• Retired broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite served as the anchorman of CBS Evening News from 1962 to 1981.

  He anchored reports through the Vietnam War, Watergate, the space race, and the Cold War during the heyday of network television.

  After suffering from cerebrovascular disease, he passed away from cancer on July 17, 2009 at the age of 92.http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/walter-cronkite-iconic-anchorman-dies/

• Fast Facts

  1. Full name: Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr.
  2. Born: November 4, 1916
  3. Birthplace: St. Joseph, Missouri
  4. Spouse: Betsy Maxwell Cronkite (deceased)
  5. Children: Nancy, Kathy and Walter
  6. Grandchildren: Four
  7. Debut role: Romantically linked to Joanna Simon, sister of Carly Simon
  8. University: University of Texas
  9. Catchphrase: "And that's the way it is"
  10. Died: July 17, 2009

• Career Timeline

  • 1991: Dinosaur!
  • 1980-1982: Universe
  • 1962-1981: CBS Evening News
  • 1967-1970: 21st Century
  • 1961-1979: CBS Reports
  • 1961-1962: Eyewitness to History
  • 1957-1967: Twentieth Century
  • 1953-1957: You Are There

• Career

  Cronkite began his career in newspaper, at the Houston Post, and radio, working as an announcer for WKY in Oklahoma and KCMO in Missouri. Working under the name Walter Wilcox, Cronkite covered World War II including exclusive coverage in Germany and Moscow. He joined CBS in 1950, working at an affiliate in Washington, DC. Cronkite covered the first nationally-televised Democratic and Republican conventions in 1952, as well as the presidential elections that same year.

  After working on less prominent CBS programs, Cronkite took over as lead anchor for CBS Evening News from Douglas Edwards on April 16, 1962. He remained as lead anchor for 19 years, covering the Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 missions, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Watergate scandal, the Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Cronkite announced his retirement from the program on February 14, 1980, and was replaced with Dan Rather.

• Awards

  • Peabody Awards, 1962 and 1981
  • Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award in Broadcast Journalism, 1978 and 1981
  • Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1981
  • Gold medal, International Radio and Television Society, 1974
  • George Polk Journalism Award, 1971
  • William A. White Award, 1969

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Walter Cronkite Memorial | Walter Cronkite Dead | Walter Cronkite Funeral | CBS Evening News | CBS | Dan Rather | Peter Jennings | Katie Couric | Sam Donaldson | Tom Brokaw | Brian Williams | Don Hewitt

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