For years, American broadcaster Anderson Cooper blanked out Father’s Day, which was a painful reminder of losing his father when he was just 10. In an interview in 2021, he said: “I just didn’t acknowledge (Father’s Day). Holidays and especially Father’s Day when you don’t have a dad is not even just bittersweet, it’s inexplicable. The pain was so great for most of my life I didn’t know Father’s Day was this date.”

As a young adult, this grief was compounded by the suicide of his brother. These profound losses drove him to carve out a successful career in journalism, telling the stories of those who have suffered or endured disasters and wars.