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Pierre Salinger

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Pierre Salinger was a man who lived through many big moments in history.

Oval Office LBJ in Jan. 1964
Oval Office LBJ in Jan. 1964

He worked as a journalist, a writer, and a politician. He was born in San Francisco, California, on June 14, 1925. His father was a mining engineer and his mother was a journalist. Salinger was a child prodigy who could play the piano very well. He studied at the Toronto Conservatory of Music when he was young. He even gave his first public concert when he was only six years old. He could play music by famous composers like Bach and Beethoven.

Salinger did many different jobs throughout his life. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was a skipper of a submarine chaser near Okinawa. During a big storm called Typhoon Louise, he rescued men from a reef. For this brave act, he received the Navy and Marine Corps medal. After the war, he went to the University of San Francisco. He earned his degree in 1947 and started writing for newspapers. He even worked as a horse racing columnist known as "Lucky Pierre."

Oval Office LBJ in Jan. 1964
Oval Office LBJ in Jan. 1964

He spent many years working for the United States government. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy hired him as his press secretary. This job meant he helped tell the president's news to the world. Salinger even traveled to Moscow to meet with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. They spent time talking about world events like the Berlin crisis. After President Kennedy died, Lyndon B. Johnson kept Salinger as his press secretary. Salinger worked very hard to help the new president during a sad time.

Oval Office LBJ in Jan. 1964
Oval Office LBJ in Jan. 1964

Salinger also tried his hand at being a leader in California. In 1964, he became a United States Senator for a short time. He was appointed to fill a spot left by Senator Clair Engle. However, he lost his next election to George Murphy. After leaving the Senate, he worked in the business world for a while. He even had a small part on the TV show Batman. In that show, he played a lawyer named Lucky Pierre.

Oval Office LBJ in Jan. 1964
Oval Office LBJ in Jan. 1964

Later in life, Salinger became a famous news reporter for ABC News. He was a correspondent who traveled to many different countries. He reported on the Iran Hostage Crisis between 1979 and 1981. He also covered the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in Scotland. Salinger won a George Polk award for his important news stories. He spent his life watching and telling the stories of the world. He passed away on October 16, 2004.

Oval Office LBJ in Jan. 1964
Oval Office LBJ in Jan. 1964
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