High school dropout to American news anchor, Peter Jennings

Peter Jennings: From Toronto to the World Stage
Discovered at Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa

On a recent walk through Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, just near the main entrance, I came across the grave of Peter Jennings—a name synonymous with trusted journalism for an entire generation of television viewers.

Born in Toronto in 1938, Jennings’ path to becoming one of America’s most prominent news anchors was anything but conventional. He dropped out of high school, yet would go on to become a defining voice in global news.

In 1963, at just 24 years old, Jennings was hired by CTV as co-anchor of its late-night national newscast, CTV World News. His early career would soon thrust him into the spotlight:

• In 1963, he was the first Canadian journalist to arrive in Dallas following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

• In 1964, he covered the Democratic National Convention, gaining further recognition for his poised reporting.

These high-profile assignments caught the attention of American networks. Soon after, Jennings was offered a role with one of the “Big Three” U.S. networks: ABC.

Canadian Journalist & News Anchor Peter Jennings in a Promotional image for ABC News in 1969.

He would go on to anchor ABC World News Tonight for an impressive 22 years, becoming a steady presence for viewers during some of the most critical moments in modern history. During that era, his counterparts were Tom Brokaw at NBC and Dan Rather at CBS—forming a trio of news anchors that shaped how millions understood the world.

Peter Jennings passed away in New York City on August 7, 2005, after a battle with lung cancer. He was 67 years old.