Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years (1962–1981). During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll.
He reported many events from 1937 to 1981, including bombings in World War II; the Nuremberg trials; combat in the Vietnam War: the Dawson's Field hijackings; Watergate; the Iran Hostage Crisis; the death of Walt Disney; and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King, Jr., and Beatles musician John Lennon.
He was also known for his extensive coverage of the U.S. space program, from Project Mercury to the Moon landings to the Space Shuttle. He was the only non-NASA recipient of an Ambassador of Exploration award.
Cronkite is well known for his departing catchphrase "And that's the way it is," followed by the broadcast's date.
For Disney, he narrated the Epcot attraction Spaceship Earth from 1986 to 1994 and co-hosted the Back to Never Land film with Robin Williams. He was also spoofed by Genie in Aladdin and the King of Thieves.
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