Bill Maher
A comedian who sharpens his jokes into political scalpels, he has spent decades provoking audiences with his brand of skeptical, libertarian-leaning humor.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American comedian and television host·Birthday: January 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bill Maher's career is a testament to the power of being disagreeable. He cut his teeth in the 1980s stand-up scene before finding his perfect format: the panel talk show. 'Politically Incorrect', first on Comedy Central then ABC, mixed comedians, politicians, and pundits in a freewheeling, contentious brew that was canceled after his post-9/11 comments. Unbowed, he moved to HBO with 'Real Time', where he has honed his role as a permanent, grumpy outsider. Maher's comedy is rooted in a deep skepticism of organized religion, political correctness, and what he sees as anti-science sentiment—positions that have angered both the left and the right. He is less a traditional journalist than a provocateur with a monologue, using satire as a tool to question dogma of any kind. Love him or loathe him, he has carved out a unique and enduring space in American political discourse.
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.
Bill was born in 1956, 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 Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
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
1961Started school
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
1969Became a teenager
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
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
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
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He created and hosted the late-night talk show 'Politically Incorrect' (1993–2002), which pioneered a chaotic, multi-guest debate format.
- He has hosted HBO's 'Real Time with Bill Maher' since 2003, one of the longest-running talk shows on cable.
- He executive produced and starred in the 2008 documentary 'Religulous', a critical examination of organized religion.
- He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 for his work in television.
Did You Know?
He is a licensed pilot and owns several aircraft.
He is a longtime vegan and an outspoken advocate for animal rights.
He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in English and a minor in history.
In his youth, he interned for a time at the CBS News bureau in New York.
““I don’t want to live in a country where the majority thinks the Flintstones was a documentary.””
