Longtime ABC News Anchor Barbara Walters has died

Longtime ABC News Anchor and pioneering broadcast journalistBarbara Walters died at age 93, the network reported Friday evening.

Walters, who became the first female anchor on a network evening news program, later co-hosted newsmagazine shows and launched the long running program ‘The View’.

ABC broke into network program Friday evening to announce Walters’ passing.

The cause of death was not known.

“Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones. She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women,” said publicist Cindi Berger in a statement.

Generations of viewers came to know Barbara Walters as a legendary journalist breaking barriers in the news industry on the anchor desk and starting national conversations through her network specials and one-on-one interviews with newsmakers.

Then a new generation of viewers came to know Walters after launching ‘The View’ on ABC, a successful program she appeared on until 2014 but remained as an executive producer.

Walters made history as the first female co-anchor of ABC's evening newscast in October of 1976.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.