It Happens to All of Us Sooner Or Later

Newscaster Mike Wallace, only 93 years old, has died. He died last night surrounded by family.

Wallace is best known for his ambush-style interview questions demonstrated during his long, long tenure at 60 Minutes. He was one of the original correspondents of the series along with Harry Reasoner when it debuted way back in 1968.

He retired from the series in 2008 following his last interview and triple-bypass surgery.

Decades before his 60 Minutes success, Wallace was already known to millions. In the early days of broadcasting, with no line between news and entertainment, Wallace did both in the 1940s and '50s. He appeared on a variety of radio and television programs, first as narrator/announcer, then as a reporter, actor and program host. On his first network television news program, ABC's "The Mike Wallace Interview," he perfected his interviewing style that he first tried on a local New York television guest show called "Night Beat." Created with producer Ted Yates, "Night Beat" became an instant hit that New Yorkers began referring to as "brow beat." Wallace's relentless questioning of his subjects proved to be a compelling alternative to the polite chit-chat practiced by early television hosts.

He'd have made a good prosecutor.