Barry Goldwater
The Arizona senator who reshaped American conservatism with a fierce belief in liberty and a 1964 presidential run that defined a movement.
1909–1998 (age 89)·American politician and military officer·Birthday: January 2·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Barry Goldwater was born into a Phoenix department store dynasty, a background that forged his belief in rugged individualism and free enterprise. After serving as a pilot in World War II, he entered politics, channeling a Westerner's distrust of big government into a potent national force. His 1960 book, 'The Conscience of a Conservative,' became a manifesto, and his 1964 presidential campaign, though a landslide loss to Lyndon Johnson, mobilized a new generation of activists around a philosophy of limited government, strong defense, and states' rights. Returning to the Senate, he became a respected elder statesman, known for blunt, principled stands that sometimes bucked his party, such as his support for gay rights in the military and his role in the Reagan-era tax cuts. His legacy is the modern conservative movement, which eventually captured the White House with a disciple, Ronald Reagan.
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.
Barry was born in 1909, 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 Barry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1909
Barry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1909Born
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1914Started school
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Became a teenager
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1925Could drive
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1927Could vote
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1930Turned 21
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1939Turned 30
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 40
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
1959Turned 50
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 60
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 70
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
1989Turned 80
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Died at 89
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
Key Achievements
- Authored the influential political manifesto 'The Conscience of a Conservative' in 1960.
- Secured the Republican presidential nomination in 1964, fundamentally realigning the party's ideology.
- Served as a United States Senator from Arizona for over three decades, from 1953 to 1987.
- Was instrumental in the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, which reformed the U.S. Department of Defense.
Did You Know?
He was an avid amateur radio operator, with the call sign K7UGA.
Goldwater was of Jewish heritage through his paternal line, though he was Episcopalian.
He was a skilled photographer and published books of portraits of his native Southwest.
He once said he would have chosen John F. Kennedy as his running mate if he had won the 1960 Democratic nomination.
“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
