it's farewell to larry king LIVE!

Posted by Golden on December 20th, 2010

It's hard to imagine, but Thursday, a legend hung up his suspenders for the last time.

On Thursday night, after a record-breaking 25 years on the air at CNN, Larry King signed off for the last time as host of "Larry King Live." Before doing so, he was joined by several surprise special guests and friends of the show, who helped bid a fond farewell to the man whose legendary career has transformed him into a media icon.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger joined Larry via satellite from Sacramento to thank him for his contributions to the state of California. The Governator even flexed a little muscle by using his gubernatorial powers to declare December 17  "Larry King Day" in his state.

Larry has interviewed and rubbed elbows with countless famous and powerful celebrities and political figures over the years, but even he was shocked when Ryan Seacrest told him that the president of the United States had a message for him. President Obama thanked him for "a truly amazing career" and his excellent interviews "from Kermit the Frog to Joe from Tacoma."

Over the course of his remarkable career, Larry King interviewed virtually everyone who was anyone except himself. On the night of his final show, he finally crossed his own name off the list. Sort of.

'SNL' funnyman Fred Armisen joined Larry as Larry (identical clothing and all) to ask himself a few questions.

At the same time every night, Anderson Cooper normally joins Larry for a quick preview of what's coming on next on "AC 360." This time, though, Anderson instead used the time to personally thank Larry for the impact that he had on his own career and share a touching personal moment with his friend and mentor.

And at the end of the night, when the final guests had expressed their thanks, shared their memories, and said their goodbyes, all that remained was for Larry King to sign off for the final time. He did so with all of the poise and poignancy that his viewers have come to expect from him.

So long, Larry. Thanks for the memories.