Bob Dole
A war hero turned pragmatic Senate leader whose career was defined by resilience, partisan combat, and a late-life turn toward bipartisan causes.
1923–2021 (age 98)·American politician and attorney·Birthday: July 22·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Bob Dole's life was shaped by a single, devastating moment in World War II Italy, where machine-gun fire shattered his right arm. His three-year recovery forged a steely determination that propelled him from the Kansas legislature to the U.S. House and then the Senate. As a Republican leader, he was a sharp-elbowed partisan tactician, a master of the Senate's rules who relished political battle. His runs for national office—as Gerald Ford's running mate in 1976 and as the presidential nominee in 1996—fell short, presenting a public persona sometimes perceived as overly caustic. In his later years, freed from electoral politics, Dole softened his image, championing bipartisan efforts like the Americans with Disabilities Act and appearing as an elder statesman who could laugh at himself, even in a Pepsi commercial.
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.
Bob was born in 1923, 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 Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
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
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
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
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
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
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 80
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2021Died at 98
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
- Served as Senate Majority Leader (1985-1987) and Minority Leader (1987-1995), shaping decades of legislative policy.
- Was the Republican nominee for President in 1996, losing to incumbent Bill Clinton.
- Co-sponsored and helped pass the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997 for his public service.
Did You Know?
He held a pen in his right hand during public appearances to discourage people from trying to shake his paralyzed hand.
He was the first Republican to nominate a woman (Geraldine Ferraro) for vice president at a major party convention in 1984, as the keynote speaker.
He appeared in a famous series of Pepsi commercials and on 'Saturday Night Live' after his 1996 defeat.
He was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for his WWII service.
“The first thing I do every morning is to look at the obituary column. If my name is not there, I get up.”
