It was the beginning of a new era in the media world: On June 1, 1980, Ted Turner inaugurated Cable News Network (CNN), the world’s first live, in-depth, round-the-clock news television network.

In September 1985 he successfully launched CNN International, which serves as the company’s global news service and is currently distributed in more than 210 countries and territories worldwide. It has dramatically changed our ability to continually have access to information.

In March 1986, Turner Broadcasting System acquired the MGM library of film and television properties. This library formed the initial programming cornerstone of TNT, which was launched in 1988.

Enjoying a toast at the World Awards gala. Ted Turner with Frederique D’Arragon and President Mikhail Gorbachev enjoyed the awards ceremony.

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. With the merger of Time Warner Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. in 1996 Mr. Turner became Vice Chairman of Time Warner.

Mr. Turner has made his mark as one of the most influential philanthropists in the world. He directs most of his philanthropic activities through the Turner Foundation, 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.