Clayton Anderson
An astronaut who spent 152 days living in the weightlessness of space, then returned to Earth to lead a museum dedicated to the machines that make flight possible.
Born 1959 (age 67)·Retired NASA astronaut and member of the ISS Expedition 15 crew·Birthday: February 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Clayton Anderson embodies the Midwestern work ethic launched into orbit. Selected by NASA in 1998, his path to space was a long haul of technical assignments, but his persistence paid off with a ride on the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 2007. He then spent five months aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 15, conducting spacewalks and countless experiments while gazing down at the Iowa plains he called home. After retiring from NASA, Anderson didn't slow down. He channeled his experiences into teaching at Iowa State University and motivational speaking, before taking the helm of the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, preserving the very history he became a part of.
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.
Clayton 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 Clayton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Clayton'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
- Logged 152 days in space during his ISS Expedition 15/16 long-duration mission.
- Performed three spacewalks totaling over 18 hours of extravehicular activity.
- Served as the 'backup' astronaut for the ISS Expedition 14 crew before launching on Expedition 15.
- Authored multiple books, including 'The Ordinary Spaceman' detailing his astronaut career.
Did You Know?
He was the first and only astronaut to be selected from the state of Nebraska.
Anderson applied to NASA's astronaut program 15 times before finally being selected.
He proposed to his wife, Susan, via a video message recorded on the International Space Station.
He is an avid marathon runner and has completed the Boston Marathon.
“Failure is not an option, but it is a possibility. And if it happens, you learn from it and move on.”
