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Alistair Cooke
American journalist
Alistair Cooke Rank
About Alistair Cooke
Alistair Cooke was a renowned American journalist of British descent. He was well known for his dynamic explanations of American history and culture and for hosting the radio program “Letter from America”, one of the longest running radio programs. He also hosted the TV documentary “America: A Personal History of the United States” in the early 1970s.
Family
He married Ruth Emerson in August of 1934 and they had a son, John Byrne Cooke. After divorcing his first wife, he married Jane White Hawkes in 1944. With Hawkes, he fathered a daughter called Susan.
Education
He was an alumnus of Jesus College, Cambridge, Yale and Harvard University.
Career
As a young man, he was the editor of the literary magazine, Granta. He also worked with The Times as a freelance journalist. In 1945 he became a member of The Guardian as its US writer. He worked with the British daily newspaper until 1972.
In March 1946 he began a radio programme for the BBC called "American Letter". He was also the host of PBS “Masterpiece Theatre” from 1971 to 1992. During this time, Cooke worked as a translator of British culture through the showcasing of BBC dramatic television programs to the American populace.
Death
Poor health hindered Cooke from continuing the program “A letter from America”. The last programme was broadcasted on 2nd March 2004 and he passed away a few weeks later.
Trivia
His TV program “Letter from America” ran for close to six decades, making it the longest-running speech radio show.
Achievement
He planned the Mummers, Cambridge's first unisex theatre group.
In 1973, he was presented an honorary knighthood – Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) – by Queen Elizabeth II. The honor was in recognition of his unbridled contribution to journalism and TV documentaries.
Did you know?
His first wife, Ruth Emerson, was the great-grandniece of the famous American writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Cooke relinquished his British citizenship in the 1940s.
Alistair Cooke Rank
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F.A.Q. about Alistair Cooke
When is his birthday?
Alistair Cooke's birthday is on November 20, 1908.
In how many days is his birthday?
Alistair's birthday is in 217 days
How old was Alistair when he died?
He was 95 years old.
When did he die?
He died in March 30, 2004.
How old would he be today?
Alistair Cooke would be 115 years old if he was alive today.
Where was Alistair from?
He was born in Salford, Lancashire, England, UK.