Courtesy of Christopher Peterson

Barbara Walters b. 1929

Journalist and media personality Barbara Walters joined NBC's The Today Show in 1961 and soon began developing and writing her own reports and interviews. In 1974, she became the program's first female co-host. During the 1976 presidential election, Walters was chosen to be the moderator for the third and final debate between presidential candidates Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. Walters is also known for her years on the ABC newsmagazine 20/20, for which she joined host Hugh Downs in 1979. Since 1997, Walters has been the executive producer of the daytime talk show The View, on which she is also a host.