Born February 8, 1940 to Jewish parents, Ted Koppel spent the first thirteen years of his life in England. His parents lived in Germany during the Nazi occupation. Erwin Koppel owned a leading tire manufacture company just prior to World War Two, and was forced to escape to England in 1936. Ted's future mother followed a couple years later. So Ted Koppel only has to look at the history of his family to see how world events can affect one on a personal level. This may very well be where the impetus of his award-winning investigative skills were forged. Koppel has a unique insight into how to take current events all over the world, and explain them to an audience in a way that effects them on a personal level. Perhaps anyone can read a teleprompter, but only a select few can relate those words consistently over decades to become one of the most successful and beloved American anchormen in television history.

Ted Koppel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from Syracuse University as well as a Master's Degree in Mass Communications and Political Sciences from Stanford University. At the age of 23, he joined ABC News as a correspondent. For almost two decades he reported on issues both in America and throughout the world, including wars across the globe, and even presidential nomination conventions and elections practically every four years since. Then came the fateful day in March of 1980, when U.S. citizens were held captive in Iran and President Jimmy Carter faced decisions that made news practically every day. Ted Koppel was tapped to be the anchorman for a nightly news program intended to keep the american public abreast of the situation on a daily basis. Originally the nightly broadcast was intended to last only until the Iran Crisis was over, but ratings were staggeringly effective. After the Iran Crisis was over, the news program had been so successful, the Powers That Be at ABC decided to keep Ted Koppel on the late night shift indefinitely, and Nightline was born.

Koppel's peers in the history of television include Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Walter Cronkite, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather. These gentlemen are in their own way a breed of their own.

Koppel speaks four languages in all, being fluent in German, Russian and French as well as English. When not on camera, Ted Koppel resides in Maryland. He and his wife have four children.

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