Adam Savage
A wildly curious maker and storyteller who turned the scientific method into must-see TV, inspiring a global generation of builders.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American television host·Birthday: July 15·Generation X
Biography
Adam Savage didn't just host a television show; he became the embodied spirit of hands-on inquiry. Before 'MythBusters,' he was a sculptor and fabricator, bringing creatures and props to life for films like 'The Matrix Reloaded.' That practical knowledge became the bedrock of the series, where his infectious enthusiasm and willingness to fail spectacularly demystified science and engineering. He was the passionate, sometimes reckless, id to Jamie Hyneman's measured superego, a dynamic that made complex physics feel like a backyard adventure. After the show, Savage evolved into a digital-age da Vinci, using his 'Tested' platform to dive deep into cosplay, tool reviews, and one-day builds, fostering a community that celebrates the pure joy of making things. He is less a professor and more a master craftsman who insists you can learn to build anything.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Adam was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Adam Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Adam's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
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
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-hosted the groundbreaking science entertainment series 'MythBusters' for over 200 episodes across 14 years.
- Fabricated props and models for major films, including the sentinel robots in 'The Matrix Reloaded' and the Penguin's duck vehicle in 'Batman Returns.'
- Built and hosts the multimedia maker platform 'Tested,' which includes a popular YouTube channel with millions of subscribers.
- Hosted the Science Channel series 'Savage Builds,' focusing on ambitious engineering projects.
- Serves as an exhibit designer and consultant for institutions like the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
Did You Know?
He worked as a children's theater actor and a cartoonist early in his career.
Savage is an obsessive cosplayer and has built incredibly detailed costumes, including a full Ghostbusters proton pack.
He owns a large collection of historical artifacts, including a piece of the Wright brothers' first airplane.
He dropped out of college but later received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Twente in the Netherlands.
“I reject your reality and substitute my own.”
