Learn About Mike Wallace's Life and Legacy

The legendary newsman Mike Wallace passed away at the age of 93 on April 7th 2012. Mr. Wallace pioneered the tv newsmagazine format and took on the world's most important political leaders, celebrities, and corporate titans on the '60 Minutes' show. He was born Myron Leon Wallace on May 9th, 1918 to Russian-immigrant parents in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Mike Wallace - His Life and Legacy - as part of the news and politics series by GeoBeats. The legendary newsman Mike Wallace passed away at the age of 93 on April 7th 2012. Mr. Wallace pioneered the tv newsmagazine format and took on the world's most important political leaders, celebrities, and corporate titans on the '60 Minutes' show. He was born Myron Leon Wallace on May 9th, 1918 to Russian-immigrant parents in Brookline, Massachusetts - most Americans didn't even have radio at that time. His father, Frank Wallace was a wholesale grocer and insurance broker. Mike Wallace went on to graduate from the University of Michigan in 1939. His first radio job paid $20 a month. In 1943, Mr. Wallace joined the US Navy and was a communications officer during World War II. Early in his broadcasting career, he worked in a variety of roles ranging from a wrestling announcer to game show host. '60 Minutes' show debuted in 1968. Over time, due to Mike Wallace's tough interviewing style and news-breaking reports, the show became the most watched news program. Morley Safer, a "60 Minutes" correspondent, shared some of Mr. Wallace's career highlights in a CBS News article: He lectured Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, on corruption. He lectured Yassir Arafat on violence. He traveled with Martin Luther King. He interviewed Malcolm X shortly before his assassination. In his last appearance on 60 Minutes, Mr. Wallace interviewed the all-star pitcher Roger Clemens who was addressing allegations of steroid use. Over the course of his career, Mike Wallace won 20 Emmys and numerous other awards.