In 1969, Geraldo Rivera's work with the Young Lords led to an interview with WABC-TV news director Al Primo, attracting attention and changing Rivera's career path.
1970: Hired by WABC-TV
In 1970, Geraldo Rivera was hired by WABC-TV as a reporter for Eyewitness News and studied broadcast journalism under Fred Friendly.
August 30, 1972: Benefit concert "One to One"
On August 30, 1972, John Lennon and Geraldo Rivera organized a benefit concert called "One to One" at Madison Square Garden after Lennon watched Rivera's report on Willowbrook patients.
1972: Won Peabody Award for Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace
In 1972, Geraldo Rivera won a Peabody Award for his report "Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace," which exposed the neglect and abuse of patients at Willowbrook State School.
July 1973: Taped pilot episode of Good Night America
In July 1973, Geraldo Rivera taped the pilot episode of Good Night America, a late-night newsmagazine that he hosted and executive produced.
April 1974: Airing of Good Night America
From April 1974, Good Night America began its semi-regular airing as part of the ABC's Wide World of Entertainment program block.
March 6, 1975: First National Telecast of Zapruder Film
On March 6, 1975, the episode of Good Night America featured the first national telecast of the historic Zapruder film, which featured Dick Gregory and Robert J. Groden.
June 1977: End of Good Night America Airing
In June 1977, Good Night America ended its semi-regular airing as part of ABC's Wide World of Entertainment program block.
1978: Appearance on ABC national programs
In 1978, Geraldo Rivera started appearing on ABC national programs such as 20/20 after the launch of the program.
1979: Appearance on Nightline
In 1979, Geraldo Rivera started appearing on ABC's Nightline after the launch of the program.
May 19, 1983: First American network television mention of AIDS
On May 19, 1983, Geraldo Rivera broadcast the first American network television mention of "AIDS" by that name, interviewing Ken Ramsauer on 20/20.
October 1985: Fired from ABC
In October 1985, Geraldo Rivera was fired from ABC after publicly criticizing Roone Arledge's journalistic integrity regarding a report on Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedys.
1985: Rivera has an affair with Marian Javits until 1985
Geraldo Rivera had an affair with Marian Javits, wife of New York Senator Jacob Javits, until 1985.
1985: Participated in Marion-Bermuda Race
In 1985, Geraldo Rivera participated in the Marion–Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race as owner and skipper of the sailing vessel Voyager.
April 21, 1986: Hosted The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults
On April 21, 1986, Geraldo Rivera hosted The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults, a TV special that ultimately found no valuables, but was high profile.
1986: Release of Live in New York City
In 1986, Yoko Ono posthumously released Live in New York City, which documented the One to One benefit concert organized by John Lennon and Geraldo Rivera.
1987: Death of Cruz Rivera
In 1987, Cruz "Allen" Rivera, Geraldo Rivera's father, passed away. Cruz Rivera worked as a restaurant worker and taxicab driver.
1987: Began Hosting Geraldo
In 1987, Geraldo Rivera began producing and hosting the daytime talk show Geraldo, which was characterized as "trash TV".
1988: Nose broken during brawl on Geraldo
In 1988, Geraldo Rivera's nose was broken in a well-publicized brawl on his show Geraldo, involving white supremacists, antiracist skinheads, black activist Roy Innis, and militant Jewish activists.
1991: Bette Midler accuses Rivera of groping
In 1991, actress and singer Bette Midler accused Geraldo Rivera of groping her in an interview with Barbara Walters.
1994: Hosted Rivera Live on CNBC
In 1994, Geraldo Rivera began hosting Rivera Live, a CNBC evening news and interview show which aired on weeknights.
1998: Played himself in Seinfeld finale
In 1998, Geraldo Rivera played himself in the Seinfeld finale.
January 2000: Replacement in Winning Lines
In January 2000, Dick Clark replaced Geraldo Rivera as host of the game show Winning Lines on CBS after Rivera could not agree on the contract.
2001: Controversy over war report in Afghanistan
In 2001, during the War in Afghanistan, Geraldo Rivera faced criticism for falsely claiming to be at the scene of a friendly fire incident.
2002: Rivera describes himself as a Zionist
In 2002, Geraldo Rivera described himself as a Zionist who would die for Israel, while also expressing sympathy for Palestinian suffering.
2005: Feud with The New York Times over Hurricane Katrina coverage
In 2005, Geraldo Rivera feuded with The New York Times over allegations that he pushed aside a rescue team member to be filmed "assisting" a woman in a wheelchair after Hurricane Katrina.
2005: Participated in Marion-Bermuda Race
In 2005, Geraldo Rivera participated in the Marion–Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race as owner and skipper of the sailing vessel Voyager.
2007: Dispute with Michelle Malkin
In 2007, Geraldo Rivera was involved in a dispute with Fox colleague Michelle Malkin, leading to Malkin's departure from The O'Reilly Factor.
2008: Release of HisPanic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S.
In 2008, Geraldo Rivera's book, HisPanic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S., was released.
2008: Rivera supports Barack Obama
In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Geraldo Rivera supported Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
2009: Acted in My Name Is Earl and voiced Phineas and Ferb
In 2009, Geraldo Rivera played himself in My Name Is Earl and voiced Morty Williams in Phineas and Ferb.
2011: Participated in Marion-Bermuda Race
In 2011, Geraldo Rivera participated in the Marion–Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race as owner and skipper of the sailing vessel Voyager.
January 3, 2012: Began hosting radio talk show on WABC
On January 3, 2012, Geraldo Rivera began hosting a weekday radio talk show on WABC (770 AM) in New York, N.Y.
January 30, 2012: Began hosting radio show on KABC
On January 30, 2012, Geraldo Rivera also began hosting a weekday show on KABC (790 AM) in Los Angeles.
March 23, 2012: Controversial Comments on Trayvon Martin's Hoodie
On March 23, 2012, Geraldo Rivera made controversial comments about Trayvon Martin's hoodie, suggesting it was connected to his shooting death and later apologized for the offense caused.
2012: Rivera supports Mitt Romney
In the 2012 U.S. presidential election, Geraldo Rivera supported Republican Mitt Romney.
2013: Rivera considers running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey
In 2013, Geraldo Rivera considered running as a Republican in the U.S. Senate special election in New Jersey but ultimately decided not to.
2013: Participated in Marion-Bermuda Race
In 2013, Geraldo Rivera participated in the Marion–Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race as owner and skipper of the sailing vessel Voyager, finishing in 12th place.
May 15, 2015: Discussed ABC firing reason
On May 15, 2015, during a Fox News interview with Megyn Kelly, Rivera stated the official reason given for his firing from ABC was violating policy by donating $200 to a non-partisan mayoral race candidate.
November 2015: Contract not renewed with WABC
In November 2015, Geraldo Rivera's contract with WABC was not renewed due to a leadership change, leading to a lawsuit over a "handshake agreement".
2015: Competed on The Celebrity Apprentice
In 2015, Geraldo Rivera competed on The Celebrity Apprentice, placing second and raising $726,000.
2015: Rivera criticizes Kendrick Lamar's BET Awards performance
In 2015, Geraldo Rivera criticized Kendrick Lamar's performance of "Alright" at the BET Awards, which later led to Lamar mentioning Rivera in his 2017 song "YAH."
March 28, 2016: Eliminated from Dancing with the Stars
On March 28, 2016, Geraldo Rivera and his partner Edyta Śliwińska were the first couple eliminated from season 22 of Dancing with the Stars.
2016: Rivera did not vote for Donald Trump
Despite his friendship with Donald Trump, Geraldo Rivera confirmed that he did not vote for the Republican candidate in the 2016 election due to "spousal influence" and Trump's comments about Mexicans.
November 2017: Rivera issues apology after Bette Midler allegations resurface
In November 2017, following the resurfacing of Bette Midler's allegations from 1991 that Rivera drugged and groped her, Rivera issued a statement claiming a different recollection of events and apologized for the incident.
November 29, 2017: Rivera defends Matt Lauer
On November 29, 2017, Geraldo Rivera defended Matt Lauer after he was fired by NBC for alleged inappropriate sexual behavior, stating that "News is a flirty business." He later apologized after receiving criticism.
2017: Midler renews accusation against Rivera
In 2017, Bette Midler renewed her accusation against Geraldo Rivera on Twitter, prompting Rivera to respond and apologize for "publicly embarrassing her all those years ago."
2017: Rivera criticizes Israeli attacks on Gaza
In 2017, Geraldo Rivera criticized Israel for its military attacks on Gaza which resulted in civilian casualties, including babies.
2017: Kendrick Lamar mentions Rivera in "YAH."
In 2017, Kendrick Lamar's song "YAH." on his album DAMN. mentions Geraldo Rivera, who had criticized Lamar's performance of "Alright" at the 2015 BET Awards. The album track "DNA." also includes Rivera's negative comments.
March 13, 2020: Rivera makes false claim about coronavirus
On March 13, 2020, during a segment on Fox & Friends, Geraldo Rivera stated that holding one's breath for 10 seconds could determine if someone has the coronavirus. This false claim has been debunked by medical experts.
July 22, 2020: Rivera defends Trump's comments on Ghislaine Maxwell
On July 22, 2020, Geraldo Rivera called President Trump "brave" for wishing Ghislaine Maxwell "well" and called Maxwell being denied bail an example of "woke politics" following her arrest on charges related to Jeffrey Epstein.
September 6, 2020: Fox News airs 'I Am Geraldo' special
On September 6, 2020, Fox News aired a one-hour special segment titled "I Am Geraldo" on Geraldo Rivera's 50-year television career, with accolades from President Trump.
April 8, 2021: Rivera makes controversial comment to Leo Terrell
On April 8, 2021, during a discussion on St. Louis mayor-elect Tishaura Jones, Geraldo Rivera asked Leo Terrell, "when was the last time you were in the ghetto?" leading to an argument. Rivera later apologized.
December 14, 2021: Rivera calls to account Fox News anchors
On December 14, 2021, Geraldo Rivera called to account texts sent by Fox News anchors, including Sean Hannity, to then-President Donald J. Trump asking for a forceful response to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building.
2021: Rivera criticizes Israeli bombings in Gaza
During the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, Geraldo Rivera said it was "abhorrent" that Palestinian children died in bombings from Israel and criticized the United States for providing arms to Israel.
January 2022: Rivera joins The Five as co-host
In January 2022, Geraldo Rivera joined The Five as a rotating liberal co-host.
March 2022: Rivera criticizes Putin and Tucker Carlson
In March 2022, Geraldo Rivera condemned Vladimir Putin and criticized Tucker Carlson over the Ukraine invasion.
June 21, 2023: Rivera announces departure from The Five
On June 21, 2023, Geraldo Rivera announced he would be departing The Five on June 30 but remaining with the network.
February 2024: Rivera joins NewsNation as correspondent-at-large
In February 2024, NewsNation announced that Geraldo Rivera would join the network as a correspondent-at-large.
2024: Rivera announces he will vote for Kamala Harris
In 2024, Geraldo Rivera announced that he would be voting for Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election due to his objections to the January 6 Capitol riots and opposition to Trump's economic policies.
2025: Rivera describes Trump-Zelenskyy meeting
Geraldo Rivera described a contentious 2025 meeting between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying Trump was "an ill-mannered bully insulting a war hero".
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