Peter Jennings, the Canadian born, but internationally known journalist, died on Sunday in his New York home after a 4-month battle with lung cancer. He was 67 years old.

His last appearance on the air was April 1, near the passing of Pope John Paul II, after announcing he had been diagnosed with the disease.

A longtime anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight, Jennings was a popular American broadcast journalist who also worked as a foreign correspondent.

Born in Toronto as Peter Charles Jennings on July 29, 1938, he reported on some of the most important events of the late twentieth century, including the building and the fall of the Berlin Wall, but most recently, he is remembered for his coverage of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Viewers described him as having a “calming voice.” Veteran newswoman Barbara Walters said, “No one could ad lib like Peter. Sometimes he drove me crazy because he knew so many details. He died much too young.”

In 2003, Jennings became an official American citizen.

He began his career at a radio station in Brockton, Ontario, where he later became noticed. Then in 1965, at age 26, Jennings was hired as a television anchor for the ABC, which made him one of the youngest in broadcast history.

He hosted World News Tonight for over 20 years.






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