Max Robinson

December 20, 1988 - Max Robinson, the first African-American news anchor for a major television network died of AIDS on this day.

Robinson was an award-winning journalist who covered major events like the 1968 race riots and the anti-war movement. Based in Chicago, Robinson's segments for World News Tonight would be beamed to New York via satellite.

Taking his work very seriously, Robinson had a reputation for being hot-tempered when his stories were poorly edited or watered down. Some of his off-air rants were captured by viewers tuning in to the pre-show preparations on the satellite feeds.

Here's a clip of one of his infamous blowups: