Al Gore
A politician who transformed from a Washington insider into the world's most persistent evangelist for confronting the climate crisis.
Born 1948 (age 78)·Vice President of the United States from 1993 to 2001·Birthday: March 31·Baby Boomers
Biography
Al Gore was born into a political dynasty in Tennessee, the son of a longtime U.S. senator. He seemed destined for the family business, serving in the House and Senate with a focus on technology and environmental issues before becoming Bill Clinton's vice president in 1993. His eight years in the White House were marked by policy advocacy for the emerging internet and environmental protection. The controversial 2000 presidential election, which he lost despite winning the popular vote, became a pivot point. Stepping back from electoral politics, Gore dedicated himself to climate education, creating the slide-show lecture that became the Oscar-winning documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth.' His work, through books, films, and the non-profit Climate Reality Project, made the complex science of global warming accessible to millions and redefined his public identity. While critics questioned his personal energy use and political past, Gore's relentless campaigning earned him a Nobel Peace Prize and cemented his status as a central figure in the global environmental movement.
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 1948, 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 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
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
1964Could drive
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
1966Could vote
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
1969Turned 21
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
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
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
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, jointly with the IPCC, for disseminating knowledge about human-made climate change.
- Produced and starred in 'An Inconvenient Truth' (2006), a documentary that vastly increased public awareness of global warming and won two Academy Awards.
- Served as the 45th Vice President of the United States under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001.
- Co-founded Generation Investment Management, a firm focused on sustainable investing, and the Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit advocacy organization.
Did You Know?
He was one of the first politicians to recognize the importance of the internet, co-sponsoring legislation that helped fund its early development.
Gore is an accomplished author, having written several best-selling books on the environment and technology.
He briefly worked as a journalist for The Tennessean newspaper before running for Congress.
He is a co-founder of Current TV, a former independent cable news network.
“The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity.”
