Abraham Ribicoff
A sharp-witted New Deal Democrat, he championed consumer safety and civil rights from the governor's mansion to the U.S. Senate floor.
1910–1998 (age 88)·American politician·Birthday: April 9·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Abraham Ribicoff carried the plain-spoken grit of his immigrant, working-class upbringing in New Britain, Connecticut, into a long and pointed political career. After serving as a state judge and in Congress, he won the governorship in 1954, bringing a modernizing energy to Hartford. His national profile soared when he delivered a nominating speech for John F. Kennedy at the 1960 Democratic Convention, famously praising him as someone who 'can restore the moral authority of the Presidency.' Kennedy rewarded him with the cabinet post of Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, where Ribicoff began pushing for what would later become Medicare. Returning to Washington as a U.S. Senator, he became a forceful advocate for auto safety, authoring the laws that created the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and mandated seat belts. His was a career defined by practical liberalism and a knack for identifying the next public crisis.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Abraham was born in 1910, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Abraham Was Born
The biggest hits of 1910
Abraham's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1910Born
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1915Started school
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Became a teenager
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1926Could drive
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1928Could vote
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Turned 21
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1940Turned 30
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 40
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 50
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 60
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 70
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 80
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1998Died at 88
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
Key Achievements
- Served as U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President John F. Kennedy, helping lay groundwork for future social programs.
- As a U.S. Senator, authored the Highway Safety Act of 1966, which created the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Elected as the 80th Governor of Connecticut, becoming the state's first and only Jewish governor to date.
Did You Know?
At the 1968 Democratic Convention, he famously denounced the 'Gestapo tactics' of the Chicago police from the podium, directly confronting Mayor Richard Daley.
He turned down President Kennedy's offer of a seat on the Supreme Court, preferring the legislative arena.
He was the first governor of Connecticut to serve a four-year term, after championing a change in the state's constitution.
“I can see something that you cannot see. I can see a man who will restore the moral authority of the Presidency.”
