Bobby Jindal
A son of Indian immigrants who became the first non-white governor of Louisiana, reshaping the state's politics in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Born 1971 (age 55)·American politician·Birthday: June 10·Generation X
Biography
Born Piyush Jindal in Baton Rouge to parents who had recently arrived from India, Bobby Jindal was a political prodigy from the start. He converted to Catholicism as a teenager and adopted the nickname 'Bobby.' After graduating from Brown University and Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, he entered public service in his twenties, taking a controversial role as the head of Louisiana's health department. His rapid ascent continued with a term in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2007, at just 36, he was elected governor of Louisiana, taking office in the difficult post-Katrina landscape. His two terms were defined by deep tax cuts, clashes with teachers' unions, and a staunchly conservative social agenda. Though a brief 2016 presidential run failed to gain traction, his career marked a significant milestone in the representation of Indian Americans in high-level Republican politics.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Bobby was born in 1971, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bobby Was Born
The biggest hits of 1971
#1 Movie
Fiddler on the Roof
Best Picture
The French Connection
#1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Bobby's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1971Born
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
1976Started school
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote
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
1992Turned 21
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30
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
2011Turned 40
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 50
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
2026Age 55 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected as the first Indian American governor in U.S. history in 2007.
- Served as the 55th Governor of Louisiana for two terms, from 2008 to 2016.
- Chaired the Republican Governors Association from 2012 to 2013.
- Previously served as a U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 1st congressional district.
Did You Know?
He changed his first name from Piyush to 'Bobby' after a character on the TV show 'The Brady Bunch.'
He became a practicing Catholic at age 17 and wrote a lengthy essay about his conversion.
At 24, he was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, making him one of the youngest people ever to hold such a position in the state.
He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.
“We seem to have a president who is embarrassed by America.”
