Anderson Cooper was born on June 3rd 1967 in New York City. He was the younger son of the actress, artist and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt and the writer Wyatt Cooper. He began his television career early, when he appeared on the Tonight Show with his mother at the age of three.

At the age of 20, he lost both his father and brother. But he was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that placed an importance in reading and writing. His parents hired a special reading instructor who helped by encouraging him to find books that he was passionate about. Despite his losses and a mild form of dyslexia, which made him see some letters backwards, Copper succeeded in school.