Barbara Boxer
A fiery and unapologetically liberal U.S. Senator from California who became a progressive icon during her 24 years on Capitol Hill.
Born 1940 (age 86)·American politician·Birthday: November 11·The Silent Generation
Biography
Barbara Boxer didn't just enter politics; she charged into it with a tenacity that would define her career. Starting as a journalist and a county supervisor, she brought a grassroots sensibility to Washington upon her election to the House in 1982. In the Senate, which she joined a decade later, Boxer was a relentless advocate, known for her passionate floor speeches and a willingness to take on powerful opponents, from military brass to corporate interests. She championed environmental protection, women's rights, and gun control with a combative style that delighted her base and exasperated her foes. As the first woman to chair the Senate Environment Committee, she pushed climate change to the forefront of the national debate. Her career was a testament to the power of conviction in an institution often ruled by compromise, and she retired in 2017 as one of the most recognizable and polarizing figures in modern California politics, having never softened her voice.
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.
Barbara was born in 1940, 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 Barbara Was Born
The biggest hits of 1940
#1 Movie
Fantasia
Best Picture
Rebecca
Barbara's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1940Born
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
1945Started school
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
1953Became a teenager
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
1956Could drive
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1958Could vote
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Turned 21
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
1970Turned 30
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 40
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 50
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 60
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
2010Turned 70
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
2020Turned 80
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 86 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a United States Senator from California for four terms, from 1993 to 2017.
- Became the first woman to chair the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Co-authored the Violence Against Women Act, landmark legislation providing resources to combat domestic abuse.
- Led a famous, hours-long floor speech in 1999 criticizing the conduct of the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton.
Did You Know?
Before politics, she worked as a stockbroker and a journalist for the Pacific Sun newspaper.
She and Senator Dianne Feinstein were the first pair of women senators to represent a single state simultaneously.
She published a novel, 'A Time to Run,' a political thriller, in 2005.
She is an avid runner and has completed several marathons.
“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.”
