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Born in Indianapolis, Indiana
April 12, 1947
David Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Letterman seems to have had a typical middle class childhood. He lived near the Speedway where the Indianapolis 500 is held, and while he didn't race, he did enjoy collecting model cars, including racers.
Attended Broad Ripple High School
June 1, 1965
Letterman attended Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis. According to the Ball State Daily News, he originally had wanted to attend Indiana University, but his grades weren't good enough.
First Wife Michelle Cook
January 5, 1969 - March 6, 1977
n 1969, Letterman married Michelle Cook; the marriage ended by divorce in 1977.
Attended Ball State University
June 1, 1969
He decided to attend Ball State University in Muncie IN. He graduated from what was then called the Department of Radio and Television in 1969. He is also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. The Ball State University website says that Letterman began his broadcasting career at the college's student-run radio station, WBST,
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
January 1, 1978
His dry, sarcastic humor caught the attention of scouts for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Letterman was soon a regular guest on the show. Letterman became a favorite of Carson's and was a regular guest host for the show beginning in 1978
Merrill Markoe
March 1, 1978 - June 1, 1989
Also had a long-term relationship with former head writer and producer on Late Night, Merrill Markoe.
Guest Appearances
Feburary 8, 1979
Had a guest appearance on Mork & Mindy, and appearances on game shows such as The $20,000 Pyramid, The Gong Show, and The Liar's Club.
The David Letterman Show
June 23, 1980
In late June 1980, Letterman was given his own morning comedy show on NBC, The David Letterman Show. It was originally 90 minutes long, but was shortened to 60 minutes in August. The show was a critical success, winning two Emmy Awards, but was a ratings disappointment and was canceled in October 1980.
Late Night with David Letterman
Feburary 1, 1982
NBC kept Letterman under contract to try him in a different time slot, after which Late Night with David Letterman debuted in 1982. Letterman's show, which ran weeknights at 12:30 a.m. eastern time, immediately following The Tonight Show.
Letterman's Stalker
May 3, 1988
Beginning in May 1988, Letterman was stalked by Margaret Mary Ray, a woman suffering from schizophrenia. Letterman occasionally referenced her in his show, although not by name.
Girlfriend Regina Lasko
Feburary 14, 1989 - Now
Letterman has a son, Harry Joseph, (born November 3, 2003) with longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko. Harry is named for Letterman's father, Harry Joe Letterman, who died at age 57. The family resides in North Salem, New York
The Late Show with David Letterman
August 30, 1993
In 1993 Letterman departed NBC to host his own show opposite Tonight on CBS at eleven-thirty, The Late Show with David Letterman. Three years later, HBO produced a made-for-television movie called The Late Shift, based on a book by New York Times reporter Bill Carter, chronicling the battle between Letterman and Jay Leno for the coveted Tonight Show hosting spot.
Heart surgery hiatus
January 14, 2000
On January 14, 2000, a routine check-up revealed that an artery in Letterman's heart was severely constricted. He was rushed to emergency surgery to receive a quintuple bypass.
Return to the Show
Feburary 21, 2000
Upon his return to the show on February 21, 2000, a visibly thinner and weakened Letterman brought all of the doctors and nurses on stage who had participated in his surgery and recovery, including Dr. O. Wayne Isom and physician Louis J. Aronne, who frequently appears on the show.
The Comedy Store
April 5, 2001
He also began performing stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store, a famed Los Angeles comedy club and proving ground for young comics.
Letterman Handed Over the Reins
Feburary 1, 2003
Letterman again handed over the reins of the show to several guest hosts (including Bill Cosby, Brad Garrett, Elvis Costello, John McEnroe, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Bonnie Hunt, Luke Wilson and bandleader Paul Shaffer) in February 2003, when he was diagnosed with a severe case of shingles.
Bill O'Reilly Guest on Show
October 27, 2006
Letterman presents his view on the Iraq war quite clearly during his segments with key political figures and pundits. On October 27, 2006, Letterman had Bill O'Reilly as a guest on the show. During the rather serious segment, Letterman was asked by O'Reilly, "Do you want the United States to win in Iraq? It's an easy question", to which Letterman cunningly replied, "It's not easy for me because I'm thoughtful".
Signed New Contract
December 4, 2006
On December 4, 2006, CBS revealed that David Letterman signed a new contract to host The Late Show with David Letterman through the fall of 2010.
Celebrated 25 Years
Feburary 1, 2007
Letterman celebrated 25 years in late-night television on February 1, 2007.
Adam Sandler Guest Host
March 1, 2007
In March 2007, Adam Sandler, who had been scheduled to be the lead guest, served as a guest host while Letterman was ill with a stomach virus.
Barack Obama Guest on Show
April 11, 2007
Letterman's disfavoring tone of the war was not absent when Presidential candidate Barack Obama was on the show on April 11, 2007 when he expressed his lack of faith in the war by saying, "It's horrible, it's just horrible, the whole thing is just a horrible mess...but what happens when we leave and we still have a horrible mess? And then we find that there is trouble from other countries, do we then just go back into other countries?"
Fourteenth Anniversary as Host
August 30, 2007
Letterman marked his fourteenth anniversary as host of the Late Show on August 30, 2007.
Appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
September 10, 2007
On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show at Madison Square Garden in New York. He shared pictures of his son and live-in girlfriend. The so called "feud" between Letterman and Winfrey ended in 2005 when Winfrey appeared on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman on December 2."
Emmy Award Nominations
September 17, 2007
Letterman's shows have garnered both critical and industry praise, receiving 67 Emmy Award nominations, winning twelve times in his first twenty years in late night television.
The Late Show Went Off Air
January 2, 2008
The Late Show went off air for 8 weeks during the months of November and December due to the Writer's Guild of America strike. David Letterman's production company World Wide Pants was the first company to make an individual agreement with WGA[8], thus allowing his show to come back on air on January 2, 2008.
John McCain was on the Late show.
April 2, 2008
On April 2, 2008, presidential candidate John McCain was on the Late show. Again, Letterman showed his disfavor for the Iraq war by asking Senator McCain, "Now, we know that maybe that [Iraq war] wasn't the proper course. What the hell are we left with? You say we're going to have troops there for a long, long time..."
However, in each of McCain's many appearances, he and Letterman appear more than cordial.
