Aaron Sorkin
He writes scripts that crackle with the speed and wit of a courtroom argument, turning political process into high drama.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American screenwriter, playwright, and filmmaker·Birthday: June 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Aaron Sorkin grew up in Scarsdale, New York, a theatre kid who found his rhythm not in acting but in the rapid-fire exchange of ideas. His career ignited with the Broadway play 'A Few Good Men,' a military courtroom drama that showcased his signature style: dense, intelligent dialogue delivered at a breakneck pace. He then translated that energy to television, creating 'The West Wing,' which didn't just depict the White House but reimagined it as a palace of idealism, walked through by staffers engaged in perpetual, eloquent 'walk and talks.' His work, from 'The Social Network' to 'The Trial of the Chicago 7,' consistently frames complex institutions—Silicon Valley, Washington, the newsroom—as modern-day coliseums where characters duel with words. Sorkin's impact lies in making policy debates, legal procedures, and code-writing feel as urgent and visceral as any action sequence.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Aaron was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aaron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Aaron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for 'The Social Network' in 2010.
- Created and wrote the influential political drama television series 'The West Wing,' which won multiple Emmy Awards.
- Penned the acclaimed Broadway play 'A Few Good Men,' which was later adapted into a successful film.
- Received a Tony Award nomination for his play 'The Farnsworth Invention.'
Did You Know?
He wrote the script for 'The Social Network' while learning to use screenwriting software, typing with just two fingers.
Many of his projects, including 'The West Wing' and 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,' draw heavily from his own experiences in television and theatre.
He has a noted cameo as a political consultant in an episode of 'The West Wing.'
Sorkin is known for doing extensive, almost obsessive research for his historically-based projects.
“If you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.”
