CNN, the pioneer of 24-hour news, marks its 25th anniversary with a prime-time special highlighting 25 stories that have touched people across the world over the last quarter century and a three-day conference of international journalists, world leaders and CNN executives, anchors and correspondents.

CNN/U.S. will air “Defining Moments: 25 Stories that Touched Our Lives” on Wednesday, June 1, an intimate recounting of the biggest television news events from the past quarter century as told by the newsmakers and journalists who lived through them. The two-part special airs from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and then from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. Special anniversary editions of Larry King Live, which is celebrating its 20th year, airs from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. All times Eastern.

On June 1, 1980, CNN signed on the air as the world’s first 24-hour news network. The single domestic network was available in fewer than two million U.S. households. Since then, CNN has gone from one domestic network to 24 networks and services, including CNN/U.S.; CNN Headline News, the nation’s fastest growing cable news network; CNN International the leading global news network; CNN.com, the Internet’s top news and information site; the Airport Network and more.

Today, CNN/U.S. is in more than 89 million U.S. households, CNN International is available in more than 160 million households outside of the United States. CNN’s combined networks and services reach more than 2 billion people in more than 200 countries. In keeping with CNN's heritage of innovation, the network recently announced its plans for a broadband initiative furthering CNN’s relevance to users and viewers worldwide.

As part of its 25th anniversary, CNN will host the 2005 World Report Conference to be held in Atlanta from Monday, May 30, through Wednesday, June 1. CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Wolf Blitzer, Jim Clancy, Anderson Cooper, Daryn Kagan, Michael Holmes and Zain Verjee will join international journalists and world leaders to discuss issues at the forefront of the news media today.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Sri Lanka President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Pakistan Chief Executive Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono are among the international leaders who will join the conference either in person, via satellite or through a taped address. Musicians Bono and Ricky Martin and author Deepak Chopra will also participate in the conference.

Highlights of the conference include:

• Christiane Amanpour moderating a panel addressing the public’s trust of the news media;
• Anderson Cooper hosting a discussion looking at the tsunami disaster in South Asia six months later;
• Michael Holmes moderating a panel of bloggers and activists to examine blogging and its affect on coverage and public opinion about the media;
• Zain Verjee hosting a panel that reflects on the major news stories and events from 25 years of CNN coverage and interviews survivors of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Columbine High School attack, apartheid in South Africa, genocide in Rwanda and AIDS; and
• An anniversary party headlined by Daryl Hall and John Oates, the No. 1 musical duo in history. The duo recently released their 20th studio album, Our Kind of Soul.

The CNN News Group will also offer a variety of other products and interactive services during its 25th year that highlight its role as a news innovator. These include:

• CNN Q&A Game, a handheld electronic game designed to challenge even the most astute current events and history buffs. The game, which will hit the marketplace in July, will test users’ knowledge of events and news headlines that have impacted the world over the past 25 years. CNN Q&A offers 100 million question variations and a level of play for a variety of competitors by featuring three levels of difficulty, three types of questions and bonus questions. This is a new brand extension for CNN, designed to be a fun way for viewers and users to be informed.
• CNN25 rankings of news events on CNN.com. Topics pertaining to the 25th anniversary can be found at www.CNN.com/SPECIALS/2005/cnn.25/. CNN25-related programming features include rankings of the most significant news events and newsmakers of the last 25 years. These rankings appear online, where viewers can rank the innovations themselves or provide their thoughts and memories on how these innovations changed their lives.
• New Yorker cartoon book. This commemorative edition of New Yorker cartoons satirize the television news industry and CNN, injecting fun and humor into the celebration of CNN’s anniversary.

CNN, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is one of the world’s most respected and trusted sources for news and information. Its reach extends to 14 cable and satellite television networks; two private place-based networks; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; six Web sites, including CNN.com, the first major news and information Web site; and CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service.