Birthday profile

Laura Ling

Laura Ling, American journalist and author

Born
December 1, 1976
Age in 2026
50
Zodiac sign
Sagittarius
Birth year
1976

About Laura Ling

Laura Ling (born December 1, 1976) is an American journalist and writer. She worked for Current TV as a correspondent and vice president of its Vanguard Journalism Unit, which produced the Vanguard TV series. She was the host and reporter on E! Investigates, a documentary series on the E! Network. In November 2014, Ling joined Discovery Digital Networks as its Director of Development. In 2009, Ling and fellow journalist Euna Lee were detained in North Korea after they started filming refugees from the country who had crossed the river and entered China. Many of these refugees were women, and once across the border, they were often sold as brides. Ling said that the North Korean guards dragged her across the border. Once in North Korea the two women were tried and convicted. They were pardoned after former U.S. President Bill Clinton flew to North Korea to meet with Kim Jong-il and appeal on their behalf. Ling and her older sister, Lisa Ling, are daughters of Hong Konger and Taiwanese immigrants. They grew up in Carmichael and Sacramento, California. Both became journalists and her sister became a correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show, National Geographic Explorer, CNN, and CBS News.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Career and life highlights

Laura Ling timeline

  1. In 2009, Ling and fellow journalist Euna Lee were detained in North Korea after they started filming refugees from the country who had crossed the river and entered China.
  2. In 2009, Ling and fellow journalist Euna Lee were detained in North Korea after they started filming refugees.
  3. In November 2014, Ling joined Discovery Digital Networks as its Director of Development.

The world when Laura Ling was born

Laura Ling was born in 1976. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1976

  • #1 song"Silly Love Songs" – Wings
  • Top movieRocky
  • Top TV showHappy Days
  • Best-selling bookRoots – Alex Haley

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentNadia Comaneci scores first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics
  • Top headlineAmerica celebrates its 200th birthday
  • Technology milestoneApple Computer founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
  • Defining fadCB radios
  • Notable inventionLaser printer
  • World population4.16 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderGerald Ford
  • Sports championCincinnati Reds (World Series)
  • Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
  • U.S. population218.0M

1976 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Laura Ling's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19762026
Gas$0.59$3.45/gal
Average home$48,000$435,000
Average income$14,958$67,500
Minimum wage$2.30$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.13$11.95
Postage stamp$0.13$0.73
Population218.0M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Library of Congress. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.