Walter Kronkite dead at 92

[clj2]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30988078...nt-television/

A CBS executive says retired CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, "the most trusted man in America," has died at his home in New York. He was 92. CBS vice president Linda Mason says Cronkite died at 7:42 p.m. after a long illness with his family by his side.
He was the face of CBS News from 1962 to 1981, when stories ranged from the Kennedy assassination to Watergate and the Iranian hostage crisis.

[Zoneboy]

NEW YORK (CBS) CBS newsman Walter Cronkite passed away Friday, reports CBS News.

His family had issued a statement weeks ago after conflicting reports on Cronkite's status had started to emerge. The family revealed that Cronkite had been suffering for some years with cerebrovascular disease. The statement also said Cronkite had not expected to recuperate.

Cronkite, 92, joined CBS as a television correspondent in 1950. He anchored "CBS Evening News" for 19 years, from 1962 to 1981.

During his long career, Cronkite reported on several pivotal stories, including the Nuremberg trials, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War, the Apollo moon landings and the Watergate scandal.

Cronkite, nicknamed the most trusted man in America, would close his evening news broadcast by saying "And that's the way it is."

Cronkite is the recipient of a Peabody Award, the William White Award for Journalistic Merit, an Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the George Polk Journalism Award and a Gold Medal from the International Radio and Television Society. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981, the highest honor a U.S. civilian can receive.

Cronkite was born in St. Joseph, Mo., on Nov. 14, 1916. His wife, Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Maxwell, passed away on March 16, 2005. The couple had three children.

Key dates in the life and career of Walter Cronkite:

Nov. 4, 1916: Is born Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. in St. Joseph, Mo., to Walter Leland Cronkite and Helena Fritsch.

1932: Wins journalism competition in high school and writes for and delivers The Houston Post during summer break.

1933: Attends University of Texas at Austin while juggling jobs with Houston Press and Scripps-Howard News service.

1935: Drops out of college to pursue journalism full time.

1935-37: Works at KCMO radio Kansas City — news and sports; WKY Radio in Oklahoma City — football announcer; United Press in Austin, Kansas City and El Paso bureaus. He works briefly as public relations executive for Braniff Airways.

1937-45: Becomes a war correspondent for United Press when WWII breaks out, reporting from Europe and Africa.

1940: Marries Mary Elizabeth (Betsy) Maxwell. The couple later have three children.

1944: Edward R. Murrow offers him a job as a CBS correspondent, but Cronkite turns it down.

1946-49: UPI chief correspondent from Nuremberg Trials; UPI chief correspondent Moscow; Washington-based correspondent for Midwest radio stations.

July 7, 1952: Becomes one of the first nationally recognized television reporters and the model for the electronic term "anchorman" while covering Republican Convention in Chicago. The conventions also mark the first nationally televised convention coverage, and CBS News provides 139 hours of it.

Briefly hosts CBS' The Morning Show and is soon replaced by Jack Paar.

1950s-60s: Narrates and hosts many CBS television news shows such as "You Are There," "Eyewitness to History" and "The Twentieth Century." Anchors and reports for "CBS Reports."

1960: CBS is the first network to broadcast the Olympics — 13 hours of the Winter Games from Squaw Valley, Calif. Walter Cronkite is anchor.

April 16, 1962: Named anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News, taking over the position from Douglas Edwards. The program expands from 15 to 30 minutes on Sept. 2, 1963, making Cronkite the anchor of American network television's first nightly half-hour news program.

Nov. 22, 1963: Is the first to report President Kennedy's death and remains on the air for much of the network's four days of coverage.

Aug. 19, 1965: The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite becomes the first regularly scheduled evening half-hour network news program broadcast in color.

April 9-17, 1967: The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite becomes the first network news program to be seen via satellite. The broadcast originates from Paris, where the Vietnam peace talks are taking place.

1968: Anchors coverage of the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sen. Robert Kennedy; Tours Vietnam during Tet and returns to deliver his candid assessment that America is losing the war.

July 20, 1969: Reports on the Apollo moon landing. As the rocket lands on the lunar surface at 4:19 p.m., EDT, Cronkite, known for his eloquence, famously exclaims, "Man on the moon!" "Oh, boy!" and then, "Whew, boy!" Remains on the air for 24 of the network's 27 hours of Apollo XI lunar walk special in 1969.

1970: CBS Evening News overtakes NBC in evening news ratings beginning a decade-long dominance with Cronkite in the chair.

1971: Publishes his first book, "Eye on the World," an edited compendium of CBS News' reporting on the major trends and stories of 1970, for which he provided analysis and commentary.

1973: Named the "most trusted" public figure in the country by Americans in a public opinion poll.

1977: His interview with Egyptian President Sadat leads to a Sadat visit to Israel and a peace treaty between the countries 10 months later.

March 6, 1981: Steps down to allow Dan Rather to take his place. Becomes a special correspondent and hosts several acclaimed CBS documentary programs during the 1980s.

1981: Is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter.

1985: Inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.

1986: Begins hosting PBS New Year's Eve Vienna Philharmonic show. Arizona State University names its journalism school after him.

1992: "Walter Cronkite's 20th Century," a 90-second radio segment for CBS Radio, ends after five years — Cronkite's last CBS News role.

1993: Co-founds The Cronkite Ward Company, which goes on to produce award-winning documentaries for The Discovery Channel, PBS and other networks.

1996: His memoirs, "Cronkite Remembers," are broadcast as a two-hour CBS special in May and then as an eight-hour series on The Discovery Channel. Cronkite's autobiography, "A Reporter's Life," is also published.

July 15, 2000: Celebrates the 50th anniversary of his first broadcast from the CBS News anchor chair.

2005: Betsy, his wife of almost 65 years, dies.

2006: Becomes the first non-astronaut to receive NASA's Ambassador of Exploration Award. Voices introduction to the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. Celebrates his 90th birthday


http://www.wtvynews4.com/news/headlines/51060022.html

[Scoobiedoo30]

R.I.P. Walter.

[bossradio93]

He was certainly one of the all-time greats in broadcast journalism and is what CBS is all about. He will certainly be missed.



For those who don't know about cerebrovascular disease, which lead to the cause of Mr. Cronkite's death, here's the article from Wikipedia.*

*Wikipedia.org

[ZeldaGilroy]

He will be missed.

[catlover79]

I'm surprised that he only hosted the evening news for 19 years. I always thought it was a lot longer than that. In any case, he was a broadcasting legend, and will be missed.

[Mr. Television]

CBS sure could use him now. My Parents used to watch him every night after the local news. He will be missed. R.I.P.. Walter.

[DLevine2]

R.I.P. Walter Cronkite..

[Zoneboy]

Thanks for merging the two threads.....

[browneyes106]

RIP Walter Kronkite

[80sTrivia]

Goodbye, Mr. Cronkite...

[clj2]

I hope this doesn't come off wrong, but at least we had a "breather" inbetween the horriffic last round of deaths and this one.

[Mr. Television]

Originally Posted by clj2

I hope this doesn't come off wrong, but at least we had a "breather" inbetween the horriffic last round of deaths and this one.

I hope this doesn't start a new trend of them.

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by clj2

I hope this doesn't come off wrong, but at least we had a "breather" inbetween the horriffic last round of deaths and this one.

Nothing wrong with that and you're correct, The week of June 23-30th was one of the worst ever. It's understandable that celebrities will pass on but I hope we never experience another week like that.

[Chocoholic]

He was a great man. He will be missed.