Rush Limbaugh: Conservative Radio Host and Presidential Medal of Freedom

Rush Limbaugh was an American radio host and conservative political commentator whose nationally syndicated show shaped talk radio and American politics for more than three decades. Born Rush Hudson Limbaugh III on January 12, 1951, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, he became one of the most influential and polarizing media figures of his era.

The Rush Limbaugh Show went into national syndication in 1988 and by 2019 was estimated to reach about 15.5 million weekly listeners, the most listened-to radio show in the United States. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2020, President Donald Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union address.

Limbaugh's remarks drew sharp criticism over the years, including accusations of racism and insults toward women and LGBT people, and critics regularly rated many of his claims as false. Supporters praised him as a champion of conservative ideas. He lost most of his hearing in the early 2000s and regained much of it with a cochlear implant. He announced lung cancer in 2020 and died in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 17, 2021, at age 70.

Achievements: Launched The Rush Limbaugh Show in national syndication (1988), inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame (1993), reached an estimated 15.5 million weekly listeners (2019), awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2020).

Birth: January 12, 1951 - Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Profession: Radio host and political commentator.

Interesting Facts: At 16 he used the on-air name Rusty Sharpe, picked from a telephone book. He was married four times.