Thursday was Paula Zahn’s last night on the air for CNN. The farewells started at the end of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer…

BLITZER: I want to leave you this personal note. This is Paula Zahn’s last night with us. She joined CNN six years ago. In fact, her very first day on the air here on CNN was actually on 9/11. We all remember her brilliant reporting that day in New York. And now she leaves us as CNN is covering another major breaking news story.

I know I speak for all of our viewers when I thank Paula for all her excellent work. And on a very personal note, I loved working with Paula because she is a solid reporter, a true professional, and a really nice person.

Good luck down the road, Paula. I hope our paths will continue to cross. Thanks very much.

ZAHN: Oh, that is so generous of you. And this is such a small world. I’m sure our paths will cross again. We have witnessed some extraordinary things together, some of the most important political events of the last six years, and I too salute your professionalism, your sense of fairness, and your camaraderie.

You were a great teammate, Wolf.

BLITZER: You know, I loved working with you. And I know down the road, we’ll be doing it again.

ZAHN: All right. Wolf, thank you so much with the nice send- off, appreciate it.

Zahn’s own farewell involved a small video retrospective and ended with some banter with Larry King…

ZAHN: And welcome back. Right now, I want to share something a little bit personal with you. You may have heard that I am leaving CNN. Yes, it’s true. Tonight is my last night here. And it has been a remarkable six years. I have been privileged to witness history from a front row seat and to bring it into your homes. And the breaking news from Minneapolis this week’s makes a strange, but perhaps fitting bookend for my time here, because my first day on the air, at this network was September 11, 2001.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Mayor, what’s the situation right now?

MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI, NEW YORK: The situation is that two airplanes have attacked…

ZAHN: We are just getting information from the union official of some of the 400 firefighters that initially went into that area.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my god.

ZAHN: Two-hundred may have perished.

I know it doesn’t get easier each time you come here, but what are your thoughts as we mark this four-month period?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, Paula, it’s just — it’s always different when you’re actually here. Even four months later when you actually come to Ground Zero, you can’t help but sense the sadness and tremendous sense of loss. ZAHN: Currently, it’s believed that some 15 oil wells had been set on fire over the last 24 hours. Are you fairly confident that weapons of mass destruction will ultimately be found in Iraq?

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECY OF STATE: I’m very confident that the president, going in, had strong intelligence…

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This rescue in progress.

ZAHN: How can it be that hundreds and hundreds of thousands of victims have not received any food and water more than 100 hours after Katrina hit?

MICHAEL BROWN, DIRECTOR, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: Paula, I think it’s so important for the American public to understand exactly how catastrophic this disaster is.

ZAHN: Sir, you aren’t just telling me you just learned that the folks at the Convention Center didn’t have food and water until today, are you? You had no idea they were completely cut off?

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Paula, the federal government did not even know about the Convention Center people until today.

ZAHN: We are standing about 500 yards away from this candlelight vigil now, where the Taps are being played. I just want to show you the crowd as we continue our conversation.

Thanks you for joining us for a special edition of PAULA ZAHN NOW, “Out in the Open: Racism in America.”

We’re coming to you from the restored Jefferson Theatre in Beaumont, Texas.

(voice-over): Two years after the 9/11 attacks, a town hall meeting from St. Paul’s Chapel in New York City.

(on camera): We come to you from this historic place of worship, a place that, after 9/11, a vital center of refuge for so many.

First, here at the Vatican it has been a spectacular day of ceremony and celebration.

Thank you so much. I’m delighted to be here. Thank you for your hospitality here this evening and welcome to the Racine Theatre Guild for first of four town hall meetings.

Why Canton, Ohio you ask? Well, for a very good reason. With the nation split between President Bush and Senator John Kerry…

It was a great celebration for the president, but a day that brings with it a tremendous number of challenges.

You don’t really care who you tick off now, right? I mean, you’ve been accused of absolving white racism.

For four or five nights a week you did bet on the games. How did you decide which game to bet on?

Who expected you to be perfect?

Here you are, a highly successful performer whose performances have bridged the White world, the Black world, and yet you still are offended on a daily basis.

(voice-over): Former President George Bush walked the sands of nearby Iwo Jima, site of some of the bloodiest fighting of World War II.

(on camera): Now that you’ve seen this for the first time, what are your impressions?

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FMR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, just amazing. I mean, you think of the tragic loss of life.

ZAHN: You knew that the image of you’re walking would be unsettling to people. Is there a part of you that derives enjoyment out of needling people and getting them to think a different way?

CHRISTOPHER REEVES, ACTOR: I shouldn’t do these interviews. I tell the truth too much. Absolutely.

(LAUGHTER)

ZAHN: How much fun is it?

REEVES: Well, I want to shake people up.

ROSIE O’DONNELL, COMEDIAN: I thought everyone knew, too. You know, when I would say that I was in love with Tom Cruise and people would say well, that was all an act. It’s not an act, I never said I wanted to have sex with him, I said I wanted him to come over and mow my lawn in a t-shirt and jeans and bring me lemonade.

ZAHN: But, you also didn’t say you had the hots for Angelina Jolie.

O’DONNELL: No, but I think if you watch the show you could tell.

(LAUGHTER)

TOMMY THOMPSON, FORMER HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: You’re the father and you’ve raised this wonderful child and now she’s going to go through this surgery and she’s going to lose her breast and it’s very traumatic for her.

ZAHN: Well, I personally want to thank you for raising the awareness of the importance of self detection and for opening your heart up to us today.

THOMPSON: I’m was sorry I got teary-eyed, Paula. ZAHN: Oh, you made me get there, too. Any of us who have been through it.

THOMPSON: And I want to thank you because this is so important.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: It has been a remarkable journey, six years of non-stop news events. And I am sad to say this is the last time I’m going to be able to chitchat with my buddy Larry King in Los Angeles.

You know, Larry, when I go back and look at that video, you and I have both have lived at warp speed for so long, sometimes you haven’t even absorbed what you’ve witnessed as you sit here from these very privileged seats.

LARRY KING, LARRY KING LIVE: Yeah, that’s right. We’re too close to the forest for the trees. And watching that retrospective, just now, brings home, Paula, what a privilege it’s been to work with you these past six years. You are a terrific journalist, a total pro, class act. I have nothing but the greatest respect for you. I think you have cut your own swath in American media. I’m sorry to see you leaving.

I hope you — do you know what I hope?

ZAHN: ZAHN: What do you hope?

KING: I hope everything you wish for yourself, comes true. I hope — I wish you all you wish yourself.

ZAHN: Do you have everything crossed? That’s such a nice thing to say. You know, what I’m going to do…

KING: You know what? You don’t need luck.

ZAHN: Oh, thank you.

KING: What were you going to say.

ZAHN: We all need grace from upstairs. No, it’s — you know, I leave with such mixed emotions. As you know, what we do is challenging at times, and I could never be sitting here as prepared as I am without KING: this remarkable team that’s sitting behind me here tonight. And that is a tough thing to let go of.

You know, you will miss that. You will miss them, and we will miss you. Do you want to know what’s coming up? Do you want to know the bit?

ZAHN: Do you have to? No, Larry, I’m just kidding. This is really an important news night, you know, once again, the irony, that I would start and end with this horrendous story out of Minneapolis. Who are you going to be talking to?

KING: A whole ton of people. We’ll stay on the story that’s been covered all day long, the tragic bridge collapse, of course. More incredible survivor stories, more on heroes who pulled them out, more from structural engineers who will give us some thoughts as to what happened and why.

We’ll look at the school bus and the incredible fact that nobody died on that bus. We’ll even meat one of the divers who’s been searching the river, and a local reporter who saw some unspeakable horrible things in the wreckage. That’s at the top of the hour on LARRY KING LIVE. And with that I say for the last time, back to the lovely and talented Paula.

ZAHN: Oh Larry, Thanks so much. Well, I will look forward to continuing to watch you. I have to break a very bad habit, that is, though. I have for years been watching like three and four television sets at one time. So now I will be glued only on you.

KING: You bet, and I’ll see you when we’re in New York.

ZAHN: And you know who else is here tonight? I’ve two of my three here tonight and they send you the best.

KING: Give them my love.

ZAHN: Guys, you don’t have to hide anymore. Oh, they’re hiding. Look, they’re behind the computer screen. Nice job! Those are kids for you, Larry. We’ll be right back.

KING: What do you know?

ZAHN: You really hid.

KING: Go get them, Paula.

ZAHN: I didn’t even know we were still on the air.

KING: Neither did I, but we’re here.

ZAHN: OK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: My good night tonight is special, because it’s my last one here at CNN. I came here in 2001 determined to report the news honestly, accurately, and without bias. And I have been very lucky to be your window into some of the most important events of the last six years, defining moments in our history — terror attacks, two wars, a presidential election, Hurricane Katrina, and so many other stories that have affected all of our lives. I hope you have found this program interesting, useful and fair. I hope I served you well.

Again, thank you so much for the privilege of being welcomed into your home. Thank you for trusting me to bring you the news. And I want to express my gratitude to all the people behind the scenes here who helped put this program on the air. Bravo, gang! They’re all so shy tonight. They won’t even show their heads. They are fabulous colleagues. Thank you so much for joining us tonight and all the other times you’ve been with us. Have a great night.