November 28: Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart (Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz) of The Daily Show was born in New York City on this date in 1962. Stewart has been hosting the comedy show since 1999 and has turned it into a major source of news, information and progressive political perspectives for the cable television generations. He was supportive of the Writers Guild of America during its 2007-2008 strike; writers for The Daily Show had been the first at Comedy Central to join the Guild. Stewart’s production company, Busboy Productions, is also responsible for launching The Colbert Report. Stewart’s books include Naked Pictures of Famous People, a bestseller, and the forthcoming Earth (the Book). He has won thirteen Emmy Awards as writer or producer, and has also shared with his team two Peabody Awards for their coverage of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. Asteroid 116939 Jonstewart, discovered on April 15th, 2004, is named in his honor.

“Religion. It’s given people hope in a world torn apart by religion.” —Jon Stewart

Watch Jon Stewart’s Salute to the Jewish People, a compilation of clips from The Daily Show