Brian Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brian Williams
Williams in 2013
Born	Brian Douglas Williams (1959-05-05) May 5, 1959 (age 66) Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Years active	1981–present
Employer	CBS (1986–1993) NBC (1993–2021)
Television	CBS News reporter (1986–1993) NBC News reporter (1993–2004) NBC Nightly News Saturday and/or Sunday anchor (1993–1999) NBC Nightly News anchor (2004–2015) MSNBC anchor (1996–2002, 2015–2021) The 11th Hour with Brian Williams anchor (2016–2021)
Spouse(s)	Jane Stoddard ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	2, including Allison
Awards	12 News & Documentary Emmy Awards George Polk Award duPont-Columbia University Award Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism

Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American journalist and television news anchor. He is known for his long career in broadcast news. From 1993, he worked as a reporter for NBC Nightly News. In 2004, he became the main anchor and managing editor of the show.

In February 2015, Williams was temporarily removed from his role at NBC News. This happened because of questions about how he described some events during his coverage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq in 2003. After this, he moved to MSNBC as a breaking news anchor.

In September 2016, Williams started hosting The 11th Hour on MSNBC. This was a political news show. In November 2021, he announced he would be leaving MSNBC and NBC News. He hosted his final episode of The 11th Hour the following month. In October 2024, Williams was announced as the host for Election Night coverage for Amazon.

Brian Williams' Early Life

Brian Williams was born on May 5, 1959, in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He grew up in a lively Catholic family with Irish roots. His mother, Dorothy May, was an amateur actress. His father, Gordon Lewis Williams, was a business executive. Brian is the youngest of four children.

He lived in Elmira, New York, for nine years. Then, his family moved to Middletown Township, New Jersey, when he was in junior high school.

Williams went to Mater Dei High School, a Catholic school in New Monmouth. During high school, he volunteered as a firefighter for three years. He also worked as the editorial editor for his school newspaper. His first job was as a busboy at a restaurant.

After high school, Williams attended Brookdale Community College. He then went to the Catholic University of America and George Washington University. He did not finish his degree. He even interned with President Jimmy Carter's team. He later said leaving college was something he wished he had done differently.

Brian Williams' Career in Broadcasting

Starting in News

Brian Williams began his broadcasting career in 1981 at KOAM-TV in Pittsburg, Kansas. The next year, he covered news in Washington, D.C., at station WTTG. He then worked in Philadelphia for WCAU, which was owned by CBS. From 1987, he broadcast in New York City at WCBS.

Williams joined NBC News in 1993. There, he anchored the national Weekend Nightly News. He also served as the chief White House correspondent. In 1996, he became the anchor and managing editor of The News with Brian Williams on MSNBC and CNBC. He also filled in for Tom Brokaw on The NBC Nightly News. He reported on the accident and death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Leading NBC Nightly News

Brian Williams became the main anchor of NBC Nightly News on December 2, 2004. He took over from the retiring Tom Brokaw.

His reporting during Hurricane Katrina was highly praised. Many people admired his strong feelings about the government's slow response to help victims. The network received a Peabody Award for its coverage. The committee said Williams and his team showed "the highest levels of journalistic excellence." NBC Nightly News also won the George Polk Award and the duPont-Columbia University Award for its Katrina reporting.

In 2007, Time magazine named Williams one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

In 2009, he received the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. Walter Cronkite, a famous journalist, called Williams a "fastidious newsman."

Williams interviewing presidential candidate Mitt Romney, July 25, 2012

While anchoring Nightly News, Williams won 12 News & Documentary Emmy Awards. These awards recognized his excellent work as anchor and managing editor. He won Emmys for covering Hurricane Katrina, and for reporting on tornadoes in Oklahoma. He also won for his interview show Rock Center. Another Emmy was for a documentary about the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. He also shared an Emmy for NBC News' special on the Boston Marathon bombing.

From late 2008 to late 2014, NBC Nightly News usually had more viewers than its main rivals. These were ABC's World News Tonight and CBS's Evening News.

In February 2015, Williams was suspended for six months from NBC Nightly News. This was due to questions about how he described an event during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Rock Center with Brian Williams

Rock Center with Brian Williams was a news program hosted by Brian Williams. It was named after Rockefeller Center in New York City. This was the first new NBC News program to air in prime time in almost 20 years.

NBC ended Rock Center on May 10, 2013. This was because of low ratings. The network also had trouble finding a regular time slot for the show. The last episode aired on June 21, 2013.

Returning to MSNBC

In September 2015, Williams returned to television as MSNBC's chief anchor. He covered many important news events for MSNBC. These included Pope Francis's trip to the United States. He also reported on the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting. He covered terrorist attacks in Paris, San Bernardino, Brussels, and Nice. In January 2016, Williams also became the chief elections anchor for MSNBC. He debuted in this role during coverage of the 2016 Iowa caucuses.

As part of his duties, Williams anchored The 11th Hour with Brian Williams. This was a nightly show that summarized news and politics. Williams, along with Rachel Maddow and Joy Reid, led MSNBC's coverage of the 2020 United States presidential election.

On November 9, 2021, Williams announced he would leave NBC News and MSNBC. His contract ended the following month. His final episode as host of The 11th Hour was on December 9, 2021.

Other Activities and Appearances

Brian Williams has done many other things besides news anchoring. In 1999, he hosted NBC Sports' first live broadcasts of NASCAR races.

He often appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He also made cameos as a giant head sidekick. He helped Stewart with pronunciations of foreign names. Williams appeared on Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live. He even hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2007. This made him the first sitting network news anchor to host the show.

Williams appeared on Sesame Street in 2007 and 2008. He announced the word of the day and reported for Sesame Street Nightly News. He also hosted the 2009 Annual Sesame Workshop Benefit Gala.

In 2010, while covering the Winter Olympics, Williams did a skit with Canadian sportscaster Brian Williams. This was jokingly called the "Battle of the Brians."

Williams often appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He would "slow jam the news" while Fallon sang. A video of Williams appearing to rap to hip-hop music became very popular. He also appeared on Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Williams made guest appearances on the NBC comedy show 30 Rock. He played a funny version of himself. He was seen receiving calls meant for another character. He also auditioned to be a new cast member on the show.

Williams has been a commencement speaker at several universities. These include Bates College (2005), The Catholic University of America (2004), Ohio State University (2008), University of Notre Dame (2010), and George Washington University (2012). In 2013, he spoke at Elon University, where his son Douglas was graduating.

He also worked on the Encyclopedia of World History in 2003. Williams has written for publications like The New York Times and Time magazine.

Brian Williams' Personal Life

With his wife, Jane, in 2009

Brian Williams married Jane Gillan Stoddard on June 7, 1986. They have two children. Their daughter, Allison, is an actress. Their son, Doug, is a reporter and anchor for WCBS-TV. Brian and Jane Williams live in New Canaan, Connecticut. They also own a beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey.

From 2006 to 2015, Williams was a member of the board of directors for the Medal of Honor Foundation. He later resigned from the board.

Honorary Degrees

Television Appearances

Career Timeline

• 1981: KOAM-TV
• 1982–1986: WTTG-TV correspondent
• 1985: Panorama host
• 1985–1987: WCAU-TV New Jersey correspondent
• 1987–1993: WCBS-TV anchor and reporter
• 1993–2021: NBC News
• 1993–1994, 1996–2004: correspondent
• 1993–1999: NBC Nightly News weekend anchor
• 1994–1996: White House correspondent
• 1996–2004: MSNBC The News with Brian Williams anchor
• 2004–2015: NBC Nightly News anchor
• 2011–2013: Rock Center with Brian Williams host
• 2015: Six-month temporary removal from NBC Nightly News
• 2015–2021: MSNBC chief breaking news anchor
• 2016–2021: The 11th Hour with Brian Williams anchor

See also

In Spanish: Brian Williams para niños

• List of journalists in New York City