Bill Hemmer
A steady, trusted presence in cable news, he has anchored major events from Ground Zero to election nights with a calm, straightforward delivery.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American television news anchor·Birthday: November 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bill Hemmer built a career on being the reliable guy in the field, the anchor who conveys urgency without alarm. A Cincinnati native, he cut his teeth as a sports anchor before joining CNN in 1995, where he became a fixture during breaking news. His on-the-ground reporting from Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11 cemented his reputation for composed, empathetic journalism under immense pressure. In 2005, he moved to Fox News, where he has co-anchored daytime programs like 'America's Newsroom,' providing a consistent, interview-driven format. Hemmer's style is defined by a direct, almost earnest questioning manner and a preference for letting the story, rather than his persona, take center stage, making him a durable figure in a volatile media landscape.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bill was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
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
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a primary on-the-ground reporter for CNN during the September 11 attacks, broadcasting for days from near Ground Zero.
- Anchored coverage of multiple U.S. presidential elections and political conventions for both CNN and Fox News.
- Co-anchored Fox News's flagship morning news program 'America's Newsroom' for over a decade.
- Previously hosted CNN's 'American Morning' weekend edition and was a key correspondent for the network.
Did You Know?
He was a walk-on placekicker for the Miami University (Ohio) football team.
He began his broadcasting career creating and hosting a local sports highlight show in Cincinnati while still in college.
He famously reported from a perch on a Lower Manhattan lamppost in the days following 9/11.
“My job is to ask the questions people at home would ask.”
