Chris Christie
A blunt-talking New Jersey governor whose presidential ambitions were defined by a bridge scandal and a reputation for confrontational authenticity.
Born 1962 (age 64)·Governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018·Birthday: September 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris Christie burst onto the national stage as a federal prosecutor who put corrupt politicians behind bars, a narrative he rode straight into the New Jersey governor's mansion in 2010. His first term was marked by a forceful, in-your-face style, epic battles with public sector unions, and a highly publicized friendship with Barack Obama after Hurricane Sandy. The image of a pragmatic, tell-it-like-it-is executive fueled presidential hopes, but they crumbled under the weight of the 'Bridgegate' scandal, where aides orchestrated traffic chaos for political revenge. Christie's later years as governor were shadowed by the controversy, though he remained a sought-after media commentator for his unfiltered takes. His 2024 presidential run was a brief attempt to recapture that earlier political magic in a changed Republican Party.
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.
Chris was born in 1962, 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 Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
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
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
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
1992Turned 30
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
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 55th Governor of New Jersey for two terms, from 2010 to 2018.
- As U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, secured convictions of over 130 public officials in corruption cases.
- Chaired the Republican Governors Association in 2014, raising a record $106 million.
Did You Know?
He is a lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys, a controversial allegiance in the New York/Philadelphia sports market.
Christie famously closed a state budget gap by cancelling construction of a new Hudson River train tunnel, a decision still debated.
He was the first New Jersey governor to endorse Donald Trump for president in the 2016 primary.
“I am not a focus-group-tested, blow-dried candidate.”
