History of Michael Savage in Timeline
Michael Savage, born Michael Alan Weiner, is an American author, political commentator, activist, and former radio host. He is renowned for hosting "The Savage Nation," a nationally syndicated talk show that was highly popular. Savage holds advanced degrees in fields like medical botany, medical anthropology, and nutritional ethnomedicine. As Michael Weiner, he authored books on health-related topics. Under the name Michael Savage, he has written politically charged books, some of which became New York Times bestsellers. He is known for his conservative views and controversial statements.
March 31, 1942: Michael Savage's Birth
On March 31, 1942, Michael Alan Weiner, known professionally as Michael Savage, was born. He would later become an author, political commentator, activist, and radio host.
1958: Graduation from Jamaica High School
In 1958, Michael Savage graduated from Jamaica High School, marking the beginning of his higher education journey.
1963: Earned Bachelor's Degree in Biology
In 1963, Michael Savage earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Queens College.
1964: First Marriage to Carol Ely
In 1964, Michael Savage married Carol Ely; the marriage later ended in divorce.
March 2, 1967: Birth of daughter Rebecca Lin Weiner Yops
On March 2, 1967, Savage's daughter, Rebecca Lin Weiner Yops, was born to Savage and his second wife, Janet.
1967: Michael Savage's Remarriage
In 1967, Michael Savage remarried after meeting his current wife, Janet.
1969: Death of Michael Savage's Brother
In 1969, Michael Savage's younger brother, Jerome, who had developmental disabilities and was unable to hear or speak, passed away.
February 15, 1970: Birth of son Russell Weiner
On February 15, 1970, Savage's son, Russell Weiner, was born to Savage and his second wife, Janet. Russell is the founder of Rockstar energy drink.
1970: Earned Master of Science in Botany
In 1970, Michael Savage earned a Master of Science in botany from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
1970: Death of Michael Savage's Father
In 1970, Michael Savage's father, who owned an antiques shop, died of a heart attack at the age of 57.
1972: Earned Master of Arts in Anthropology
In 1972, Michael Savage earned a Master of Arts in anthropology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
1974: Move to Fairfax, California
In 1974, Savage and his family moved to Fairfax, California, after Savage completed his master's degree at the University of Hawaii.
1978: Received PhD in Nutritional Ethnomedicine
In 1978, Michael Savage obtained a PhD in nutritional ethnomedicine from the University of California, Berkeley. His thesis was titled "Nutritional Ethnomedicine in Fiji."
1980: Conservative Political Views Emerged
By 1980, Robert Cathcart noted that Michael Savage held conservative political views in their private conversations.
1991: Self-publication of "The Death of the White Male"
In 1991, Savage self-published "The Death of the White Male", arguing against affirmative action and demonstrating his emerging philosophy.
March 21, 1994: Start of Radio Career
On March 21, 1994, Michael Savage began his radio career at KGO in San Francisco, initially as a fill-in host, with the slogan "To the right of Rush and to the left of God."
1994: Manuscript Rejection
In 1994, Michael Savage's final health and nutrition manuscript, "Immigrants and Epidemics", was rejected by publishers for being inflammatory.
1994: Capital Cities/ABC Inc. purchased KSFO
Later in 1994, KGO parent company Capital Cities/ABC Inc. purchased the station KSFO and changed it to a conservative talk format.
January 2, 1995: Debut of The Savage Nation on KSFO
On January 2, 1995, Michael Savage debuted as host of the afternoon drive time show The Savage Nation on KSFO, marking the beginning of the station's new conservative talk format.
1996: Failed Dean Application and Lawsuit
In 1996, Michael Savage applied to become the Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley but was rejected; he later sued the university for discrimination but eventually dropped the lawsuit.
1999: National Syndication of The Savage Nation Begins
In 1999, Talk Radio Network began syndicating part of The Savage Nation nationally, expanding Michael Savage's reach.
September 21, 2000: The Savage Nation Becomes Entirely National
Starting September 21, 2000, The Savage Nation became an entirely national show distributed by TRN.
2000: Savage Became Most Popular Afternoon Host
By 2000, Michael Savage had become the most popular afternoon drive host among all adults in San Francisco Arbitron ratings.
January 2003: Publication of "The Savage Nation"
In January 2003, Savage published "The Savage Nation: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Borders, Language and Culture" under the pseudonym Michael Savage, attacking liberal media bias, gay activists, and liberals.
March 8, 2003: MSNBC Show Premiere
On March 8, 2003, Michael Savage began hosting a political talk show on MSNBC, despite previous criticisms of the network.
July 7, 2003: Fired from MSNBC
On July 7, 2003, Michael Savage was fired from his MSNBC show after controversial remarks made in response to a caller.
2003: Death of Michael Savage's Mother
In 2003, Michael Savage's mother passed away.
2003: Savage Votes Reluctantly for George W. Bush
In 2003, Savage stated he had voted for George W. Bush "quite reluctantly" in 2000.
January 2004: Publication of "The Enemy Within"
In January 2004, Savage published his second political book "The Enemy Within: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Schools, Faith, and Military."
2004: Savage Hosts Party Celebrating Bush's Re-election
In 2004, Savage and the Revere Society hosted a party at Schroeder's Cafe in San Francisco celebrating the re-election of George W. Bush.
April 12, 2005: Release of "Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder"
On April 12, 2005, Savage released his book "Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder", which, unlike his previous work, cited sources for controversial claims.
July 2005: Savage Ranked as "Screwing Up America"
In July 2005, former CBS reporter Bernard Goldberg ranked Savage as number 61 in his book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America.
March 2006: Savage Criticizes Catholic Assistance to Illegal Immigrants
In March 2006, Savage criticized Roman Catholic assistance to illegal immigrants, leading to Bill Donohue of the Catholic League canceling an appearance on his show.
March 28, 2006: Encouraged Burning of Mexican Flags
On March 28, 2006, following pro-immigration rallies in California, Michael Savage encouraged his listeners to burn Mexican flags as an act of American nationalism to protest illegal immigration from Mexico.
April 2006: Release of "The Political Zoo"
In April 2006, Savage released "The Political Zoo", featuring satirical profiles and cartoons of public figures, mainly liberal, depicted as animals.
April 17, 2006: Savage Makes Controversial Remarks About Muslims
On April 17, 2006, Savage made controversial remarks about Muslims, suggesting killing 100 million of them.
2006: Reaches 8-10 Million Listeners
By mid-2006, Michael Savage had 8–10 million listeners per week, making his show the third most widely heard broadcast in the United States.
2006: Savage Donates to Jerry Brown's Campaign
In 2006, Savage donated $5,600 to the campaign of Democratic candidate Jerry Brown in the California Attorney General election.
2006: Describes Himself as Independent and Goldwater Conservative
In a 2006 interview, Michael Savage described himself as an "independent-minded individualist" and cited Barry Goldwater as an influence.
2006: Bush Administration Approves Sale to Dubai Ports World
In early 2006, the George W. Bush administration approved the sale of a port security contract to Dubai Ports World (DP World).
April 25, 2007: Savage Pledges Donations to U.S. Marines Defense Fund
On April 25, 2007, Savage pledged $1 for each copy of certain books purchased from his website to be donated to the U.S. Marines Defense Fund.
November 5, 2007: Citrix Systems Pulls Advertisements from Savage's Show
On November 5, 2007, Citrix Systems, Inc. pulled its advertisements from Savage's show following a campaign by CAIR.
November 2007: CAIR Calls for Boycott of Savage's Program
In early November 2007, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on listeners to contact companies advertising on Savage's program to express concerns about his comments concerning Muslims.
July 2008: Savage Claims Autism Diagnoses are a "Racket"
In July 2008, Savage claimed that the increasing rate of autism diagnoses was the result of "a racket" designed to get disability payments.
July 2008: Advertisers Drop Savage's Program After Autism Comments
In July 2008, following Savage's comments on autism, advertisers such as Aflac, RadioShack, Sears, The Home Depot, and DirectBuy discontinued their support for Savage's show.
July 16, 2008: Savage Speaks on Autism Diagnoses
On his July 16, 2008, show, Savage returned to the subject of autism diagnoses and made further remarks.
July 25, 2008: Savage's Lawsuit Against CAIR Dismissed
On July 25, 2008, a United States district court Judge Susan Illston dismissed Savage's copyright infringement lawsuit against CAIR, holding that posting audio clips of his show was protected under fair use.
August 14, 2008: Savage Drops Lawsuit Against CAIR
On August 14, 2008, Savage's lawyer announced that Savage would not file an amended complaint and would drop the case against CAIR.
May 5, 2009: Savage Banned from Entering the UK
On May 5, 2009, Savage was placed on a list of people banned from entering the United Kingdom due to "unacceptable behaviour."
August 3, 2009: The New Yorker Profile: "Party of One" Published
On August 3, 2009, The New Yorker published a profile of Michael Savage titled "Party of One", which covered his life and personality in great detail.
September 10, 2009: KNEW Drops Savage's Program
On September 10, 2009, KNEW in San Francisco announced it was dropping Michael Savage's program due to a shift in philosophical direction.
2009: Michael Savage Banned from the UK
In 2009, Michael Savage was permanently banned from entering the United Kingdom for "seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred."
2009: The Savage Nation's Popularity
In 2009, The Savage Nation was the second most listened-to radio talk show in the United States, with over 20 million listeners on 400 stations.
January 22, 2010: Playboy Interview Offer Revealed
On January 22, 2010, Michael Savage revealed that a writer for Playboy had contacted him to do a lengthy interview, and asked his audience for their opinion.
May 12, 2010: Granted Playboy Interview
On May 12, 2010, Michael Savage revealed that he had granted the interview to Playboy at his home.
June 2010: Playboy Publishes Interview
In June 2010, Playboy published the interview with Michael Savage, which he found to be lacking journalistic objectivity.
September 2010: KTRB Enters Receivership
In September 2010, Michael Savage's program was among the first casualties when San Francisco station KTRB went into receivership.
October 2010: Release of "Trickle Up Poverty"
In October 2010, Savage released "Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama's Attack on Our Borders, Economy, and Security", arguing against Obama's economic policies.
November 2010: Book deal for two thrillers
In November 2010, it was confirmed that Savage had signed a deal to write two thrillers for publisher St. Martin's Press.
September 13, 2011: Release of "Abuse of Power"
On September 13, 2011, Savage released his first political thriller, "Abuse of Power", based on his experiences and set in San Francisco, London and Tel Aviv.
September 27, 2012: Savage's Talk Show Leaves Airwaves
On September 27, 2012, Michael Savage's talk show left the airwaves after he won a legal battle with Talk Radio Network.
September 30, 2012: Video Webcasts via Ustream
On September 30, 2012, Michael Savage began an occasional series of video webcasts via Ustream.
October 17, 2012: New Syndication Deal Announced
On October 17, 2012, Michael Savage and Cumulus Media Networks announced a deal to bring his program back on the air.
October 23, 2012: Michael Savage Syndicated by Cumulus Media
On October 23, 2012, Michael Savage began being syndicated by Cumulus Media and Westwood One, marking a new phase in his radio career.
January 15, 2013: Savage Outlines Reasons for Opposing Flu Vaccine
On January 15, 2013, Savage outlined his reasons for opposing the flu vaccine, arguing that the CDC has to guess what the vaccine should be made of and might guess wrong.
April 2013: Savage Had 3.5+ Million Weekly Listeners
By April 2013, according to Talkers Magazine, Michael Savage had 3.5+ million weekly listeners.
September 26, 2013: Radio Show Time-Slot Change Announced
On September 26, 2013, Cumulus Media Networks announced that The Savage Nation would move to the 3p-6p ET time-slot starting in January 2014.
2013: Savage on Jonas Salk and Polio Vaccine
In 2013, Savage spoke about his admiration for Jonas Salk, who invented the polio vaccine and refused to patent it.
January 2014: Radio Show Time-Slot Changed
In January 2014, The Savage Nation would move to the 3p-6p ET time-slot.
October 14, 2014: Savage Criticizes Veteran Sufferers of PTSD
On October 14, 2014, Savage criticized veteran sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder, accusing them of "weakness".
2014: Release of "Stop the Coming Civil War"
In 2014, Savage released "Stop the Coming Civil War: My Savage Truth", discussing threats to the country from within and without.
January 2015: Long-Term Contract Renewal
In January 2015, Michael Savage and Westwood One reached agreement on a long-term contract renewal for The Savage Nation.
June 2015: Savage Supports Donald Trump's Candidacy
In June 2015, Savage strongly supported Donald Trump after Trump's announcement of his candidacy in the 2016 United States presidential election.
2015: Release of "Government Zero"
In 2015, Savage released "Government Zero: No Borders, No Language, No Culture", criticizing the state of the country and the Obama presidency.
April 2016: Savage a Major Influence on Trump's Campaign
An April 2016 Salon article described Savage as having been a major influence on Donald Trump's campaign.
November 17, 2016: Savage Inducted into National Radio Hall of Fame
On November 17, 2016, Savage was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, which he described as "the capstone of my career."
2016: Publication of "Scorched Earth"
In 2016, Savage's book "Scorched Earth: Restoring The Country After Obama" was published. This work was a blueprint for how then candidate Donald Trump could help get the country back on the right track should he win the election.
March 2017: Release of "Trump's War"
In March 2017, Savage released "Trump's War: His Battle For America", which became a New York Times Best Seller.
November 2017: Release of "God, Faith, and Reason"
In November 2017, Savage released a non-political book on his search for spiritual truth, titled "God, Faith, and Reason".
December 2017: Savage Criticizes Trump Trophy Hunting Ban Reversal
In December 2017, Michael Savage, described as a long-time animal activist, implored President Trump to reconsider his revoking of an Obama-era trophy hunting ban.
March 2018: Savage Expresses Betrayal over Wildlife Policy
In March 2018, Michael Savage expressed that he "felt betrayed" by the Trump administration's secret decision regarding Fish & Wildlife Service policy, after previously discussing the issue with Trump.
October 2018: Publication of "Stop Mass Hysteria"
In October 2018, Savage published "Stop Mass Hysteria: America's Insanity from the Salem Witch Trials to the Trump Witch Hunt", discussing historical "flashpoints" in American thought and relating them to Trump hatred.
January 2019: Podcast Format Introduced
In January 2019, Michael Savage in collaboration with Westwood One introduced a podcast format featuring a mixture of live-broadcast and studio material.
March 24, 2019: 25th Anniversary of The Savage Nation
On March 24, 2019, Michael Savage celebrated the 25th anniversary of The Savage Nation radio show.
May 17, 2019: "No New Immigrants" Tweet
On May 17, 2019, Michael Savage tweeted, "Read my lips: no new immigrants,"
June 2019: Publication of "A Savage Life"
In June 2019, Savage published a new book of stories and anecdotes entitled "A Savage Life".
August 2019: Calls for Reversal of Cyanide Bomb Reauthorization
In August 2019, Michael Savage called on the White House and the US Environmental Protection Agency to reverse approval of the Trump administration's reauthorization of the use of cyanide bombs against wild animals.
December 2019: Heart attack and recovery
In December 2019, Savage suffered a heart attack, but subsequently recovered and returned on air.
2019: Launched Podcast
In 2019 Michael Savage launched a podcast. The Savage Nation Podcast posted episodes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
2019: Savage's Attorney Requests Ban Overturned
In 2019, after Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, Savage's attorney requested that his ban from the UK be overturned.
January 31, 2020: Savage Calls for a Stop to Flights from China
On January 31, 2020, Savage called for a stop to flights from China due to the coronavirus outbreak.
February 24, 2020: Savage Criticizes Conservative Commentators on COVID-19
On February 24, 2020, Savage criticized Limbaugh and Hannity for misleading the public about COVID-19, demanding accountability.
April 16, 2020: Savage Credited for Taking COVID-19 Seriously
On April 16, 2020, a New York Times article credited Savage for being one of the first in the media to take the COVID-19 epidemic seriously.
May 4, 2020: Savage States Refusal to Take Coronavirus Vaccine
On May 4, 2020, Savage stated he would refuse to take a coronavirus vaccine, believing it would be "ineffective and dangerous."
November 2020: Podcast statement on faith
In his podcast aired in November 2020, Savage stated that he trusts in God and believes God influences his life and career.
2020: No Action Taken to Overturn UK Ban
As of 2020, the Conservative government had taken no action to overturn Savage's ban from entering the UK.
2020: Savage Endorses Trump for President
Despite disagreements with some of Trump's actions and policies, in 2020 Savage endorsed Trump for president in the United States presidential election.
2020: Savage Nominated to The Presidio Trust Board
In 2020, Savage was nominated by Donald Trump to serve on the Board of Directors of The Presidio Trust.
January 1, 2021: The Savage Nation Discontinued
On January 1, 2021, Cumulus Media and Westwood One discontinued The Savage Nation, ending Michael Savage's long-running syndicated radio show.
May 20, 2021: Savage Ordered to Resign from The Presidio Trust Board
On May 20, 2021, Savage was formally ordered by the Biden administration to resign from his position on the Board of Directors of The Presidio Trust.
2021: Death of pet dog Teddy
In late 2021, Savage's beloved toy poodle Teddy died.
2024: Affiliation with Chabad
In a 2024 interview, Savage stated that he is "very affiliated with the Chabad people" and has been for 40 years.
January 20, 2025: New Program on Newsmax Announced
On January 20, 2025, during President Trump's Inauguration, Michael Savage announced that he will be hosting a new program on Newsmax called The Michael Savage Show.
