Alistair Cooke

Date of Birth: November 20, 1908

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: March 30, 2004

Biography

Alistair Cooke was a British-American journalist, television personality, and radio broadcaster, best known for his 58-year tenure as the host of the BBC radio program “Letter from America.” Born in Salford, Lancashire, England, Cooke became a naturalized American citizen in 1941. His career in journalism began in the 1930s, and he quickly became known for his insightful and articulate commentary on American life and politics. Cooke also gained fame as the host of PBS’s “Masterpiece Theatre” from 1971 to 1992. He wrote extensively, including several books, and his work has left an indelible mark on both British and American media landscapes.

5 Interesting Facts about Alistair Cooke

1. Alistair Cooke was knighted in 1973, receiving an honorary knighthood (KBE) for his contributions to journalism.

2. He began his career with the BBC as a film critic and then as a foreign correspondent in the United States.

3. Cooke’s “Letter from America” is one of the longest-running speech radio programs in history, running uninterrupted from 1946 to 2004.

4. He was a close friend of famous literary figures like John Steinbeck and Charlie Chaplin.

5. Cooke was a prolific writer, penning numerous books including “Alistair Cooke’s America,” which was also adapted into a TV series.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Alistair Cooke

1. “Curiosity is free-wheeling intelligence.”

2. “In the best of times, our days are numbered anyway. So it would be a crime against nature for any generation to take the world’s crises so solemnly that it put off enjoying those things for which we were designed in the first place.”

3. “People, when they meet me, they sometimes say, ‘You don’t look like an American.’”

4. “To understand America, you must first understand baseball.”

5. “A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn’t feel like it.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of his career, Alistair Cooke’s net worth was estimated to be around $5 million.

Children

Alistair Cooke had two children: a son, John Byrne Cooke, who became a noted author and musician, and a daughter, Susan Cooke Kittredge, who pursued a career as a minister.