Chris Hadfield
He transformed space exploration into a shared human experience by broadcasting life on the ISS with guitar solos and zero-gravity tutorials.
Born 1959 (age 67)·Canadian astronaut·Birthday: August 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris Hadfield didn't just go to space; he brought the world with him. A former fighter pilot from Sarnia, Ontario, his path to the stars was paved with a relentless, technical precision. But his legacy was forged during his command of the International Space Station in 2013, where he became Earth's most engaging science teacher. Through social media, he demystified daily life in orbit, from crying in space to making a sandwich, his cover of 'Space Oddity' beaming back a poignant human vulnerability. Hadfield retired the spacesuit to become a masterful communicator, reframing the astronaut not as a distant hero but as a curious neighbor on a very high street, inspiring a generation to look up.
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 1959, 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 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
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
1975Could drive
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
1977Could vote
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
1980Turned 21
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
1989Turned 30
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
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station in 2013.
- Performed two spacewalks, including the first by a Canadian astronaut.
- Gained global recognition for his social media outreach from space, including a music video for 'Space Oddity'.
- Authored multiple bestselling books about his life and perspectives from space.
Did You Know?
He was the first Canadian to board the Russian space station Mir.
His cover of David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' was recorded on the ISS and approved by Bowie himself.
He once helped diagnose a medical emergency on the ISS via video link with Earth-based doctors.
He is an accomplished guitarist and took several instruments to space.
““I think for anybody, the key to staying calm is the ability to recognize the difference between a perceived emergency and a real emergency.””
