Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25, 1929 ) is an American journalist, writer, and media personality who has been a regular fixture on morning television shows (Today and The View), an evening news magazine (20/20), and on The ABC Evening News as the first female evening news anchor. Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news anchor for over 10 years on NBC's Today, where she worked with Hugh Downs and later hosts Frank McGee and Jim Hartz. Walters later spent 25 years as co-host of ABC's newsmagazine 20/20. She was the first woman to co-anchor the network evening news, working with Harry Reasoner on The ABC Evening News.

Her daughter was named after Barbara's sister, who was born mildly mentally retarded and died a few years ago from ovarian cancer.

Stated that her mentor is newsman Mike Wallace (I).

She only wears one contact lens while working. With one lens she can read the teleprompter, but with two she would not be able to read her notes.

Inducted into the Television Academy Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame in 1990

Honored by the American Museum of the Moving Image in 1992

Lifetime Achievement Award from International Women's Media Foundation in 1991

Lifetime Achievement Award from Women's Project and Productions in 1993

Honored by Museum of Television and Radio in 1996, for her contributions to broadcast journalism

Has interviewed every US president since Richard Nixon.

Was the "Today" (1952) show's first female co-host.

Has received honorary doctorates from Ohio State University, Temple University, Marymount College, Wheaton College, and Hofstra University

Her father, Lou Walters, owned Latin Quarter nightclubs in New York, Boston, and Florida.

TV reporter

While in college, she dated Roy M. Cohn, who later gained fame as the right-hand man to notorious Red-baiting Senator Joseph McCarthy (II).

Graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a BA in English

Daughter Jacqueline Dena Guber was born 14 June 1968. She was adopted by Barbara and her then-husband Lee Guber a few days after birth.

Her interview with Monica Lewinsky became the highest-rated news program ever broadcast by a single network.

She was the youngest producer with NBC-TV's New York station (WNBC-TV).

An adoptive mother of 1 daughter.

Is a vegetarian.

Named one of the "Best Dressed Stars of All-time" by People magazine, Sept. 2000.

She does not like to be photographed from her right side.

Graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School in Miami Beach, Florida.

Donates $1 million toward a gallery to be named for her in new Heimbold Visual Arts Center at her alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College, at Yonkers, NY campus, May 2002.

Was impersonated by Gilda Radner and Cheri Oteri on "Saturday Night Live" (1975)

First ever female to anchor a news broadcast on a major network when she and Harry Reasoner were co-anchors on "ABC Evening News" (1953) in 1976.

In mid 2003, country singer Brad Paisley released a single titled "Celebrity", which he makes a reference to Barbara by saying "I'll get to cry to Barbara Walters when things don't go my way" refering to the celebrities who she interviews, the song turned out to be a major country radio hit.

Interviewed John Wayne (I) on January 10th, 1979, about six months before he died.

The first anchorperson to earn $1 million a year.

Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 14, 2007.

Ex-stepmother of Gary Adelson and Andrew Adelson.

While she attended Sarah Lawrence College, one of her classmates was Lee Radziwill.