Christy Turlington
A face that defined an era of fashion, she leveraged supermodel fame into a powerful second act as a global advocate for maternal health.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American model·Birthday: January 2·Generation X
Biography
Christy Turlington's discovery as a teenager in Miami launched one of the most definitive careers in modeling history. With her elegant, serene beauty, she became a cornerstone of the original 'supermodel' phenomenon, gracing countless Vogue covers and becoming the timeless face of Calvin Klein's Eternity fragrance. But a near-fatal experience during the birth of her first child in 2003 catalyzed a profound shift. She returned to school, earning a master's in public health, and turned her focus to a cause: preventing maternal deaths worldwide. In 2010, she founded Every Mother Counts, a non-profit organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother. Turlington now moves with equal ease on runways, in boardrooms, and in the field, using her platform and intellect to address a global health crisis, proving her impact extends far beyond the camera's flash.
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.
Christy was born in 1969, 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 Christy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Christy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
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
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
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
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
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 50
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 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded Every Mother Counts, a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to improving maternal health globally.
- Served as the iconic face of Calvin Klein's Eternity fragrance campaign for decades, starting in 1989.
- Was one of the five original supermodels featured on the historic January 1990 cover of British Vogue.
- Directed and produced the documentary 'No Woman, No Cry' (2010) about maternal mortality.
Did You Know?
She is an accomplished marathon runner, having completed the New York City Marathon multiple times.
Turlington holds a master's degree in public health from Columbia University.
She was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2014.
Her father was a pilot for Pan American World Airways.
“Beauty is something that comes from a life well-lived. If you've lived well, your beauty will come out of you.”
