Barbara Walters officially announced her summer 2014 retirement Monday on "The View" after 50 continuous years on television.
There were some tears that accompanied a montage of Walters' broadcast journalism career. Some of the highlights from the clip included interviews with former presidents and first ladies, crossing the Bay of Pigs with Fidel Castro and, of course, her famous March 1999 chat with Monica Lewinsky, still the most watched interview in television history.
Before the tribute video, Walters said, "After all of the speculation and the rumors and so forth last month, I promised you that if I had anything to announce about my future plans, you would hear it first here. So here it goes…"
Also read: Barbara Walters Set to Announce Retirement on Monday's 'The View'
Walters hosted and reported on ABC's news magazine program, "20/20" for 25 years. In the montage, narrated by Walters, she recalled her Academy Awards shows, her "Most Fascinating People" program and the 17-year-old "The View."
Walters called her career, "an absolutely joyful, rewarding, challenging, fascinating and occasionally bumpy ride."
Walters followed by saying she is "perfectly healthy" and that this was her decision and what she wants to do. She will continue as co-executive producer on "The View" with Bill Getty.
"There will be special occasions, and I will come back," Walters said. "I'm not walking into the sunset — but I don't want to appear on another program. I don't want to climb another mountain. I want instead to sit in a sunny field and admire the very gifted women — and OK, some men, too — that will be taking my place."
Watch below.