Called "Ms. Perseverance" by USA Today, well-rounded veteran broadcast journalist Margaret Jane Pauley (1950-) was born on this day in Bloomington, Indiana.

She once admitted that she was raised with "the pragmatic sense to mistrust the good stuff and be always prepared for misfortune that might be around the corner."

Known for her probing and compassionate interviews, Pauley began her 13-year stint as co-anchor of NBC's Today Show in 1976, first with Tom Brokaw, then Bryant Gumble.

"We're close friends and will be forever," Pauley said of her relationship with Gumble. "He's got a make-no-apologies personality. It's part of his charm."

Since 1990, Pauley has substituted for Brokaw as anchor of the evening news and has co-hosted the award-winning newsmagazine Dateline NBC. The intensely private journalist is married to Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau.

"I grew into middle age and recognized a confidence and strength that were unfamiliar to me, and I like them," she said.

A well-rounded life is a strong foundation.