CNN Founder Ted Turner Dies At Age 87

Born in Ohio, Turner transformed global television journalism by launching CNN on June 1, 1980 — the world’s first 24-hour television news channel.

At the time, many critics dismissed the idea of round-the-clock news broadcasting as unrealistic. However, CNN quickly became one of the world’s leading news sources, particularly during the 1991 Gulf War, when the network delivered live coverage directly from the conflict zone. That same year, Turner was named “Man of the Year” by Time Magazine.

Known for his outspoken personality and nicknamed the “Mouth of the South,” Turner took over his family’s billboard business at just 24 years old following his father’s death and later built it into a vast media empire.

In 2018, Turner revealed that he had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive brain disorder. He spent his final years battling the illness.