March 1, 2005

MEDIA ADVISORY:
DAN RATHER INFORMATION PACKET

Dan Rather will step down from his post as anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS on Wednesday, March 9, marking 24 years to the day that he assumed the position and marking the longest such tenure in broadcast journalism history. (He will continue to work full-time at CBS News as a correspondent for both editions of 60 MINUTES, as well as on other assignments for the Division.)

Following is a list of materials that might be helpful to journalists preparing stories on Rather's 24 years at the CBS EVENING NEWS.

        A biography of Rather
        A timeline of major events in the past 24 years of the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH DAN RATHER 
        A press release on DAN RATHER:  A REPORTER REMEMBERS, the one-hour primetime special to be broadcast Wednesday, March 9 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT)
        A list of 24 "Danisms" from Election Night 2000

Note: A selection of current and past Dan Rather photos are available at cbspressexpress.com.

Press Contacts:

Donna Dees (general information)        212.975.3328 or deeds@cbsnews.com
Vika Zahn (photography)                 212.975.4106 or vjzahn@cbs.com 
Kim Akhtar (Rather interviews)          212.975.4296 or kfa@cbsnews.com
Marcy Erhard (primetime special/video)  212.975.2888 or erhardm@cbsnews.com
Sandy Genelius (other)                  212.975.7525 or smg@cbsnews.com

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DAN RATHER
Anchor and Managing Editor, CBS EVENING NEWS; Correspondent, 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY

Since 1962 when Dan Rather first joined CBS News, he has handled some of the most challenging assignments in journalism. His day-to-day commitment to substantive, fair and accurate news reporting and his tough, active style have earned him a position of respect among his peers and the public.

This January, Rather anchored coverage from Washington, D.C. of President Bush's second Inaugural. Rather began 2005 by reporting extensively from South Asia on the devastation wrought by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Election Day 2004, another all-night marathon, was Rather's sixth in the anchor chair, continuing a long career of reporting on electoral politics. The recent extended campaign for the White House, which took Rather from the snows of New Hampshire to the parties' nominating conventions in Boston and New York, was the 11th he has covered for CBS News.

In recent years, the war on terrorism and the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq have taken Rather to Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Israel. The summer of 2004 saw Rather in Baghdad to cover the transfer of power to the Iraqi interim government and, earlier in the year, his exclusive 60 MINUTES II report revealing U.S. military abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison received worldwide attention. In February 2003, just two months before the invasion, Rather secured the most sought-after interview in the world: an exclusive one-on-one with Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, the first the Iraqi leader had conducted with an American journalist since 1999. Rather also reported from Afghanistan on the United States' effort to oust the Taliban in 2001 and 2002. He gained special notice for his live anchoring of CBS News' coverage of the September 11 attacks and his around-the-clock reporting in the days that followed. In the weeks after 9/11, Rather filed reports from Ground Zero and on the attacks' aftermath in New York and the nation for a variety of CBS News broadcasts.

In 2000 Rather traveled to Moscow to cover the Russian elections and then to Israel as the peace process there took a turn for the worse. Later in the year, he anchored the marathon Election Night 2000, which kept him on the air continuously from 6:00 PM on Tuesday, November 7, to 10:00 AM on Wednesday, Nov. 8. At the end of the year, Rather was the first anchor to get an exit interview with President Clinton as he prepared to leave the White House.

In addition to reporting on major events ranging from the Pope's visit to Cuba in January 1998, through the Monica Lewinsky scandal, to the impeachment of President Clinton by the House of Representatives in February 1999, Rather was on the scene in New Orleans when Hurricane George struck the Gulf Coast in September 1998.

As a full-time correspondent for 60 MINUTES II (now 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY), Rather secured an exclusive interview with President Clinton (March 31, 1999), the president's first sit-down interview following the Lewinsky scandal and his impeachment by the House. Rather was the first U.S. anchor on the scene in Belgrade in the middle of NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia, reporting for several CBS News broadcasts, including the CBS EVENING NEWS.

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In May 1997, Rather returned to his roots in two ways: he conducted a rare interview with playwright Horton Foote, a fellow native of Wharton, Texas, for CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING, and he launched a syndicated weekly newspaper column, "Part of Our World"--now "Dan Rather Reporting"--harking back to his early days in journalism as a print reporter. In June of that year, Rather traveled to Hong Kong to anchor CBS News' coverage of the colony's turnover to Chinese rule, after taking a train ride through the Chinese heartland of boomtowns and rice paddies that recalled his previous reports from China on events ranging from President Richard M. Nixon's historic visit in 1972 to the pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1989. On a more personal note, August 1997 saw the dedication of Rather's birthplace as part of the Wharton County Historical Museum.

Rather made two trips to the front lines in Bosnia in 1995, reporting on American peacekeeping troops in a region from which he had first reported a quarter-century earlier. October 1995 found Rather once more in the eye of a storm, reporting on Hurricane Opal as it approached the Florida shore--while two producers "anchored the anchor" off camera, clinging to his arms and legs during the ferociously high winds. In November of that year, he reported from Jerusalem on the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and was the only American anchor at Rabin's funeral. Also in 1995, he covered the 50th anniversary of V-E Day from London and made incisive contributions to four "CBS Reports" documentaries: "In the Killing Fields of America," "Victory in Japan" with retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, "The Religious Right" and "The Gulf War + 5."

Rather began 1994 with a trip to Eastern Europe for reports on the rise of neo-fascism in the former Soviet Bloc, on the civil war in the Georgian Republic and on President Clinton's first Russian summit. He spent most of April in South Africa, covering that country's first attempt at true democracy and interviewing candidates of all the major parties in the elections. He went to the Middle East just before the Palestinian Authority assumed control of portions of the West Bank and Gaza, and conducted interviews with Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. His reporting from Haiti was perhaps Rather's most memorable of the year. The only network anchor on the scene before and during the crisis there, he obtained several exclusive interviews with Haiti's military leader, Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras. In 1990, he was the first American journalist to interview Saddam Hussein after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

In October 1994, Rather was honored by his alma mater, Sam Houston State University (formerly Sam Houston State Teachers College) in Huntsville, Texas, which named its journalism and communications building after him.

Rather is a prolific writer. In addition to The American Dream, published in 2001, he is the author of Deadlines and Datelines (1999), The Camera Never Blinks Twice: The Further Adventures of a Television Journalist (1994), I Remember (1991), The Camera Never Blinks (1977) and The Palace Guard (1974). He also abridged Mark Sullivan's landmark popular history, Our Times: America at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century. He continues to be a much-sought-after contributor to top newspapers and magazines and is a frequent speaker on journalistic issues.

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Since the start of his career in 1950, Rather has been in the middle of history's defining moments. From November 22, 1963 in Dallas, when he kept the American people informed of the details of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, to Oxford, Mississippi, to Tiananmen Square and the fall of the Berlin Wall, he has reported from the world's most important datelines. His reporting on the civil rights movement in the South, on the White House, the wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf and Yugoslavia and the quest for peace in South Africa and the Middle East has showcased his combination of street smarts and astute analysis.

Rather has received virtually every honor in broadcast journalism, including numerous Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and citations from critical, scholarly, professional and charitable organizations. During his 42 years with CBS News, Rather has held many prestigious positions, ranging from co-editor of 60 MINUTES to anchor of "CBS Reports" and anchor of the weekend and weeknight editions of the CBS EVENING NEWS. He has served as CBS News bureau chief in London and Saigon and was the White House correspondent during the Johnson and Nixon administrations.

Since March 9, 1981, Rather has served as anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS. He has been a correspondent for 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY since its premiere (as 60 MINUTES II) in January 1999. He anchored and reported for 48 HOURS from its premiere on January 19, 1988, through September 2002. His regular contributions to CBS News Radio include "Dan Rather Reporting," a weekday broadcast of news and analysis, which has been presented on the CBS Radio Network since March 9, 1981.

Rather joined CBS News in 1962 as chief of its Southwest bureau in Dallas. In 1963, he was appointed chief of the Southern bureau in New Orleans, responsible for coverage of news events in the South, Southwest, Mexico and Central America. During that time, he reported on racial conflicts in the South and the crusade of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the death of President Kennedy.

Rather began his career in journalism in 1950 as an Associated Press reporter in Huntsville, Texas. Later, he was a reporter for United Press International (1950-52), KSAM Radio in Huntsville (1950-53), KTRH Radio in Houston and the Houston Chronicle (1954-55). He became news director of KTRH in 1956 and a reporter for KTRK-TV Houston in 1959. Prior to joining CBS News, Rather was news director at KHOU-TV, the CBS affiliate in Houston.

Rather was born October 31, 1931 in Wharton, Texas. In 1953, he received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Sam Houston State Teachers College, where he spent the following year as a journalism instructor. He also attended the University of Houston and the South Texas School of Law.

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TIMELINE OF MAJOR EVENTS DURING DAN RATHER'S 24 YEARS

AS THE ANCHOR AND MANAGING EDITOR OF THE "CBS EVENING NEWS"

1981
March 9, 1981 -- Dan Rather succeeds Walter Cronkite as anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS, making him one of only three people to occupy that seat since the program was launched in 1948 as a 15-minute broadcast anchored by Douglas Edwards.

March 30, 1981 -- The attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan.

April 14, 1981 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Edwards Air Force Base for the landing of the space shuttle Columbia from its first mission.

May 13, 1981 -- The attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II.

July 1981 -- In his first overseas trip as anchor, Rather reports from London on the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. Rather would take his broadcast to more than 35 countries over the course of his tenure as anchor, including a trip back to London for the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

Oct. 6, 1981 -- Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat is assassinated during an annual military parade celebrating the "successful" campaigns during the 1973 Egypt-Israeli war.

1982
March 1982 -- Rather travels to Cuba to interview Fidel Castro, the first of four interviews he would conduct with the Cuban president.

April 2, 1982 -- The Falklands War between Argentina and the U.K. begins.

1983
Sept. 1, 1983 -- The Soviets shoot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007, killing all 269 persons (including 61 Americans) on board.

Oct. 13, 1983 -- The Grenadian Army seizes power in the Falklands in a bloody coup.

Oct. 23, 1983 -- Rather reports on the bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. In the explosion that followed, 241 U.S. military personnel were killed as they slept. The broadcast wins two news Emmy Awards for Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story and for a retrospective of the bombing.

Oct. 25, 1983 -- The U.S. invades the island of Grenada, rescuing American medical students trapped there.

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1984
July 1984 -- The Democratic Convention in San Francisco marks the first of 12 national political conventions Dan Rather will anchor during his 24-year stint as anchor of the CBS EVENING NEWS and Special Events coverage.

Nov. 6, 1984 -- Former California Governor Ronald Reagan defeats Vice President Walter Mondale for the presidency.

Dec. 3, 1984 -- Leaked chemical gas from a tank at a plant in Bhopal, India, kills approximately 3,800 people. The CBS EVENING NEWS WITH DAN RATHER wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding General Coverage of a Single Breaking News Story.

1985
January 1985 -- Rather is named "best national evening news anchor" by readers of the Washington Journalism Review. Later that year, a USA Today poll finds him "the most trusted television anchor" in America. A year later, he would be voted the "most respected television anchor" in the annual Best in the Business survey conducted by the Washington Journalism Review. Later honors would include a 1993 Times-Mirror poll on media credibility that names Rather "the most believable" of the three network anchors.

June 14, 1985 -- A TWA flight is hijacked by two Lebanese Hezbollah terrorists, and 145 passengers and eight crew members are held for 17 days.

September 1985 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Mexico City to report on the tragic earthquake, one of the country's deadliest natural disasters in recent history. The broadcast wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding General Coverage of a Breaking News Story. Rather's broadcast would garner six more Emmys that year for reports on Vietnam and Africa.

Oct. 7, 1985 -- The Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro is hijacked by four heavily armed terrorists representing the Palestine Liberation Front. The hijackers demand that Israel free 50 Palestinian prisoners and, to prove their determination, they shoot and kill a disabled American tourist, 69-year-old Leon Klinghoffer, and throw his body overboard.

November 1985 -- Dan Rather takes the CBS EVENING NEWS to Geneva for the summit between superpower presidents: the United States' Ronald Reagan and the U.S.S.R.'s Mikhail Gorbachev.

1986
Jan. 28, 1986 -- Rather anchors CBS News' live coverage of the space shuttle Challenger, which explodes just seconds after liftoff, killing all seven aboard, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, the first private citizen chosen to participate in a space flight.

April 14, 1986 -- The United States launches air strikes against Libya in retaliation for Libya's sponsorship of terrorism against American troops and citizens.

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July 1986 -- America celebrates the 100th birthday of the Statue of Liberty.

October 1986 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Iceland for the superpower?summit between Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. The broadcast wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding General Coverage of a Breaking News Story.

1987
May-August 1987 -- Joint House/Senate Iran-Contra hearings take place in Washington, D.C.

September 1997 - Rather?reports live from Miami as Pope John Paul II begins?a 10-day visit to the United States, his?first trip to the country since the 1981 assassination attempt and only his second trip as pope (the first was in 1979).

Oct. 19, 1987 -- Black Monday -- the stock market crashes 23%.

December 1987 -- Rather takes the CBS EVENING NEWS to Washington, D.C. for the summit of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.

1988
Jan. 19, 1988 -- CBS News launches 48 HOURS, a weekly news magazine based on the award-winning documentaries 48 HOURS ON CRACK STREET and 48 HOURS ON GLASNOST. Rather is tapped to lead the broadcast, making him the only network evening news anchor to front a primetime broadcast as well as an evening news program.

Jan. 25, 1988 -- Rather questions Vice President George H.W. Bush, then a candidate for the presidency, on his role in the Iran-Contra scandal, live on the CBS EVENING NEWS.

May 1988 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Moscow for the summit of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. CBS EVENING NEWS wins an Overseas Press Club Award for its coverage.

June 1988 -- Rather interviews Boris Yeltsin in Moscow as Yeltsin gathers increasing power.

November 1988 -- Vice President George H.W. Bush defeats Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis in the presidential elections. During the coverage, Rather says of Dukakis' impending loss, "His shirttail is on fire and the bill collector is at the door."

Dec. 21, 1988 -- Pan Am Flight 103 explodes and pieces of the plane fall onto the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 259 people on the plane and 11 on the ground.

1989
February 1989 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Japan for the funeral for Emperor Hirohito. Rather also travels to China and reports on the growing unrest among young Chinese, coverage that would foreshadow the events in Tiananman Square just a few months later. (More)
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April 1989 -- Rather takes the CBS EVENING NEWS to Cuba for the meeting between Mikhail Gorbachev and Cuban president Fidel Castro.

June 1989 -- While broadcasting live from Tiananmen Square--the only network anchor to do so--Rather has the plug pulled, literally, by Chinese authorities who do not want the world to witness their brutal crackdown on the largest public demonstration by students in the history of communist China. Rather and CBS News are later honored with the prestigious Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award, George Polk Award and Overseas Press Club Award for this groundbreaking coverage.

September 1989 -- Hurricane Hugo, one of the costliest storms in U.S. history, cuts a devastating swath through the Carolinas.

Oct. 18, 1989 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from San Francisco to report on the devastation of the earthquake, the worst to hit the area since 1906.

Nov. 10, 1989 -- Rather reports from the Berlin Wall as Germans celebrate the historic end of the country's division. With a keen anticipation of world events, Rather ends that trip by visiting Prague, where he reports on the growing opposition to the Czech government, which would eventually become one more Communist regime to be toppled.

Nov. 17-Dec. 29, 1989?-- Within approximately one month after the fall of the Berlin Wall, this?six-week period--the so-called "Velvet Revolution"--brings about the bloodless overthrow of the Czech communist regime.

Dec. 19-20, 1989 -- A coup takes place in Panama, and subsequent military action leads to the handover of Manuel Noriega to the United States.

December 1989 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Malta to report on the first summit of President George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

1990
Feb. 11, 1990 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from South Africa to commemorate the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and interviews Mandela for the broadcast.

May 1990 -- Rather takes the CBS EVENING NEWS to Washington, D.C. for the summit between Presidents George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev.

July 1990 -- Dan Rather takes the broadcast to Moscow for the superpower summit between Presidents George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev.

Aug. 2, 1990 -- Iraq invades Kuwait and Rather interviews King Hussein in Jordan.

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October 1990 -- Rather reports from Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia on the American troop buildup there and the increasing danger--Americans were being taken hostage in Baghdad--while also working to secure an interview with Saddam Hussein. Shuttling between the three countries for weeks, Rather succeeds in the latter quest, and the one-on-one marks Hussein's first interview with an American journalist since the Iraqi army invaded Kuwait. The interview takes place at one of Hussein's palaces just a week before the start of the American and allied campaign to liberate Kuwait.

1991
Jan. 17, 1991 -- The Gulf War begins as President George H.W. Bush orders the allied bombing of Baghdad to begin as part of Operation Desert Storm.

Jan. 24, 1991 -- A four-person CBS News crew, including correspondent Bob Simon, go missing on the Saudi/Kuwait border. Their abandoned automobile, including their personal effects, camera equipment and money, is found by Saudi Arabian troops. (See March 2, 1991 entry.)

Feb. 27, 1991 -- Rather reports from an Iraqi bunker during the liberation of Kuwait. CBS News is the first network to broadcast live pictures of the country's liberation.

March 2, 1991 -- The Iraqis, in a "goodwill" gesture following pre-ceasefire agreements, release the CBS News crew, all of whom reported being beaten in interrogation sessions during their captivity.

Aug. 20--24, 1991 -- There is an attempted coup in the Soviet Union.

October 1991 -- Rather anchors live coverage of the Senate confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas' appointment to the Supreme Court.

1992
August 1992 -- Rather heads to Hurricane Andrew, a monster storm, as it crashes onto land, killing 23 people and leaving thousands homeless in Florida and Louisiana. The network wins critical acclaim for Rather's reports, adding to the anchor's legacy of covering hurricanes.

Nov. 3, 1992 -- Arkansas governor Bill Clinton defeats President George H.W. Bush for the presidency. Describing the race on election night, Rather says, "If you like politics, this will melt the wax right out of your ears."

December 1992 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Somalia, where U.S. troops have landed to stem the famine-induced war that claimed 350,000 Somali lives.

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1993

Feb. 26, 1993 -- A terrorist bombing in the public parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City leaves six people dead and more than 1,000 injured. The site of the blast became one of the largest crime scenes in New York Police Department history.

Feb. 28, 1993 -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms engage in a gun battle at the Branch Davidian compound in Mount Carmel, near Waco, Texas, the beginning of a 51-day stand-off.

April 19, 1993 -- The Branch Davidian stand-off ends in a fire that consumes the compound, killing David Koresh and most of his followers.

June 1993 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Vietnam on the 20th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

July 14, 1993 -- Always wanting to be where the big stories are unfolding, Rather wades in chest-deep water while reporting on the worst floods to hit the Midwest in more than a decade.

Sept. 13 1993 -- Rather anchors live coverage of the historic signing of the Israeli-PLO peace agreement. President Clinton hosts the Rabin/Arafat signing of the accords in Washington, D.C.

Aug. 4, 1993 -- Rather dodges bullets while reporting from the frontlines of the war in Bosnia.

1994
Jan. 10, 1994 -- Rather interviews Vaclav Havel, president of the Czech Republic.

Jan. 18, 1994 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Los Angeles to report on the earthquake that rocked the region, killing more than 50 people and injuring thousands more.

April 22, 1994 -- Rather takes the CBS EVENING NEWS to South Africa during the first elections after the end of apartheid, including another interview with Nelson Mandela.

May 23, 1994 -- Rather anchors CBS News' live coverage of the graveside service for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

June 3, 1994 -- Rather interviews PLO leader Yasser Arafat in Tunis.

June 6, 1994 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Normandy to mark the 50th anniversary of D-Day.

June 1994 -- Rather interviews President Hosni Mubarek in Egypt.

August 1994 -- William Tager murders an NBC "Today" show stagehand near Rockefeller Center. By the end of Tager's trial, it is confirmed that he not only suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, but is also the same man who mugged Rather in 1986 in New York City.

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Sept. 21, 1994 -- Rather's reporting from Haiti is among his most memorable of the year. As the only network news anchor on the scene before and during the crisis, he obtains several exclusive interviews with Haiti's military leader, Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras.

October 1994 -- Rather interviews Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres.

1995

April 19, 1995 -- A bomb goes off at the Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City.

April 24, 1995 -- Rather reports on the bombing from Oklahoma City, the worst act of terrorism on U.S. soil at that time. Timothy McVeigh was ultimately found guilty in the bombing that killed 168 people.

Oct. 4, 1995 - Rather reports live during the 130 mph winds of Hurricane Opal in Panama City, Florida.

October 1995 -- Rather returns to Havana to interview Fidel Castro, his third sit-down with the Cuban president. When he steps down as anchor of the CBS EVENING NEWS, Rather will have interviewed the Cuban leader a total of four times.

November 1995 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Israel to report on the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The broadcast wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding General Coverage of a Single Breaking News Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast.

Dec. 11, 1995 -- Rather takes the CBS EVENING NEWS to Bosnia to report on the war.

1996
July 17, 1996 -- TWA 800 crashes in the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, N.Y. after takeoff from JFK airport en route to Paris, killing all 230 persons aboard. The CBS EVENING NEWS wins an Emmy Award for its breaking news coverage of this story.

November 1996 -- President Bill Clinton defeats Kansas Sen. Bob Dole for the presidency. "The reelection of Bill Clinton is as secure as a double knot tied in wet rawhide," says Rather during the Network's live coverage of Election Night.

1997
Feb. 4, 1997 -- Rather anchors CBS News' live coverage of the O.J. Simpson verdict of "not guilty" and, later that day, of President Bill Clinton's State of the Union address.

April 1997-- Rather returns to the Midwest to report on the massive floods.

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June 30, 1997 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Hong Kong as Great Britain hands control of the island back to China.

September 1997 -- Rather?reports live from Miami as Pope John Paul II begins?a 10-day visit to the United States, his?first trip to the country since the 1981 assassination attempt and only his second trip as pope (the first was in 1979).

Sept. 6, 1997 -- Rather takes the CBS EVENING NEWS to London to report on the funeral of Princess Diana.

Sept. 12, 1997 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from India to report on the funeral of Mother Teresa.

1998

Feb. 22, 1998 -- Florida endures its deadliest tornado outbreak on record when storms kill 41 people in the Kissimmee area and destroy 800 residences.

August 1998 -- U.S. embassy bombings in Africa are linked to Osama bin Laden.

September 1998 -- Rather is on the scene in New Orleans when Hurricane George strikes the Gulf Coast.

1999
February 1999 -- Rather anchors CBS News' coverage of President Bill Clinton's impeachment hearings.

March 31, 1999 -- Dan Rather lands an exclusive interview with President Clinton following the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

April 1999 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from outside Denver, Colo., to report on the shootings at Columbine High School.

April 1999?--?Rather is the first U.S. network evening news anchor to report from the Yugoslav capital of Belgrade during the NATO bombing.? ?
July 16, 1999 -- The plane of JFK, Jr. is reported missing off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.

July 23, 1999 -- Rather anchors coverage of the funerals of JFK, Jr., his wife, and his sister-in-law, all of whom were pronounced dead after the crash of their plane a week earlier.

Nov. 18, 1999?-- Rather is the only anchor to report live from Jasper, Texas,?on the guilty verdict of white supremacist?Shawn Allen Berry for the dragging death of James Byrd, Jr. Rather devotes virtually all of the program to the story, its consequences and its significance within the context of race relations in America.

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2000
April 22, 2000 -- Rather anchors live coverage of the Immigration and Naturalization Service's removal of Elian Gonzales from his relatives' home in Miami.

Nov. 7, 2000 -- A marathon election night keeps Rather on the air continuously from 6:00 PM, ET, Tuesday night until 10:00 AM, ET, the following morning. All of the television networks call the Florida race incorrectly, and Rather comments on the mistakes: "To err is human, but to really foul up requires a computer." During the live broadcast, Rather interviews both candidates on the stalemate in Florida.

Dec. 13, 2000 -- Vice President Al Gore concedes the election to Texas governor George W. Bush.

December 2000 -- Rather conducts President Clinton's first exit interview as he prepares to leave the White House after two often tumultuous terms in office.

Dec. 31, 2000 -- Rather anchors live reports on the Millennium celebration from around the world in New York's Times Square.

2001
September 2001 -- Rather leads CBS News' acclaimed live, continuous coverage of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Beginning at 10:00 AM, ET, Tuesday, Sept. 11, Rather is in the anchor chair for a total of 53 hours, 35 minutes over a span of less than four days. He signs off for CBS News the following Saturday, Sept. 14, at 2:00 AM, ET. In addition, in the weeks after 9/11, Rather continues to file reports on the attack for several CBS News broadcasts, including the primetime news magazines.

October 2001 -- Rather anchors coverage of the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan in response to 9/11.

November 2001 -- Rather is the first anchor on the scene in Kabul after the fall of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban party. Seventeen months later, Rather is the first American network news anchor to report from Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

2002
April 2002 -- Rather interviews Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, for which he wins an Overseas Press Club citation.

Oct. 2, 2002 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from South Louisiana to report on Hurricane Lili.

Oct. 24, 2002 -- The D.C. snipers are caught after a killing spree that terrorized the D.C. area for weeks, leaving several dead. The CBS EVENING NEWS coverage, led by Rather, wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast. (More)

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2003
Feb. 1, 2003 -- Rather anchors live, continuous coverage of the aftermath of the break-up and loss of the Columbia space shuttle over Texas.

Feb. 24, 2003 -- Rather secures the most sought-after interview in the world: an exclusive one-on-one with Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, the first the Iraqi leader has conducted with an American journalist since 1999. The interview, Rather's second exclusive sit-down with Hussein, precedes the March 19 U.S.-led attack on Iraq. The Iraqi dictator tells Rather that he will not go into exile, even to save his people from war.

March 19, 2003 -- Rather anchors CBS News' live coverage of the start of the U.S. and allied war against Iraq.

April 9, 2003 -- Rather is the first American network news anchor to report from Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

April 2003 -- Rather interviews Jordan's King Abdullah.

Aug. 14, 2003 -- Rather anchors CBS News' coverage of the massive power blackouts in the Northeast and Midwest. CBS's backup generators in New York allow the Network to continue to broadcast live.

2004
Feb. 29, 2004 -- Rather moderates a live--and lively--debate of the top four Democratic presidential contenders: U.S. Sen. John Edwards, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich and the Rev. Al Sharpton.? The debate is held at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York.

June 2004 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Washington, D.C., for the funeral of President Ronald Reagan.

June 2004 -- Rather returns to Iraq for the American handover of government to Iraq. He interviews Prime Minister Ayad Allawi in Iraq.

Sept. 1, 2004 -- Terrorists attack a school in Beslan, Russia. More than 300 hostages, including 156 children, die in the siege, and more than 700 people are wounded, according to Russian officials.

Sept. 3, 2004 -- Rather anchors the CBS EVENING NEWS from Florida as Hurricane Frances, a large, slow-moving storm, heads toward a region already hit with Hurricanes Ivan and Charley earlier in the year.

Nov. 2, 2004 -- President George W. Bush defeats Massachusetts Senator John Kerry to win reelection. Rather anchors CBS News' flawless election night coverage, calling the protracted and hotly contested contest in Ohio enough to "give an aspirin a headache."

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Nov. 11, 2004 -- Yasser Arafat dies.

Nov. 23, 2004 -- Rather announces that he will step down as anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS. "I have been lucky and blessed over these years to have what is, to me, the best job in the world and to have it at CBS News," Rather said.

2005
January 2005 -- Dan Rather is the first American evening news anchor to travel to Indonesia to report on the tsunami that left more than 200,000 dead and countless others homeless.

Jan. 20, 2005 -- Dan Rather anchors CBS News' coverage of President George W. Bush's second inauguration. Since assuming the position of CBS EVENING NEWS anchor, Rather has covered the swearing-in of four United States presidents: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

March 9, 2005 -- Rather anchors the last of approximately 6,240 broadcasts of the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH DAN RATHER, more than any other network news anchor since the format was created in 1948.

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DAN IS RATHER QUOTABLE -- ESPECIALLY ON ELECTION NIGHT

One of the lighter elements of any election night's live television coverage is Dan Rather's down home guidance through the unfolding events. He has anchored a total of 12 election nights--six presidential and six mid-term--during his 24-year career as anchor of the CBS EVENING NEWS.

Rather has kept viewers informed and engrossed in the night's proceedings, in part, with what have come to be known fondly at CBS News as "Danisms," catchy descriptions of events grounded in his Texas roots.

Perhaps no race has come close to generating more Danisms than the 2000 historic Presidential election between Texas Governor George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore. Rather was on the air continuously from 6:00 PM, ET, Tuesday night, Nov. 5, to 10:00 AM, ET, the following morning. Florida was the state that would ultimately decide the outcome--albeit more than a month later when Gore conceded the much-contested election there--and all of the television networks had a roller-coaster evening, declaring each man the victor at different points in time.

Following are selected "Danisms" from that fateful election night to mark Rather's years as anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS and anchor of CBS News' special events coverage.

"This race is shakier than cafeteria Jell-o."

"Turn the lights down, the party just got wilder."

"He swept through the South like a tornado through a trailer park."

"Don't bet the trailer money yet."

"It's too early to say he has the whip hand."

"It's a ding-dong battle, back-and-forth."

"If a frog had side pockets, he'd carry a handgun."

"They both have champagne on ice, but after the night is over, they might need a pick axe to open them."

"This race is tight like a too-small bathing suit on a too-long ride home from the beach."

"Only votes talk; everything else walks."

"This will show you how tight it is - it's spandex-tight."

"He's going to find that people will hang on him like a coat rack."

"Al Gore has his back to the wall, shirttails on fire, with this race in Florida."

"You talk about a ding-dong, knock-down, get-up race."

"When it comes to a race like this, I'm a long-distance runner and an all-day hunter."

"It's the American way: if you don't vote, you don't get to whine."

"Smelling salts for all Democrats, please."

"This race is the equivalent of hand-to-hand combat...."

"[Jon] Corzine spent money like he had shorted Microsoft" (referring to Corzine's self-financed campaign for a Senate seat in New Jersey)

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"Tipper [Gore] is probably telling her husband to hook a U[-turn], go back to the house to get a recount."

"Frankly we don't know whether to wind the watch or to bark at the moon."

"To err is human but to really foul up requires a computer."

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