In 1965 Canadian born Jennings became the youngest ABC news anchor, at age 27. After achieving such an unprecedented rise to the top, Jennings sought correspondent assignments abroad, rather than staying glued to the anchor desk. He established America's first news bureau in the Middle East, when the rising star moved to Beirut in 1968.
While based in Beirut, Jennings traveled to virtually every Arab country and developed expertise that he would continue to use throughout his career. He conducted the first television interview with Yasser Arafat, and his 1974 profile of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat won him his first George Foster Peabody award. He was the first U.S. reporter to interview the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini, then in exile in Paris.
Reporting ran in the family, as his father, Charles, was the most prominent radio announcer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Peter Jennings made a name for himself by continuing to address the most complex and difficult issues, when other journalists turned a blind eye and sought more politically correct agendas. Few other mainstream news anchors have succeeded in effectively covering foreign news and views. However by doing so, Jennings was frequently accused of pro-Arab bias by Israeli partisans.
During his time in Beirut in the early 1970s, Peter Jennings dated an American University of Beirut graduate student named Hanan Ashrawi. Jennings always spoke fondly about Ashrawi: "Anyone who has known Hanan as long as I have is not surprised to see her emerge as a persuasive spokesperson for the Palestinians."
Jennings visited Beirut in 2000 for the first time after leaving 25 years earlier, as part of a vacation with his wife, his daughter and his son. In 2004 Jennings was awarded a rare honorary doctorate by the American University of Beirut.
For his work, Jennings has won several Emmy and Overseas Press Club Awards, the prestigious Alfred I duPont Columbia University Award for journalism, and the distinguished Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in Broadcasting.
Jennings was previously married to Valerie Godsoe, Annie Malouf and Kati Marton. He is survived by his wife, Kayce Freed and two children from his third marriage, Elizabeth and Christopher.
"Peter died with his family around him, without pain and in peace. He knew he'd lived a good life," his family said in a statement.
Fellow anchor Dan Rather spoke glowingly about Jennings, saying he was the "last person you wanted to see" competing against you on a story. Rather is currently in Beirut, working on a special report for 60 minutes.
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