Regis Philbin, born in New York City on Aug. 25, 1931, got his start in television working as a page at NBC's The Tonight Show and writing for other California-based shows before hosting his own. Pictured here circa 1960, Philbin sits with guest Ronald Reagan on his local San Diego TV show.
Philbin's early television stints were often brief, until he landed an opportunity with Joey Bishop, pictured here circa 1967. The show was Philbin's first appearance before a national audience, and he and Bishop would mirror Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon's on-air banter.
Now also famous for his game-show hosting duties, Philbin got his start on The Neighbors. The show involved two female contestants guessing which of her neighbors had gossiped about her; the show ran for three months.
Philbin was also a "field reporter" on ABC's game show Almost Anything Goes. He is pictured here in 1976 interviewing a mannequin. The show featured physical challenges for contestants, with reporters and announcers providing lighthearted commentary.
Philbin's first appearance with Kathie Lee Johnson, later Gifford, was in 1985, after he had moved to New York and accepted a job co-hosting The Morning Show. The low-rated show improved from the pairing, and was syndicated in 1988 as Live With Regis And Kathie Lee.
Philbin is a famous supporter of Notre Dame, his alma mater. In this 1993 photo, he sits in football coach Lou Holtz's office during a visit for the team's final regular season game.
Philbin was the original host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, the first season of which was extremely successful. He won a daytime Emmy for his hosting duties in 2001 and has said the experience was one of his favorites. Here, he sits opposite the show's first winner in Nov. 1999.
In 2000, Kathie Lee Gifford announced she would relinquish her hosting duties to focus on her singing career and her family. Following her absence, the show featured guest hosts, and current co-host Kelly Ripa eventually joined full-time the following year.
Kelly Ripa joined Live With Regis and Kelly on Feb. 5, 2001, following a 12-year run on the soap opera All My Children. Ripa, pictured here during her first episode, became an immediate favorite after her first guest-host appearance in Nov. 2000.
Perhaps the longest-running member of Philbin's television career is producer Michael Gelman. He has worked with Philbin for 29 years; the two are pictured here in Philbin's office in October 2011.
On April 10, 2003, Philbin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is not the only appraisal of his work. Beyond several individual Emmy awards, he received the ceremony's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
On Nov. 18, Philbin’s time with the morning show will end after 28 years. In total, he will have logged 16,700 hours on camera, earning him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. He has announced he will take time off, but continue his television career.
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