Barbara Olson
A sharp legal mind and fiery conservative voice whose life was tragically cut short on September 11th, 2001.
1955–2001 (age 46)·American lawyer·Birthday: December 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
Barbara Olson carved a path from federal prosecutor to a defining figure in the early era of combative cable news punditry. Born in Houston, she earned her law degree and worked for the Department of Justice before becoming chief investigative counsel for the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee. Her articulate, staunchly conservative perspective made her a sought-after commentator, and she became a regular face on CNN and later Fox News Channel, known for her spirited debates. On the morning of September 11, 2001, she was traveling from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles to appear on Bill Maher's 'Politically Incorrect' when her plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was hijacked. In a final act of courage, she used her cell phone to call her husband, Solicitor General Ted Olson, to relay details of the hijacking, providing critical early confirmation of the events unfolding. Her death at 45 transformed her from a political commentator into a symbol of personal loss from the national tragedy.
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.
Barbara was born in 1955, 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 Barbara Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Barbara's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
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
1968Became a teenager
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!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2001Died at 46
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
Key Achievements
- Served as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Acted as chief investigative counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Government Reform Committee.
- Became a prominent conservative television analyst for major networks including CNN and Fox News.
- Authored the book 'Hell to Pay: The Unfolding Story of Hillary Rodham Clinton'.
Did You Know?
She placed two phone calls from the hijacked Flight 77 to her husband, Ted Olson.
She was a former Democrat who switched to the Republican Party.
She was a competitive figure skater in her youth.
Her book 'Hell to Pay' was published posthumously.
“The rule of law is not a suggestion; it is the foundation of a free society.”
