Wolf Blitzer
The steady, trench-coated voice of CNN who has anchored viewers through decades of breaking news, from the Gulf War to Capitol Hill.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American journalist and television news anchor·Birthday: March 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Wolf Blitzer’s name became synonymous with the CNN brand, a reliable presence delivering news with a measured, earnest intensity. Born in 1948, his journalism career began in print, reporting from Israel, but it was his move to television news as CNN’s Pentagon correspondent that defined his path. His clear, direct reporting during the first Gulf War in 1991 made him a household name. Blitzer evolved from a globetrotting reporter to a cornerstone of the network’s political coverage, anchoring major election nights and launching 'The Situation Room,' a program that fused reporting and analysis from the network’s vast resources. For over three decades, his sober delivery has been a constant through stories of war, terror attacks, and political upheaval, embodying a classic model of broadcast journalism in an era of seismic change.
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.
Wolf was born in 1948, 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 Wolf Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Wolf's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
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
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
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
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as CNN's lead anchor for major political events, including U.S. presidential elections and debates, for over two decades.
- Founded and hosted CNN's flagship news program 'The Situation Room' for nearly 20 years.
- Reported extensively as CNN's Pentagon correspondent during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
- Authored two non-fiction books on terrorism and Middle East politics.
Did You Know?
His first name, Wolf, is a translation of his grandfather's Yiddish name, Velvel.
He worked for the Reuters news agency in Tel Aviv before joining CNN.
He holds a Master's degree in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
““I just report the news. I don’t make the news.””
