Al Franken
A satirical writer and performer who pivoted from skewering politicians on 'Saturday Night Live' to becoming one himself in the U.S. Senate.
Born 1951 (age 75)·American comedian and politician·Birthday: May 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Al Franken’s career is a story of two distinct, deeply American acts. First, as a Harvard-educated comedian, he, alongside writing partner Tom Davis, helped define the sharp, political humor of 'Saturday Night Live’s' early years, creating characters like the self-help guru Stuart Smalley. His books, like 'Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot,' were bestsellers that channeled liberal outrage into pointed satire. In a surprising second act, Franken moved back to his childhood state of Minnesota and ran for the U.S. Senate in 2008, winning after a protracted recount. As a senator, he applied a policy-wonk’s intensity, famously grilling CEOs in hearings and becoming a leading voice on technology and privacy issues. His tenure was cut short in 2018 when he resigned amid allegations of past inappropriate behavior, a controversial end to a journey that uniquely blended the worlds of comedy and consequential lawmaking.
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.
Al was born in 1951, 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 Al Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Could drive
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
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
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
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
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 50
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 60
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 70
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 75 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won seven Emmy Awards for his writing and producing work on 'Saturday Night Live.'
- Authored the bestselling political satire book 'Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.'
- Served as a United States Senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018, serving on the Judiciary and Health committees.
- Played a key role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act as a freshman senator.
Did You Know?
He wrote the 'SNL' sketch 'Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley,' which later became a film he starred in.
Franken graduated from Harvard College with a degree in government.
He was a fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government's Shorenstein Center after leaving the Senate.
His Senate campaign was the subject of the documentary 'Al Franken: God Spoke.'
“Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way.”
