Turner was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 19, 1938. When he was nine years old, his family moved to Savannah, Georgia. Turner then attended the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee from 1948 to 1956. He received a degree from Brown University, where he was vice president of the Debating Union and commodore of the Yacht Club. In 1999, he was elected to Brown University's board of directors.

On June 1, 1980, Turner inaugurated CNN, the world's first, live, in-depth, round-the-clock news television network. A second all-news service, Headline News, began operation on January 1, 1982, offering updated newscasts every half-hour. Launched in September 1985, CNN International serves as the company's global news service and is distributed in more than 210 countries and territories worldwide.

Turner originated the Goodwill Games in 1985 as an international, world-class, quadrennial, multi-sport competition. The inaugural Goodwill Games were held in July 1986 in Moscow and were followed by the 1990 Games in Seattle, Washington, the 1994 Games in St. Petersburg, Russia, the 1998 Games in New York City, the first winter games in Lake Placid, New York in 2000, and in 2001 the last of the Goodwill Games were held in Brisbane, Australia.

In March 1986, TBS acquired the MGM library of film and television properties. This library formed the initial programming cornerstone of TNT, which was launched on Oct. 3, 1988. Versions of TNT are customized for Latin America and the Caribbean, with programming available in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

In December 1991, Turner acquired the rights, library and production facilities of Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. Cartoon Network, launched on October 1, 1992, showcases the company's vast library of cartoons and original productions. Cartoon Network in Latin America was launched on April 30, 1993, offering viewers in Latin America and the Caribbean 24 hours of cartoons in three languages. TNT & Cartoon Network were launched in Europe on September 17, 1993, offering classic films and animation programming in seven languages. TNT & Cartoon Network in Asia Pacific, launched October 6, 1994, provides programming in English, with some programs dubbed or subtitled in Mandarin and Thai.

In January 1994, Turner Broadcasting merged with New Line Cinema. Films from New Line and the combined Turner and Warner Bros. library of film greats provide programming for Turner Classic Movies (TCM), a 24-hour commercial-free network launched in April 1994.

Turner Broadcasting continued to expand its news division with the creation of CNNRadio and CNN Airport Network, which provides programming for airline travelers in 29 U.S. airports, and CNN Interactive, the division responsible for multimedia/on-line news production and distribution. CNN en Español, which was launched on March 17, 1997, offers 24-hour Spanish-language news to viewers throughout the Americas.

Mr. Turner became Vice Chairman of Time Warner in October 1996, with the merger of Time Warner Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Mr. Turner oversaw Time Warner's Cable Networks division, which included the assets of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), the CNN Newsgroup, as well as Home Box Office, Cinemax, and the company's interests in Comedy Central and Court TV. He also oversaw New Line Cinema and the company's professional sports teams-the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers. In January 2001, he became Vice Chairman of AOL Time Warner, a position from which he served until May 2003.

Turner is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, industry awards and civic honors, including being named Time magazine's 1991 Man of the Year and Cable and Broadcasting's Man of the Century in 1999. Turner was inducted into the Cable TV Hall of Fame in 1999, and in June 2000 he received the World Ecology Award from the University of Missouri. He is also a superior yachtsman, having won national and world sailing titles, including a successful defense of the 1977 America's Cup, the 1979 Fastnet Trophy and four Yachtsman of the Year awards. In October 1995, Turner accepted the Atlanta Braves' first World Championship trophy on behalf of the team. In August 2000, he was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame.

Turner has made his mark as one of the most influential philanthropists in the US. He directs most of his philanthropic activities through Turner Foundation, Inc., which was founded in 1991, the United Nations Foundation, which was created in 1997, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, which was launched in January 2001.

Turner is Chairman of Turner Foundation, Inc. (TFI), which provides support for the following efforts: 1) clean water and toxics reduction; 2) clean air through improved energy efficiency and renewables; 3) wildlife habitat protection; and 4) the development of equitable practices and policies designed to reduce population growth rates.

TFI has made grants to hundreds of organizations including: Advocates for Youth, Alliance for Affordable Energy, American Bird Conservancy, Coosa River Basin Initiative, Global Green USA, Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Montana Land Reliance, National Audubon Society, National Public Radio, National Safe Energy Communications Council, Pacific Rivers Council, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Sierra Club Foundation, Union of Concerned Scientists, Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, and the World Watch Institute. In addition, the Turner Community Youth Development Initiative provides support for locally designed youth development programs in 30 rural communities near Turner's properties.

The Turner Endangered Species Fund is a core grantee of the Turner Foundation, which works to conserve biodiversity by emphasizing efforts on private land, particularly on the Turner properties. Endangered species, which have been reintroduced or restored, include black-footed ferrets, condors, desert bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, Mexican wolves, red-cockaded woodpeckers and West Slope cutthroat trout.

In September 1997, Turner announced his historic pledge of up to $1 billion to the United Nations Foundation (UNF). To date, the organization has awarded grants in support of the goals and objectives of the United Nations to promote a more peaceful, prosperous and just world. UNF has identified four core priorities: women and population; children's health; the environment; and peace and security.

In early 2001, Turner launched the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a foundation he co-chairs with former Senator Sam Nunn. NTI is working to close the growing and increasingly dangerous gap between the threat from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the global response.

The Initiative is a place of common ground where people with different ideological views can work together to make real and significant progress to reduce the risk of use and prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. NTI is committed to increasing public awareness, encouraging dialogue, catalyzing action and promoting new thinking about reducing the danger from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons on a global basis.

Through Turner Enterprises, Turner manages the largest commercial bison herd in North America, with approximately 40,000-head spread amongst 13 ranches in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and South Dakota. In addition, Turner owns property in California, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Argentina. The mission of Turner Enterprises is: to manage Turner lands in an economically sustainable and ecologically sensitive manner while promoting the conservation of native species.

In June 2001, Turner announced the creation of two independent film production companies based in Atlanta, Ted Turner Pictures and Ted Turner Documentaries. Gods and Generals was Ted Turner Pictures' first theatrical release. Ted Turner Documentaries is currently in production on an eight-hour documentary series, Avoiding Armageddon, about weapons of mass destruction that aired on PBS stations in April 2003.

In January 2002, Turner opened the first Ted's Montana Grill in Columbus, Ohio with his partner, George W. McKerrow Jr., founder of the Longhorn Steakhouse chain and several other successful restaurants. Ted's Montana Grill offers classic American comfort food, including bison or beef burgers, in an authentic Montana bar and grill atmosphere. Ted's Montana Grill expects to open up to forty more restaurants in the next few years.

Turner also enjoys several outdoor sports, especially hunting and fishing.

Credit: tedturner.com