As host of the world’s first phone-in TV talk show Larry King Live, Lawrence Harvey Zeiger, better known as Larry King, is one of the most popular broadcasters of all time. Named by TV Guide as “the most remarkable talk show host on TV ever,” Larry King has done more than 40,000 interviews with world leaders, politicians, celebrities, and people from different walks of life. He celebrated his 50th anniversary in broadcasting in 2007.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York on November 19, 1933, Larry King has always aspired for a career in radio. He began his career as a disc jockey for Miami stations WIOD-Radio and WTVJ-TV and gained a following in Southern Florida. Larry King debuted his first TV program in Miami in 1960. Millions of radio listeners heard his voice on Mutual Radio’s The Larry King Show, which ran from 1978 to 1994.

Larry King would be most prominently known for his masterful interviewing on CNN’s Larry King Live, which debuted in June 1995. It has become a popular forum for discussions with a mixture of personalities from politics, entertainment, and public service. Every U.S. President since Gerald Ford has been interviewed on his show. Global leaders have also discussed points with him. Among the most watched interviews include the NAFTA debate between Ross Perot and then-Vice President Al Gore, the highest-rated in CNN’s history with over 16.3 million viewers. In 1995, Larry King’s interviews with key world leaders Yasser Arafat, King Hussein, and Yitzhak Rabin solidified his status as a master interviewer with international significance. Moreover, his public service programming to facilitate relief operations after the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina has earned him several awards in public service and humanitarian work.

Larry King’s philanthropy is as notable as his broadcasting acclamations. He founded the Larry King Cardiac Foundation to develop breakthrough cardiac procedures for underprivileged children and adults. Larry King also built a $1 million journalism scholarship for deserving students of the George Washington University.