Alexander Haig
A four-star general turned statesman, he was a formidable and controversial fixer at the white-hot center of the Nixon and Reagan administrations.
1924–2010 (age 86)·American politician·Birthday: December 2·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alexander Haig's life was a relentless march through the corridors of American power. A West Point graduate and decorated Vietnam veteran, he rose to become the Army's vice chief of staff before being summoned to the White House as Henry Kissinger's deputy. During the final convulsive years of the Nixon presidency, Haig operated as the de facto chief of staff, a steadying military hand attempting to manage a government in freefall. He famously helped oversee the transition to Gerald Ford. After serving as NATO Supreme Commander, he returned to the cabinet as Ronald Reagan's Secretary of State, where his assertive, often confrontational style clashed with other advisors. Haig possessed a supreme confidence that some saw as competence and others as arrogance, encapsulated in his dramatic declaration 'I am in control here' following the attempt on Reagan's life. His career stands as a testament to the complex, sometimes fraught, intersection of the military and civilian command in modern America.
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.
Alexander was born in 1924, 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 Alexander Was Born
The biggest hits of 1924
#1 Movie
The Sea Hawk
Alexander's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1924Born
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1929Started school
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1937Became a teenager
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Could drive
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1942Could vote
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1945Turned 21
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1954Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 60
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 70
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
2004Turned 80
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2010Died at 86
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Served as White House Chief of Staff during the final, turbulent months of the Nixon administration.
- Appointed as the 59th United States Secretary of State by President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
- Became the youngest four-star general in the U.S. Army at the time of his promotion in 1973.
- Served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) for NATO from 1974 to 1979.
Did You Know?
He was wounded by a grenade during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
He testified before the Senate Watergate Committee regarding the 'Saturday Night Massacre.'
He briefly sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1988.
His statement 'I am in control here' after Reagan was shot was constitutionally incorrect, as the line of succession did not immediately go to the Secretary of State.
“I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the vice president.”
