Matt Lauer fired: A timeline of his career

Matt Lauer was fired from "The Today Show" on Wednesday, for "inappropriate sexual misconduct," according to a report from The New York Times.

In January 2017, Lauer celebrated 20 years on the show. Here’s a timeline of Lauer’s career.

1979: Lauer began his television career as a producer of the noon news for WOWK-TV in Huntington, West Virginia.

Related: Matt Lauer fired over allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior

1980: He was an on-air reporter on the 6 and 11 o'clock newscasts at WOWK.

1980-1984: Lauer hosted a number of weekly information and talk programs in Boston, Philadelphia and Richmond, Va. He worked for ESPN and hosted PM Magazine in Providence, Rhode Island.

1986: Co-hosted at WNYW-TV's “Made In New York” with Jill Rappaport; also co-hosted “Fame, Fortune and Romance.”

>> Read more trending news

1988: Hosted “Talk of the Town” WNEW-TV in Boston.

1989-1991: Lauer hosted a three-hour live interview program, WWOR-TV's “9 Broadcast Plaza.”

1990: Lauer hosted a pilot called "Day In Court.”

1991: Lauer and Willow Bay co-hosted “Etc., Etc.,” on the Travel Channel.

1992: Lauer moved to WNBC-TV as co-anchor with Jane Hanson of the early weekday news show “Today in New York.”

Photos: Matt Lauer through the years

1992-1993: Lauer filled in as “newsreader” for Margaret Larson on “The Today Show.”

1992-1997: Lauer filled in as co-host on “Weekend Today” and “NBC News at Sunrise.” He substituted for “The Today Show” host, Bryant Gumble.

1993-1996: Lauer and Sue Simmons co-hosted “Live at Five” on WNBC-TV.

January, 1994: Lauer joins “The Today Show” fulltime as news anchor.

Credit: Scott Halleran

Credit: Scott Halleran

January 6, 1997: Lauer is named co-anchor of “The Today Show.”

1998-2011: Lauer launches “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” on “The Today Show.” The segment had Lauer broadcasting from places around the world, giving clues to his location as viewers were asked to guess where he was.

Since 1998: Lauer has co-hosted NBC's live coverage of the “Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.”

Since 2000: Lauer has co-hosted the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.

Famous interviews:

June 2005: Actor Tom Cruise got into an argument with Lauer about psychiatry and postpartum depression.

June 2006: Ann Coulter asks Lauer if he was "getting testy with me” over her criticism of 911 widows.

June 2007: Lauer interviewed Prince William and Prince Harry on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.

November 2010: President George W. Bush gave Lauer one of his first one-on-one television interviews since leaving The Oval Office.

November 2015: Lauer interviewed Charlie Sheen when the actor revealed he is HIV-positive.

September 8, 2016: Lauer conducted separate 30-minute interviews with presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

From NBC News Matt Lauer Bio: "Other Lauer exclusives include first lady Michelle Obama in her first interview since the State of the Union address in February 2010; former senior advisor to President Bush, Karl Rove; Michael Douglas' first interview after his son's prison sentence for drug charges, and later, Douglas' first television interview since undergoing cancer treatment; and Elizabeth Edwards' first television interview since separating from her husband, John Edwards."

About the Author