Anderson Cooper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anderson Cooper
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Cooper in 2018
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Anderson Hays Cooper
June 3, 1967 New York City, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Yale University (BA) |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
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| Television |
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| Children | 2 |
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| Relatives | Vanderbilt family |
Anderson Hays Cooper was born on June 3, 1967. He is an American journalist and TV host. He is best known for hosting the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. He also works as a reporter for 60 Minutes, a news show on CBS News.
After finishing college at Yale University in 1989, he traveled the world. He filmed stories from places affected by war for Channel One News. In 1995, Cooper joined ABC News. He worked there as a reporter, a co-anchor, and even a host for a short time.
In 2001, Cooper started working at CNN. He soon got his own show, Anderson Cooper 360°, which he still hosts today. He became known for reporting live from major news events. His coverage of Hurricane Katrina made him very popular. For his reporting on the 2010 Haiti earthquake, he received a high honor from the Haitian government. From 2011 to 2013, he also hosted his own daytime talk show, Anderson Live.
Cooper has won many awards for his journalism, including 18 Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards. He is also a member of the famous Vanderbilt family. In 2016, he made history as the first openly LGBTQ person to lead a presidential debate.
Contents
Early Life and School
Anderson Cooper was born in Manhattan, New York City. His parents were writer Wyatt Emory Cooper and artist Gloria Vanderbilt. His family has a long history, including his great-great-grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt. Cornelius Vanderbilt founded a very successful shipping and railroad business.
Cooper started his media experience when he was very young. As a baby, he was in a photo for Harper's Bazaar magazine. When he was three, he appeared on The Tonight Show with his mother. At nine, he was on the show To Tell the Truth. From ages 10 to 13, he worked as a model for big brands like Ralph Lauren.
His father, Wyatt, passed away in 1978 when Cooper was 10 years old. Cooper feels a strong connection to his father through his father's book, Families. He sees it as a guide for how he should live his life.
Cooper went to the Dalton School in New York City. After graduating early at age 17, he traveled through Africa. He called it a "survival trip" and even got malaria there. He later went to Yale University, where he studied political science. He graduated in 1989.
Journalism Career
Starting Out in News
While in college, Cooper worked as an intern at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for two summers. He loved news from a young age. He became a journalist without going to a special journalism school.
After his first reporting jobs, he took a break and lived in Vietnam for a year. He studied the Vietnamese language there.
Reporting for Channel One
After Yale, Cooper tried to get a job at ABC, but it was hard to start. He then worked for Channel One News, which makes news for middle and high school students. He even made a fake press pass to report from Myanmar. There, he met students fighting the government.
He convinced Channel One to let him take a camera to Vietnam. He filmed stories about Vietnamese life and culture. In 1992, he reported from places like Somalia, Bosnia, and Rwanda. By 1994, he realized the violence he saw was starting to feel normal. This made him want to change his focus.
Working at ABC News
In 1995, Cooper joined ABC News. He became a co-anchor for their overnight show World News Now in 1999. He also filled in as a co-host for Live with Regis and Kelly in 2007. He still sometimes guests on Live when a host is away.
Joining CNN
In 2001, Cooper joined CNN. He said he felt he needed to return to news after the 9/11 attacks. He first worked as an anchor on American Morning. In 2002, he became CNN's weekend prime-time anchor. Since 2002, he has also hosted CNN's New Year's Eve special from Times Square.
Anderson Cooper 360°
On September 8, 2003, Cooper became the main anchor for Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN. In 2005, he covered major world events. These included the tsunami in Sri Lanka and the Cedar Revolution in Beirut, Lebanon. He also reported on the famine in Niger.
During CNN's coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Cooper became very well-known. He openly questioned leaders about the slow government response. He later said it was hard not to get emotional when surrounded by suffering people. His passionate reporting made him a popular figure in news.
His show, 360°, was expanded to two hours. This showed how popular he had become. CNN leaders called him "the anchorperson of the future." In 2007, Cooper signed a new deal with CNN. This allowed him to continue working for both CNN and 60 Minutes.
The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper
In April 2023, CNN started a new Sunday show called The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper.
CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute
Since 2007, Cooper has hosted CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. This show highlights amazing things done by everyday people.
Planet in Peril Documentary
In October 2007, Cooper hosted the documentary Planet in Peril with Sanjay Gupta and Jeff Corwin. They explored environmental issues. In 2008, they made a sequel, Planet in Peril: Battle Lines.
Daytime Talk Show: Anderson Live
In 2010, it was announced that Cooper would host a nationally televised talk show. The show, named Anderson, started on September 12, 2011. As part of this deal, he also signed a new contract to continue hosting Anderson Cooper 360°. The show ended in May 2013 after two seasons.
Presidential Debates
In 2016, Cooper co-moderated a presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. This was a historic moment. He became the first openly LGBTQ person to lead a general election presidential debate.
New Year's Eve Celebrations
Since 2017, Cooper has co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with his friend, Andy Cohen. They have hosted together every year since.
Other Work and Projects
60 Minutes
Since 2007, Cooper has been a correspondent for the CBS News program 60 Minutes. He does this while also working as an anchor for CNN.
AC2 Stage Show
In 2015, Andy Cohen and Cooper started a national tour called AC2. It's a conversational stage show where they talk about different topics. The show has visited over fifty cities.
Broadway Narration
Cooper was the narrator for a Broadway play in 2011. It was a revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Writing Books
Cooper is also a writer. He has written articles for various magazines. In 2006, he published his memoir, Dispatches from the Edge. It shared stories from his reporting in places like Sri Lanka and Iraq. This book became a New York Times Best Seller.
In 2017, he co-wrote The Rainbow Comes and Goes with his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt. This book was based on emails between them. It explored their shared past and her childhood. Cooper wanted to make sure they had "nothing left unsaid." This book also became a best-seller.
In 2021, he co-authored Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty. This book tells the history of his famous Vanderbilt family.
Guest Host on Jeopardy!
In 2021, Cooper was a guest host on the popular quiz show Jeopardy!. He hosted for two weeks after the death of Alex Trebek.
Podcast: All There Is
In 2022, Cooper launched a podcast called All There Is. In this podcast, he talks about grief and loss. He interviews other famous people about their experiences with losing loved ones. He wanted to explore this common human experience. He felt it was important to share that everyone goes through this.
The podcast won a Webby Award in 2023 for Best Series.
Personal Life
Cooper has chosen not to register with any political party. He has been open about his personal identity as a journalist. In 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook asked Cooper for advice before publicly sharing his own identity.
In 2014, Cooper and his former partner, Benjamin Maisani, bought a historic home in Connecticut. In 2018, Cooper confirmed that they were no longer a couple. However, they continue to raise their children together.
Cooper was good friends with Anthony Bourdain, a famous chef and TV host. Cooper has spoken about how much he misses Bourdain.
Children
On April 30, 2020, Cooper announced the birth of his son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper. Wyatt was born on April 27 through a surrogate. Cooper shared his joy, saying, "On Monday I became a father. I've never said that out loud and it astonishes me. I have a son."
Wyatt is named after Cooper's late father, Wyatt Cooper. His middle name, Morgan, comes from his maternal grandmother's family. Even though Cooper and Benjamin Maisani are no longer a couple, they co-parent Wyatt together. Maisani was present when Wyatt was born.
On February 10, 2022, Cooper announced he had become a father for a second time. His second son is named Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper. Maisani is also in the process of adopting Wyatt. After this, Wyatt's last name will become Maisani-Cooper.
Awards and Recognition
Anderson Cooper has received many awards for his work in journalism. He helped CNN win a Peabody Award for their coverage of Hurricane Katrina. He also helped the network win an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for their reporting on the 2004 tsunami.
He has won 18 Emmy Awards. These include two for his reporting on the earthquake in Haiti. He also received an Edward R. Murrow Award.
He received the National Order of Honour and Merit from the Haitian government for his reporting on the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In 2013, he was given the Vito Russo Award by GLAAD for his contributions to LGBTQ visibility. In 2018, he received the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. In 2023, he was honored with the Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism.
Images for kids
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Cooper in 2018
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