Legendary Newsman Walter Cronkite Dies

Walter Cronkite, the legendary anchor of "CBS Evening News," died on Friday at age 92, his family announced.

Cronkite was the face of American news from 1962 to 1981. His booming voice brought stories of the JFK's assassination, the Vietnam War, the Moon landing, the civil rights movement, Richard Nixon's impeachment and much more. He was often called "the most trusted man in America," and his famous sign-off, "And that's the way it is," is what millions heard each night for dozens of years.

Born Nov. 4, 1916 in St. Joseph, MO., Cronkite ventured into journalism after attending the University of Texas. At a Kansas City radio station he met Mary Elizabeth Maxwell (Betsy) -- they married in 1940. She died in 2005.

During WWII, Cronkite covered the 8th Airborne in North Africa and the North Atlantic. He returned to the U.S. in 1948 and worked for several radio stations -- and in July 1950 he set up CBS' affiliate in Washington.

He anchored the first "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" in 1962, when the program was 15 minutes long. By 1963, it was 30 minutes long -- and "Evening News" became known as America's most important news outlet.

Cronkite retired from "Evening News" in 1981 and has widely been considered the best news anchor to have ever graced the airwaves.

He is survived by three children.