Biography of Anderson Cooper

Most of us certainly enjoy the narrations by Anderson Cooper when we switch on the television to watch the news. His show the 'Anderson Cooper 360°' has become one of the most popular TV shows across the world.

Anderson was born in the year 1967 to Vanderbilt family heiress, Gloria Vanderbilt and writer Wyatt Emory Cooper. He first appeared on television when he was just three years old, when he accompanied his mother on The Tonight Show.

He also made frequent appearances as a model when he was just 10 years old. His short career as a model with brands like Ford, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Macy's lasted for 3 years.

Cooper's father died while undergoing an open heart surgery. His death severely affected Anderson's life. He acknowledges that he was similar to his father in many ways:  appearance, love and fondness for the art of story telling, and even had the same sense of humor. He often refers to his father's book 'Families' to have guided him throughout his life.

Another incident that drastically changed Anderson Cooper's life was his brother's death. His brother Carter Cooper's suicide was a driving force behind Anderson's choice of profession as a reporter and journalist.

In the year 1985, Anderson graduated from Dalton School and then attended the renowned Yale University. At the Trumbull College, Cooper was made a member to the Manuscript Society, a prestigious and old secret society of the seniors. He graduated in 1989, after studying political science and international relations.

Anderson Cooper began his career as a journalist with Channel One. His initial work was that of a fact checker. He contributed greatly to Channel One, when he made documentaries and small films on Vietnam. Anderson took a two-year break from his career as a journalist, during which time he studied the Vietnamese language at the Hanoi University.

His films that were shot in places like Iran, Ukraine and Somalia found their way into the hearts of the student community. Channel One, which was a youth-oriented agency, became very popular with the students due to Anderson's films. His films on the war-torn regions have made generations aware about the harsh realities of life.

In the year 1995, Cooper took the job as a correspondent of the ABC News. He eventually rose to the position of a co-anchor. Later, he was made the in-charge of the reality series The Mole. He returned to journalism after the 9/11 attacks. He joined CNN becoming one of the highest paid journalist. He is also the correspondent for '60 Minutes'.

Cooper has authored countless articles as a freelancer. Many of his articles have been published in the magazine 'Details'. He has also authored a book titled 'Dispatches from the Edge'. The book 'The Rainbow Comes and Goes' was written by him and Gloria Vanderbilt, his mother.

For his work in journalism, Anderson Cooper has been presented many awards. Some of the notable ones are the Action Against Hunger Award, GLAAD Media Award, The Emmy Award and the National Headliners Award.

He is one of the most successful journalist of our times and also one of the few journalists who has, through his work, reached out and touched the hearts of millions of people.