Angus King
A pragmatic, bow-tie-wearing independent who governs Maine with a focus on clean energy and fiscal responsibility.
Born 1944 (age 82)·American lawyer and politician·Birthday: March 31·The Silent Generation
Biography
Angus King is a political anomaly who has built a lasting career outside the two-party system. A Maine lawyer and former public television host, he first ran for governor in 1994 as an independent, capitalizing on voter frustration with partisan gridlock. He won in a landslide and served two terms, earning a reputation as a fiscally cautious, socially moderate executive who championed environmental initiatives, most notably a massive laptop program for students. After a decade in the private sector promoting wind power, he returned to politics, winning Maine's open U.S. Senate seat in 2012—again as an independent. In the Senate, he caucuses with the Democrats but retains his maverick status, often acting as a bridge-builder and questioning party orthodoxy. With his signature bow tie and plainspoken style, King focuses on issues of national security, energy independence, and government efficiency. His career demonstrates that in an age of deep polarization, a stubbornly independent voice can not only survive but thrive by appealing to a electorate's practical center.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Angus was born in 1944, placing them squarely in The Silent 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 Angus Was Born
The biggest hits of 1944
#1 Movie
Going My Way
Best Picture
Going My Way
Angus's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1944Born
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
1949Started school
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1957Became a teenager
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Could drive
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1962Could vote
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Turned 21
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1974Turned 30
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 40
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 50
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 60
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
2014Turned 70
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 80
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 82 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served two terms as the 72nd Governor of Maine, elected and re-elected as a political independent.
- Successfully implemented the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, providing laptop computers to all seventh and eighth graders in the state.
- Elected to the U.S. Senate as an independent in 2012 and re-elected in 2018, consistently caucusing with the Democratic Party.
- Appointed to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where he has been a vocal voice on cybersecurity and foreign threats.
Did You Know?
Before politics, he was the host of a public affairs television show in Maine called 'MaineWatch.'
He almost always wears a bow tie, a style choice he adopted in college.
King taught a course on the history of the Cold War at Bowdoin College while serving as a senator.
He owns a hybrid-electric car and has long been an advocate for renewable energy, particularly wind power.
“The problem with Washington is not that there are too many politicians, it's that there are not enough independents.”
