We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Larry King, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the iconic talk show host that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: His Parents Were Orthodox Jews. King was born in Brooklyn to a mother who was a garment worker and a father who was a restaurant owner born in the Ukraine. Both of his parents were Orthodox Jews.
Number Seven: He Never Went to College. King’s father died at the young age of 44, and when he died, King lost all interest in school and other activities. Though King did eventually graduate high school, he decided to help his mother at home rather than go to college.
Number Six: His First Broadcasting Job Paid Him $55 Every Week. King got his first broadcasting job when he moved down to Miami after being tipped off that it was a good place for people interested in journalism. King was hired as a sort of intern, but he did his first broadcast when one of their announcers unexpectedly quit. He was paid $55 a week for his work.
Number Five: He Was Mentored by Jackie Gleason. Gleason’s variety show was being filmed in Miami Beach while King was a broadcaster there. King has said that he and Gleason would often stay in the studio until five in the morning, and Gleason became a mentor to King.
Number Four: He Is Very Charitable. King has established the Larry King Cardiac Foundation, and he also gave one million dollars to George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. He has given in countless ways in response to natural disasters as well.
Number Three: He Is an Atheist. Though we mentioned that King was raised by two Orthodox Jewish parents, he himself is an atheist.
Number Two: He Has a Long History With Heart Disease. And in fact, King has written two books about his experiences with heart disease. They are called Mr. King, You’re Having a Heart Attack: How a Heart Attack and Bypass Surgery Changed My Life, and Taking On Heart Disease: Famous Personalities Recall How They Triumphed over the Nation’s #1 Killer and How You Can, Too.
Number One: He Wants to Be Cryonically Preserved. King revealed in his book titled My Remarkable Journey that he wants to be cryonically preserved when he dies. He says he wants to be preserved in part because he doesn’t believe in any sort of afterlife.