ABC News confirmed on Friday that Barbara Walters, the 93-year-old award-winning broadcast journalism pioneer and co-creator of The View, has passed away.
Disney CEO Bob Iger tweeted that Walters died on Friday evening at her home in New York, however, no cause of death was given. Walters’ career spanned over 50 years, making her a staple in broadcasting.
She helmed the Today show, ABC News, 20/20, The View, and her annual Most Fascinating People special, while paving the way for other female journalists.
She was awarded an Emmy for her work.
In 1978, Walters made a name for herself in an industry largely dominated by men, when she joined the news magazine 20/20. This reunited her with her former Today co-host, Hugh Downs, and solidified her legacy.
Walters was born on September 25, 1929 in Boston, Massachusetts. She began her journalism career in the early 1950s after earning a B.A. degree from Sarah Lawrence College, taking on a number of jobs in the publicity department of NBC and WPIX, before finally joining CBS’ The Morning Show in 1955.
She moved on to Today as a writer and regular correspondent, before becoming the first female co-anchor in 1974, following the death of anchor Frank McGee.
In 1976, legendary journalist Barbara Walters joined ABC Evening News as co-anchor alongside Harry Reasoner. However, their working relationship was rocky as Reasoner was not keen on having a co-anchor.
In the late ’70s, Walters moved on to the newsmagazine 20/20, and soon became the face of the program. Over the years, she conducted numerous interviews with high-profile individuals, from world leaders like Fidel Castro and Richard Nixon, to celebrities such as Katherine Hepburn and Angelina Jolie.
In 1997, Walters made a return to morning television with the launch of The View, which she helmed. The original co-hosts were Star Jones, Debbie Matenopoulos, Meredith Vieira, and Joy Behar, and the roster of presenters has since seen many changes, with only Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar remaining from the original line-up.
Barbara Walters, the renowned television journalist, was married four times in her life. After a short marriage to business executive Robert Henry Katz in 1955, she married producer Lee Guber in 1963.
The couple adopted daughter Jacqueline in 1968 before splitting in 1976. Walters then married TV producer and real estate developer, Merv Adelson in 1981. The pair remarried in 1986 before divorcing for a final time in 1992. Walters passed away leaving behind her daughter Jacqueline.