--- title: Diane Sawyer ABC World News: A Look Back description: TIME looks back at the career of Diane Sawyer canonical: https://time.com/2921118/diane-sawyer-abc-world-news-tonight/ author: TIME Photo article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-25T15:15:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:08:12.767Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Diane Sawyer ABC World News: A Look Back og:description: TIME looks back at the career of Diane Sawyer og:url: https://time.com/2921118/diane-sawyer-abc-world-news-tonight/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc649225fdd18fd89/698699271eebf7969a371994/94990645_10.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: WORLD NEWS WITH DIANE SAWYER og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Diane Sawyer ABC World News: A Look Back twitter:description: TIME looks back at the career of Diane Sawyer twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc649225fdd18fd89/698699271eebf7969a371994/94990645_10.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Diane Sawyer: A Look Back by [TIME Photo](https://time.com/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Jun 25, 2014 3:15 PM UTC  NEW YORK - DECEMBER 21: Diane Sawyer sits on the set of "World News With Diane Sawyer" during the nationally televised news brief at the ABC News headquarters December 21, 2009 in New York City. Sawyer will make her debut as the anchor on the network's news broadcast tonight. (Photo by Ida Mae Astute/ABC via Getty Images) \*\*\* Local Caption \*\*\* Diane Sawyer NEW YORK - DECEMBER 21: Diane Sawyer sits on the set of "World News With Diane Sawyer" during the nationally televised news brief at the ABC News headquarters December 21, 2009 in New York City. Sawyer will make her debut as the anchor on the network's news broadcast tonight. (Photo by Ida Mae Astute/ABC via Getty Images) \*\*\* Local Caption \*\*\* Diane SawyerIda Mae Astute—ABC/Getty Images by [TIME Photo](https://time.com/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Jun 25, 2014 3:15 PM UTC Diane Sawyer is [leaving her anchor chair](http://time.com/2920907/diane-sawyer-leave-abc-world-news/) on ABC’s _World News_ to embarking on a new adventure across ABC platforms. The network said she’ll be “tackling big issues and extraordinary interviews.” Sawyer once anchored _Good Morning America_ and _Primetime_, conducting interviews ranging from members of the White House to pop-culture icons. Here’s a look back at her career.  Diane Sawyer's first exposure to the public limelight came in 1963 when she won first place at the age of 17 in the annual America's Junior Miss scholarship pageant as a representative from Kentucky. Bettmann/Corbis  One of her earliest on-air roles was as a co-anchor with Charles Kuralt on the CBS News program Morning in 1981. CBS/Getty Images  Diane Sawyer became the first female correspondent on 60 Minutes in 1984\. Above, she is seen with Ed Bradley, Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner and Morley Safer. CBS/Getty Images  Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters prior to the taping of the 6th annual Television Academy Hall of Fame installation ceremonies on January 7, 1990. Bettmann/Corbis  Sawyer interviewed Whitney Houston in her Atlanta home in 2002 where the singer said her infamous "crack is whack" line. Ida Mae Astute—ABC/Getty Images  Oprah Winfrey and Diane Sawyer kiss Elmo during the Sesame Workshop's Second Annual Benefit Gala held at Cipriani 42nd St in New York City on June 2, 2004. Albert Ferreira—Reuters/Corbis  Diane Sawyer interviews Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland and Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child on Good Morning America, November 16, 2004. Theo Wargo—WireImage/Getty Images  Diane Sawyer and Tom Hanks attend Rita Wilson's Opening Night at 54 Below on April 14, 2013 in New York City. Cindy Ord—Getty Images  Diane Sawyer took over as the anchor of ABC News' flaghsip program, ABC World News, in 2009 replacing Charles Gibson. 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