History of Lawrence O'Donnell in Timeline
Lawrence O'Donnell is an American television anchor, actor, author, screenwriter, and liberal political commentator. He is best known as the host of "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell," a weeknight opinion and news program on MSNBC. O'Donnell's work is characterized by his left-leaning political views and commentary on current events.
November 7, 1951: Lawrence O'Donnell Born
On November 7, 1951, Lawrence Francis O'Donnell Jr. was born. He is an American television anchor, actor, author, screenwriter, liberal political commentator, and host of The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell.
1970: Graduated from St. Sebastian's School
In 1970, Lawrence O'Donnell graduated from St. Sebastian's School, where he was captain of the baseball team and a wide receiver on the football team.
1976: Graduated from Harvard College
In 1976, Lawrence O'Donnell graduated from Harvard College with a major in economics, having also written for the Harvard Lampoon while there.
1977: Started working as writer
In 1977, Lawrence O'Donnell began his career as a writer.
1983: Published Deadly Force
In 1983, Lawrence O'Donnell published his book, "Deadly Force", which was about a wrongful death and police brutality case where his father served as the plaintiff's lawyer.
1986: A Case of Deadly Force Film Adaptation
In 1986, O'Donnell's book "Deadly Force" was adapted into the film "A Case of Deadly Force". O'Donnell served as associate producer for the film.
1988: Ended working as a writer
In 1988, Lawrence O'Donnell concluded his time working as a writer.
1989: Joined Senator Moynihan's Staff
In 1989, Lawrence O'Donnell became a legislative aide to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, serving as senior adviser.
1989: Began Political Career
In 1989, Lawrence O'Donnell began his political career as an aide to U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, eventually becoming staff director for the Senate Finance Committee.
1991: Served as Senior Advisor to Moynihan
In 1991, Lawrence O'Donnell served as a senior advisor to Moynihan.
1992: Staff Director for Environment and Public Works
From 1992 to 1993, Lawrence O'Donnell was the staff director for Environment and Public Works.
1993: Staff Director for Senate Finance
From 1993 to 1995, Lawrence O'Donnell served as staff director for the Senate Finance committee.
February 14, 1994: Married Kathryn Harrold
On February 14, 1994, Lawrence O'Donnell married Kathryn Harrold.
1995: Left Senator Moynihan's Staff
In 1995, Lawrence O'Donnell concluded his time as a legislative aide to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, having served as staff director of two senate committees.
1999: Associated with The West Wing
In 1999, Lawrence O'Donnell became associated with the television drama "The West Wing" as a writer and executive story editor.
2000: Co-producer for The West Wing
In 2000, Lawrence O'Donnell was a co-producer for five episodes of "The West Wing".
2001: Awarded Honorary Degree
In 2001, Lawrence O'Donnell was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) by Suffolk University.
2001: Won Emmy Award for The West Wing
In 2001, Lawrence O'Donnell won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for "The West Wing".
2002: Supervising Producer for First Monday
In 2002, Lawrence O'Donnell worked as a supervising producer and writer for the television drama "First Monday".
2003: Consulting Producer for The West Wing
From 2003 to 2005, Lawrence O'Donnell was a consulting producer for "The West Wing".
2003: Creator, Executive Producer, and Writer for Mister Sterling
In 2003, Lawrence O'Donnell created, executive produced, and wrote for the television drama "Mister Sterling".
2005: Executive Producer for The West Wing
From 2005 to 2006, Lawrence O'Donnell was an executive producer for "The West Wing".
2005: Called Himself a 'Practical European Socialist'
In a 2005 interview, Lawrence O'Donnell referred to himself as a 'practical European socialist'.
2006: Left The West Wing
In 2006, Lawrence O'Donnell concluded his involvement with the television drama "The West Wing", having served in various roles including writer and executive producer.
2007: Criticized Mitt Romney's speech
In 2007, Lawrence O'Donnell criticized Mitt Romney's speech on religion.
2009: Regular Contributor on Morning Joe
In 2009, Lawrence O'Donnell became a regular contributor on "Morning Joe" with Joe Scarborough.
September 27, 2010: Hosted The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
On September 27, 2010, Lawrence O'Donnell began hosting "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" on MSNBC.
October 2010: Interview with Ron Paul
In October 2010, Lawrence O'Donnell's interview with Congressman Ron Paul drew criticism after Paul accused O'Donnell of breaking an agreement not to ask about other political candidates.
October 2010: Controversy over remarks about Michael Steele
In late October 2010, Lawrence O'Donnell made remarks about RNC Chairman Michael Steele that were criticized as racially insensitive, leading to an apology from O'Donnell.
November 6, 2010: Declared Himself a Socialist
On November 6, 2010, during the Morning Joe show, Lawrence O'Donnell declared himself a socialist.
2010: Substitute Host of Countdown with Keith Olbermann
In 2010, Lawrence O'Donnell frequently appeared as a substitute host on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann".
January 21, 2011: Took Over 8 p.m. Slot
On January 21, 2011, Lawrence O'Donnell took over the 8 p.m. slot on MSNBC after Keith Olbermann's show was terminated.
August 1, 2011: Explained His Socialist Views
On August 1, 2011, during an episode of "The Last Word", Lawrence O'Donnell further explained his views, stating he had called himself a socialist since his first economics class in college.
October 2011: Interview with Herman Cain
During an October 2011 interview, Lawrence O'Donnell questioned Republican primary candidate Herman Cain about his participation in the civil rights movement and his draft status during the Vietnam War. This interview drew criticism for O'Donnell's approach.
October 24, 2011: Returned to 10 p.m. Eastern Slot
On October 24, 2011, "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" switched time slots with "The Ed Show", returning to the 10 p.m. Eastern slot.
April 3, 2012: Comments Regarding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
On April 3, 2012, Lawrence O'Donnell made comments on "The Last Word" regarding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), calling it an 'invented religion'.
April 11, 2012: Apologized for Comments
On April 11, 2012, Lawrence O'Donnell apologized on "The Last Word" for his April 3 comments regarding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2013: Divorced Kathryn Harrold
In 2013, Lawrence O'Donnell and Kathryn Harrold divorced.
April 2014: Injured in Traffic Accident
In April 2014, Lawrence O'Donnell and his brother Michael were injured in a traffic accident while vacationing in the British Virgin Islands.
August 29, 2017: Live Broadcast
On August 29, 2017, a live broadcast featuring Lawrence O'Donnell aired, during which he became angry between segments due to background noise, resulting in a leaked video clip on September 20, 2017.
September 20, 2017: Video Clip Leaked
On September 20, 2017, an eight-minute video clip was leaked showing Lawrence O'Donnell using angry and profane language between segments of a live broadcast that had aired on August 29, 2017. He apologized for the incident on Twitter.
August 27, 2019: Reported on Deutsche Bank Documents
On August 27, 2019, Lawrence O'Donnell reported on Deutsche Bank documents allegedly showing Russian oligarchs had cosigned loan applications for Trump, but later retracted the report due to lack of verification.
2023: K.I.N.D. Fund Raised $40 Million
As of 2023, the K.I.N.D. Fund had raised $40 million for desks and scholarships, supporting the education of Malawian schoolgirls.
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