Legendary journalist and 60 Minutes veteran Morley Safer has died at 84.
Safer retired from his post at the long-running CBS News (CBS) program earlier this month after 46 seasons. Overall, Safer worked at the network for 52 years.
He was born in Toronto in 1931, and worked as a war correspondent in the 1950s and 1960s before joining 60 Minutes in 1970. Safer’s first story was about the training of U.S. Sky Marshals. During his five decades on 60 Minutes, Safer contributed 919 reports – with his final piece being on Danish Architect Bjarke Ingels.
“It’s been a wonderful run, but the time has come to say goodbye to all of my friends at CBS and the dozens of people who kept me on the air,” Safer said in a statement released earlier this month on the occasion of his retirement. “But most of all I thank the millions of people who have been loyal to our broadcast.”
CBS on Sunday aired Morley Safer: A Reporter’s Life, a special capturing the 12-time Emmy winner’s illustrious career. From U.S. Marines burning a village in Cam Ne, Vietnam, in 1965 to a tough critique of the modern art world in 1993, Safer’s most impactful stories were explored in a mix of archived footage and interviews. His contemporaries (Tom Brokaw, the late Mike Wallace) and 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager were among Safer’s close friends and colleagues who highlighted the journalist’s quick wit and sharp storytelling skills.
We are sad to report that legendary @60Minutes correspondent Morley Safer has died at 84: https://t.co/n2MbgKIKgfhttps://t.co/0jnW83YnwS
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 19, 2016
This story was originally published on EntertainmentWeekly.com. The story is developing.