Trivia

She only wears one contact lens while working. With one lens she can read the teleprompter, but with two she would not be able to read her notes.

Has stated that her best interview was with Katharine Hepburn, her worst was with Warren Beatty.

She interviewed every U.S. president from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. She also interviewed Donald Trump and Joe Biden before they became president.

The first anchorperson to earn $1 million a year.

Was the Today (1952) show's first female co-host.

Her daughter was named after Barbara's sister, who was born mildly mentally retarded and died a few years ago from ovarian cancer.

Announced her retirement in May 2014. (May 13, 2013)

Her interview with Monica Lewinsky became the highest-rated news program ever broadcast by a single network.

In 2007, Forbes magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $12 million.

Her father was born in Whitechapel, London, England, to parents of Polish Jewish descent, with roots in Lodz. Her mother was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to a Russian Jewish father and a Lithuanian Jewish mother. The family surname was originally Waremwasser or Warmwasser, changed by her grandfather to Walters.

She was the youngest producer with NBC-TV's New York station (WNBC-TV).

Underwent heart surgery to repair a leaky heart valve on May 12, 2010.

Has suffered from advanced dementia, and she has been disconnected from keeping her friends in touch. (March 2019)

Stated that her mentor is newsman Mike Wallace.

In mid 2003, country singer Brad Paisley released a single titled "Celebrity," in which he makes a reference to Barbara by saying "I'll get to cry to Barbara Walters when things don't go my way", referring to the celebrities she interviews. The song turned out to be a major country radio hit.

She has never owned car or had a Driver's License her entire life.

Lifetime Achievement Award from International Women's Media Foundation (1991).

Had attended the funeral of her lifelong friend Joan Rivers, when the comedienne passed away on September 7, 2014.

Adopted daughter (with Lee Guber) Jackie Walters Danforth operates a self-discovery program for troubled girls that combines outdoor living with clinical therapy that she founded in 2001 called "New Horizons".

Interviewed John Wayne on January 10, 1979, about six months before he died.

Was impersonated by Gilda Radner and Cheri Oteri on Saturday Night Live (1975).

Received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Sarah Lawrence College.

Daughter of Dena (Seletsky) and Lou Walters, who owned Latin Quarter nightclubs in New York, Boston and Florida.

Honored by the American Museum of the Moving Image (1992).

Daughter Jacqueline Dena Guber was born 14 June 1968. She was adopted by Barbara and her then-husband Lee Guber a few days after birth.

First ever female to anchor a news broadcast on a major network when she and Harry Reasoner were co-anchors on World News Tonight (1953) in 1976.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck revealed that Barbara Walters is Republican.

Inducted into the Television Academy Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame (1990).

Named one of the "Best Dressed Stars of All-time" by People magazine, Sept. 2000.

Her second cousin, Nancy Shevell, is engaged to marry Paul McCartney and Walters says she considers her 'like a second child to me'. (August 2011)

She does not like to be photographed from her right side.

In 2008, she was asked publicly whom she would spent time with, if the world were ending. With family or friends not an option, she answered interviewing Osama bin Laden.

Met Joan Rivers at NBC in 1965, where there might have been a competition in between the two ladies. The two became friends for nearly 50 years, until Rivers' own death on September 7, 2014.

Her mother, Dena (née Seletsky) and Lou Walters, got married in 1920. The couple had Barbara had nine years later, and is the youngest of three children.

Between 1993 to 2015, she also hosted Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People for ABC News.

After her death, there was no funeral for her.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on June 14, 2007.

Lifetime Achievement Award from Women's Project and Productions (1993).

Has received honorary doctorates from Ohio State University, Temple University, Marymount College, Wheaton College, and Hofstra University

Donates $1 million toward a gallery to be named for her in new Heimbold Visual Arts Center at her alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College, at Yonkers, N.Y. campus. (May 2002)

Honored by Museum of Television and Radio for her contributions to broadcast journalism (1996).

Before she was a successful journalist, talk show hostess and producer, in her early career, she began working at the NBC network affiliate in New York City, WNBT-TV (now WNBC), doing publicity and writing press releases.

In her 65-year-career in television, she was nominated for 19 Emmy Awards, but won three times, beginning in 1975, for Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host of "Today", and for Best Talk Show and Best Talk Show Host of "The View", between 1998 and 2010.

In reference to her, DuckTales (2017) depicted a journalist named Webra Walters, a dog who had a Boston accent.

Suffering from chicken pox. (January 28, 2013)

Ex-stepmother of Gary Adelson and Andrew Adelson.

Upon her death, Barbara Walters's body was cremated, and her ashes were given to her daughter.

Attended and graduated from Miami Beach High School (class of 1947).

TV reporter.

Ex-cousin-in-law of Lenny Adelson and Marvin Adelson.