Walter Cronkite

Walter Cronkite
Cronkite in 1983
Born
Walter Leland Cronkite Jr.

(1916-11-04)November 4, 1916
St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S.
DiedJuly 17, 2009(2009-07-17) (aged 92)
New York City, New York U.S.
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin
Occupations
  • Television and radio broadcaster
  • news anchor
Years active1935–2009
Spouse
Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Maxwell
​
​
(m. 1940; died 2005)​
Children3, including Kathy

Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the CBS Evening News[1] for 19 years, from 1962 to 1981. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll.[2][3][4] Cronkite received numerous honors including two Peabody Awards, a George Polk Award, an Emmy Award and in 1981 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter.

Cronkite reported many events from 1937 to 1981, including bombings in World War II; the Nuremberg trials; combat in the Vietnam War;[5] the Dawson's Field hijackings; Watergate; the Iran Hostage Crisis; and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr., and Beatles musician John Lennon. He was also known for his extensive coverage of the U.S. space program, from Project Mercury to the Moon landings to the Space Shuttle. He was the only non-NASA recipient of an Ambassador of Exploration award.[6] Cronkite is known for his departing catchphrase, "And that's the way it is", followed by the date of the broadcast.[7]

  1. ^ "Walter Cronkite | Biography, Facts, & Views on Vietnam War". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  2. ^ Ben Zimmer (July 31, 2009). "Too Good to Check". On the Media (Interview: audio/transcript). Interviewed by Bob Garfield. NPR. Archived from the original on August 4, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  3. ^ "CBS at 75 Timeline – The 1950s". CBS. Archived from the original on May 5, 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2006.
  4. ^ Cook, Jeff Scott (1989). The elements of speechwriting and public speaking. Macmillan. p. 171. ISBN 0-02-527791-X.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Philly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Cronkite honored by NASA for space coverage". USA Today. February 26, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  7. ^ Watkins, Tom (July 18, 2009). "How 'That's the way it is' became Cronkite's tag line". CNN. Retrieved May 23, 2018.