Alberto Nisman
An Argentine prosecutor whose relentless pursuit of justice in a deadly terrorist attack ended in his own mysterious and controversial death.
1963–2015 (age 52)·Argentine lawyer and prosecutor·Birthday: December 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alberto Nisman's life and death became inextricably linked with Argentina's most painful unsolved crime: the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. Appointed as the special prosecutor in the case, he dedicated over a decade to an investigation mired in obstruction and international complexity. His work led him to point fingers at high-level Iranian officials and, explosively, at complicity within the Argentine government of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. In January 2015, on the eve of presenting his allegations to Congress, Nisman was found dead in his apartment from a gunshot wound. The ruling of suicide was fiercely contested by many, who believed he was assassinated to silence him. His death transformed him from a tenacious investigator into a symbol of the dangerous intersection of justice, politics, and impunity in Argentina.
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.
Alberto was born in 1963, 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 Alberto Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Alberto's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
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
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Died at 52
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Served as the lead prosecutor in the AMIA bombing case for over a decade, compiling a 300,000-page indictment.
- Formally accused the government of Iran of orchestrating the 1994 AMIA attack and Hezbollah of carrying it out.
- Filed a criminal complaint against then-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner for allegedly conspiring to shield Iranian suspects.
- His death triggered massive public protests and ongoing judicial investigations into potential political cover-ups.
Did You Know?
Nisman's body was discovered with a .22 caliber pistol and a single shell casing beside him.
He was a skilled computer programmer and developed specialized software to manage the vast evidence in the AMIA case.
The day before his death, he granted a television interview stating he feared for his life.
A federal judge later ruled his death a homicide, though the case remains unresolved.
“I might get out of this dead, but I'm not going to get out of this a traitor to the victims.”
