Broadcast news icon Walter Cronkite died Friday at the age of 92.
Known as “The most trusted man in America,” the CBS news anchor famously uttered “Oh boy!” when reporting on Apollo 11’s 1969 Moon landing.
Earning his stripes decades before cable TV and Internet news coverage diluted the dominance of network television, Cronkite became so influential that by the time he urged an end to the Vietnam War in 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson said “If we’ve lost Cronkite, we’ve lost the country.”
The so-called "Age of Cronkite" effectively began on Nov. 22, 1963 at 1:40pm ET, when viewers of AS THE WORLD TURNS were startled when he broke in to report that shots had been fired at President John F. Kennedy's motorcade in Dallas , and that the president had been gravely wounded (see end of the first video below and beginning of second).
"That's my dubious claim to fame," ATWT's Helen Wagner once said. "I'm in the Smithsonian on tape, saying, 'I gave it a great deal of thought, Grandpa,' as Cronkite broke the story."
As Barbara Matusow related in her 1983 book, "The Evening Stars: The Making of the Network News Anchors," Cronkite's most memorable moment happened "almost accidentally." According to his routine, he was having lunch at his desk when the wire report came in that Kennedy had been shot. Even though he was lead anchor, bulletin reports like this would have usually been handled by others such as Harry Reasoner or Charles Collingwood. But both were out to lunch, and so Cronkite grabbed the bulletin, saying "the hell with writing it - just give me the air."
He got the air, and wouldn't let go for days. And while Cronkite's legendary stamina and on-air professionalism were well-established over those hours, he briefly seemed to lose his on-air composure when he removed his glasses from the bridge of his nose at around 2:30 that afternoon, telling viewers in a voice that was choked with emotion that the president had died.
Cronkite retired in 1981 after anchoring more than 3,500 CBS Evening News programs, signing off with his signature “And that’s the way it is” line.
Wow, another famous person to leave. Walter (referred to as "Uncle Walt") was a great man that knew how to deliver news. I wish these noobs nowadays had such skills. Prayers to Walter's family and friends. In his memory, for his fans I have collected some great sites and articles (more than 200) to know all about Walter Cronkite. If you are interested take a look at the below link
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