Anderson Cooper Attacked in Egypt: 5 Facts on the CNN Newsman

Sometimes, being a network anchor entails more than sitting behind a desk and reading the news.

Over the span of his career at CNN, Anderson Cooper has broadcast from Hurricane Katrina and Afghanistan alike, without coming to any harm. But Egypt has been another story. While trying to cover the pro-democracy demonstrations and the pro-government counter-demonstrations, he was allegedly attacked by supporters of President Hosni Mubarak, receiving about 10 punches in the head.

Cooper discusses the attack in the video below.

This certainly isn't the first adventure in Cooper's jampacked life. Surge Desk delves into his noteworthy background.

1. Born into New York society
Cooper was born into one of New York's oldest and most respected families, the Vanderbilts. His great-great-great-grandfather was Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt, a 19th-century business tycoon who made his fortune in railroads and steamships. Cooper's mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, is a socialite who designed jeans.

2. Familiar with personal tragedy
His father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, was a writer who died when Anderson was just 10 years old. Ten years later, his older brother, Carter Cooper, committed suicide, jumping from the family's 14th-floor apartment. Carter Cooper was 23.

3. A CIA intern
While at Yale, Cooper spent the summers before his sophomore and junior years doing an internship, as many college students do. But Cooper's internship was a little more interesting: He was at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., in a program meant for students considering intelligence work.

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4. An adventurous traveler
After working as an entry-level fact checker, Cooper flew the coop. He had a friend doctor up some false credentials and went to a "Wild West" town on the border between Burma and Thailand. There, he met with Burmese activists at, of all places, an ice cream parlor and told them he was a journalist. They helped him sneak into Burma. Then he spent six months living in Vietnam, studying Vietnamese.

5. A reality-TV addict
You can't be all business all the time. Cooper's guilty pleasure is reality TV. He once hosted the reality show "The Mole" and has admitted to a love for "The Real Housewives."

More coverage from Surge Desk:
Anderson Cooper Tells Twitter He's Sore but OK
Tahrir Square Battle [LIVE CAM]
Egypt Upheaval Today; Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia Unrest Tomorrow?

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