David Letterman

Born: 12 April 1947 Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana Best Known As: Host of The Late Show With David Letterman Late Night With David Letterman premiered on February 1982 on NBC, where it followed the famed Tonight Show hosted by Johnny Carson. Letterman's show became a huge hit with college students and night owls, famous for its offbeat humor and nightly "Top Ten" lists. Letterman made no secret of his wish to host the Tonight Show once Carson retired; when NBC gave that job to Jay Leno in 1992, Letterman jumped to CBS and began the competing The Late Show with David Letterman. In January of 2000 Letterman missed five weeks of shows after undergoing quintuple bypass heart surgery. Letterman attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana... He was married to college sweetheart Michelle Cook from 1970-1977... He was once an all-purpose announcer on station WLWI in Indianapolis, a job which included introducing movies and serving as a substitute weatherman.