Alan Cranston
A fiercely liberal senator who championed nuclear disarmament and authored the landmark Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act.
1914–2000 (age 86)·American politician and journalist·Birthday: June 19·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alan Cranston's life was shaped by the shadow of war and a deep belief in global cooperation. As a young journalist in the 1930s, he witnessed the rise of fascism firsthand in Europe, an experience that forged his lifelong commitment to peace. He famously published a condensed, anti-Nazi version of Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' to expose its dangers. Entering politics, he served four terms as a U.S. Senator from California, becoming a stalwart of the Democratic Party's left wing. Cranston was a relentless voice for arms control, serving as the Senate's whip for the nuclear freeze movement and opposing every major weapons system proposal during the Cold War. Domestically, his most enduring legacy is the 1990 Cranston-Gonzalez Act, which fundamentally expanded federal support for affordable housing and homeless assistance. His career ended under the cloud of the Keating Five scandal, a complex footnote to decades of substantive, ideologically driven work.
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.
Alan was born in 1914, 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 Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1914
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1914Born
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Started school
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Became a teenager
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1930Could drive
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1932Could vote
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Turned 21
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1944Turned 30
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1954Turned 40
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 50
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
1974Turned 60
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
1984Turned 70
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 80
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2000Died at 86
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
Key Achievements
- Served as a United States Senator from California from 1969 to 1993.
- Was the chief Senate sponsor of the Nuclear Freeze movement in the early 1980s.
- Authored the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990.
- Served as President of the World Federalist Association (now Citizens for Global Solutions) from 1949 to 1952.
Did You Know?
He was a world-class sprinter in his youth, holding the world record for the 70-yard dash for a brief period.
Cranston published an unauthorized, condensed version of Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' in 1939 to reveal its extremist content.
He finished a distant second in the 1984 Democratic presidential primaries.
Cranston was the Senate Majority Whip from 1977 to 1991.
“The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.”
