Andy Rooney
A curmudgeonly television philosopher who turned his gripes about everyday life into a beloved national institution for over three decades.
1919–2011 (age 92)·American radio and television journalist, commentator, and author·Birthday: January 14·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Andy Rooney made a career out of being annoyed, and America loved him for it. His path to becoming the nation's favorite grump was paved with decades of work as a war correspondent and television writer, but it was his final act—a few minutes of airtime at the end of '60 Minutes'—that made him a folk hero. With his bushy eyebrows and a delivery that mixed exasperation with a twinkle, he held forth on the profound absurdities of daily life: the mystery of single socks, the tyranny of poorly designed product packaging, the overuse of the word 'closure.' In an era of slick news, Rooney was resolutely unpolished, speaking directly to the camera from a cluttered office that felt like everyone's attic. His essays were less about answers and more about the shared, comforting recognition that life is wonderfully, infuriatingly silly.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Andy was born in 1919, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1919
Andy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1919Born
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Started school
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1932Became a teenager
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Could drive
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1937Could vote
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Turned 21
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1949Turned 30
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 40
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 50
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 60
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 70
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 80
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2011Died at 92
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- His segment 'A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney' was a staple of CBS's '60 Minutes' for 33 years, from 1978 to 2011.
- Won three Emmy Awards for his television writing and commentary.
- Authored more than a dozen bestselling books compiling his newspaper columns and television essays.
- Was one of the first journalists to write about the Nazi concentration camps after entering one with Allied troops in World War II.
Did You Know?
He wrote for and appeared on television with Arthur Godfrey years before his fame on '60 Minutes.'
Rooney wrote the first draft of the script for the iconic CBS documentary 'Black History: Lost, Stolen, or Strayed.'
He was a talented amateur carpenter and built much of the furniture in his Connecticut home.
In 1990, he was briefly suspended by CBS for making controversial remarks about homosexuality, but public demand helped bring him back.
“I'm not interested in whether you agree with me. I'm interested in whether you think.”
