Daniel Irvin Rather Jr. was born on October 31, 1931, in Wharton, Texas, and grew up in Houston. As a boy, a bout of rheumatic fever confined him to bed for weeks, during which he developed a love of radio journalism, listening to war correspondents like Edward R. Murrow. He attended John H. Reagan High School before studying at Sam Houston State Teachers College.

Rather joined CBS in 1962 and rose rapidly through coverage of Hurricane Carla, the assassination of President Kennedy, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate scandal. He became the anchor of CBS Evening News in 1981 and held the role for exactly 24 years. He also contributed to 60 Minutes as a correspondent, host, and co-editor, becoming one of the most recognized journalists in the world.

He left CBS in 2006 following the “Memogate” controversy over a disputed report on President George W. Bush’s Air National Guard service. He subsequently hosted Dan Rather Reports on AXS TV and The Big Interview with Dan Rather. He also launched his Steady Substack newsletter in 2021, which has grown to over 500,000 subscribers.