Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury
A Labour politician who championed free museum entry and the arts while becoming the first openly gay MP in the UK Parliament.
Born 1951 (age 75)·British politician·Birthday: July 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris Smith introduced free admission to national museums and galleries as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport under Tony Blair. Elected in 1983 for Islington South and Finsbury, he brought sharp intellect and quiet determination to Parliament. In 1984, he publicly came out as gay, a landmark moment that paved the way for greater LGBTQ+ representation in British politics. His policy to democratize access to Britain's cultural treasures opened institutions like the British Museum and Tate Modern to all visitors. After leaving the Commons, he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Smith of Finsbury. He later became Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, a prestigious role overseeing academic governance. His political identity combined Labour values with a commitment to cultural access and equality.
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 1951, 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 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
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
1964Became a teenager
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
1967Could drive
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
1969Could vote
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
1972Turned 21
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
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
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 60
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 70
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 75 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the UK's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 1997 to 2001.
- Introduced the policy of free admission to national museums and galleries in the United Kingdom.
- Was the first sitting Member of Parliament in the UK to voluntarily come out as gay.
- Appointed Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in 2025.
Did You Know?
He is a published poet and a dedicated hillwalker, having completed all of Scotland's Munros (mountains over 3,000 feet).
He was the first MP to announce he was HIV-positive, which he did in a 2005 television documentary.
His peerage title, 'Baron Smith of Finsbury', references his former parliamentary constituency.
“I'm gay, always have been, and that's it.”
