Helen Thomas

Born in Winchester, Ky., in 1920, Thomas was raised in Detroit, Mich. One of nine children, she was the daughter of Lebanese immigrants who could not read or write English. She fell in love with journalism in high school, graduated with a degree from Wayne State University, and joined the now defunct Washington Daily News as a $17.50 a week "copy girl." In 1943, Thomas joined United Press International and the Washington Press Corps.

In November 1960, Thomas began covering then President-elect John F. Kennedy, following him to the White House in January 1961 as a member of the UPI team. It was during this first White House assignment that Thomas began closing presidential press conferences with "Thank you, Mr. President."

Thomas was the only woman print journalist traveling with President Nixon to China during his breakthrough trip in January 1972. She has the distinction of having traveled around the world several times with Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush.

Recently Thomas grilled White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer on the Bush administration's pre-emptive war in Iraq and its danger to innocent civilians. Read a transcript.

About her career in journalism, Thomas said, "We in the press have a special role since there is no other institution in our society ... that can hold the President accountable. I do believe that our democracy can endure and prevail only if the American people are informed."

Thomas has written three books, including her latest, "Thanks for the Memories Mr. President: Wit and Wisdom from the Front Row at the White House."