Benigno Aquino III
The quiet, meticulous son of Philippine democracy icons who steered the nation through a period of economic growth and contentious reform.
1960–2021 (age 61)·President of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016·Birthday: February 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III never sought the presidency; history thrust it upon him. The only son of opposition hero Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino Jr. and Corazon 'Cory' Aquino, who led the People Power Revolution, he grew up in the shadow of political martyrdom and sudden responsibility. A low-key, chain-smoking congressman and senator, his life changed in 2009 with his mother's death. A public groundswell of sympathy propelled him to a landslide presidential victory in 2010 on a platform of clean government. His administration, known for its 'Daang Matuwid' (Straight Path) slogan, was a study in contrasts. It oversaw significant economic expansion, investment-grade credit ratings, and a landmark peace deal with Muslim separatists. Yet it was also marked by a stubborn, sometimes adversarial governing style, a disastrous police operation in Mamasapano, and constant clashes with political dynasties and the powerful Catholic Church. His term ended as it began, with the nation deeply divided over his legacy, a testament to the immense weight of the name he carried.
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.
Benigno was born in 1960, 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 Benigno Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Benigno's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
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
1965Started school
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
1973Became a teenager
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
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 60
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
2021Died at 61
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Oversaw a period of sustained economic growth, with the Philippines achieving investment-grade credit ratings for the first time.
- Initiated the impeachment and subsequent removal from office of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012.
- Signed the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement in 2012, a major step toward peace in the conflict-ridden Mindanao region.
- Presided over the filing of a historic arbitration case against China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, which the Philippines won in 2016.
Did You Know?
He was a member of the Philippine Liberal Party and served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate before becoming president.
He was a known firearms enthusiast and collector.
He remained unmarried throughout his life and had no children.
He studied Economics at Ateneo de Manila University but did not complete his degree.
“You have to dream. But you also have to wake up and work.”
