Colin Powell
A soldier and diplomat who rose from humble beginnings to shape American foreign policy and become the first Black Secretary of State.
1937–2021 (age 84)·American general, diplomat and statesman·Birthday: April 5·The Silent Generation
Biography
Colin Powell served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War, directing Operation Desert Storm. Born in 1937 in the South Bronx to Jamaican immigrants, he joined the U.S. Army and served two tours in Vietnam, rising steadily through the ranks. His strategic mind and calm demeanor led to roles as National Security Advisor and, in 2001, Secretary of State under President George W. Bush—the first African American to hold that office. His 2003 UN speech advocating for the Iraq War later became a permanent blot on his record, as he himself acknowledged. Powell's career wove together military precision, diplomatic effort, and a complicated political legacy. He died in 2021.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Colin was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Colin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Colin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
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
1977Turned 40
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
1987Turned 50
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
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 80
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2021Died at 84
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
Key Achievements
- Served as the 65th United States Secretary of State, the first African American to hold the position.
- Became the youngest and first African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
- Played a key leadership role in Operation Desert Storm as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
- Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice, in 1991 and 1993.
- Founded America's Promise Alliance, a nonprofit focused on youth development.
Did You Know?
His first name was originally spelled 'Colin' but he changed it to 'Colin' after a typo on his Army commission paperwork.
He worked at a baby furniture store in the Bronx as a teenager.
He was a professional soldier for 35 years but never directly commanded a division in the field.
He met his wife, Alma, on a blind date at a Boston nightclub.
He was an amateur ham radio operator with the call sign KX4P.
““There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.””
