CNN's Wolf Blitzer Celebrates 20 Years

Wolf Blitzer, CNN's own Ironman, this weekend reaches another new height: the legendary newsman celebrates his 20th anniversary with the cable giant.

One of the first reporters with Ted Turner's gamble two decades back, Blitzer has used stops on the defense, White House, and Situation Room anchor desk to become one of the most recognizable and trusted reporters in the news biz.

And along the way he's also become a mentor and friend to hundreds of Washington journalists, some of whom sprung a surprise party--with cake and all--to celebrate this afternoon at CNN's D.C. HQ.

And during his show today, from 5-7 p.m. ET, there may be a few more surprises, we're promised.

And if you don't believe Blitzer has done it all, check out this Hall of Fame list of accomplishments CNN provided:

HAPPENING NOW:

CNN's Wolf Blitzer Celebrates Two Decades with Network

This weekend, CNN's lead political anchor and anchor of The Situation Room will mark 20 years with the network. Various print journalists also have dubbed Wolf as CNN's "Iron Man" as an ode to his tireless reporting, long hours on the air and seemingly never-ending supply of energy.

His list of accomplishments while at CNN spans the decades and the world. It includes:

• Spearheading election coverage: CNN's Peabody Award-winning coverage of the 2008 presidential primary debates and campaigns, CNN's Emmy-winning "America Votes 2006" coverage and "America Votes 2004," plus "Election 2000" coverage.

• Anchoring various programs: The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer from 1995–present for a minimum of 11 hours every week; Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer from 1998 – 2009; "Inside Politics Weekend" from 1994-1998

• Reporting from all over the world for CNN, including every country in Europe, plus Russia, South Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, China, Israel, Kuwait, UAE, and Qatar (just to name a few!).

• Reporting at CNN: joining on May 8, 1990 as the network's military-affairs correspondent at the Pentagon, and then serving as CNN's senior White House correspondent covering President Bill Clinton from his election in November 1992 until 1999.

• Interviewing newsmakers: Presidential candidates Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford and foreign leaders, including the Dalai Lama, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and former South African President Nelson Mandela.

• Receiving honors: Emmy Award for his 1996 coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing; a Golden CableACE from the National Academy of Cable Programming for his and CNN's coverage of the Persian Gulf War; a George Foster Peabody award for CNN's Hurricane Katrina coverage; an Alfred I. duPont Award for coverage of the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia; an Edward R. Murrow Award for CNN's coverage of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001; the 2004 Journalist Pillar of Justice Award from the Respect for Law Alliance; the 2003 Daniel Pearl Award from the Chicago Press Veterans Association; the Ernie Pyle Journalism Award for excellence in military reporting in 2002; the Anti-Defamation League's Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize in 2000; the International Platform Association's Lowell Thomas Broadcast Journalism Award for outstanding contributions to broadcast journalism in 1999.

• Writing two books: Between Washington and Jerusalem: A Reporter's Notebook (Oxford University Press, 1985) and Territory of Lies (Harper and Row, 1989).

• Earning various degrees: a bachelor of arts degree in history from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a master of arts degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. and honorary degrees from: The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; State University of New York at Buffalo; King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; Gannon University in Erie, Pa.; Quinnipiac College in New Haven, Conn; St. Louis University, in St. Louis, Mo.; Western New England College in Springfield, Mass; D'Youville College in Buffalo, N.Y.; Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.; and The Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

• See a gallery of political caricatures.

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