Dalia Grybauskaitė
A steely economist and black belt in karate who steered Lithuania through financial crisis and became its first female president, known as the 'Iron Lady.'
Born 1956 (age 70)·President of Lithuania from 2009 to 2019·Birthday: March 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dalia Grybauskaitė carved a path defined by formidable competence and a no-nonsense demeanor. Trained as an economist in the Soviet era, she later studied in the United States, building a formidable resume that included stints as Lithuania's finance minister and European Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget. Her reputation for fiscal toughness and integrity propelled her to the presidency in 2009, just as the global financial crisis hammered her small nation. With a style that mixed blunt pragmatism with deep patriotism, she imposed austerity measures to stabilize the economy, never shying from unpopular decisions. Her unwavering stance on national security, particularly regarding a wary relationship with Russia, earned her the nickname 'the Iron Lady.' Serving two consecutive terms, she left office as one of the most trusted figures in Lithuanian politics, having defined an era of resilient statehood.
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.
Dalia was born in 1956, 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 Dalia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Dalia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
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
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
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
1972Could drive
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
1974Could vote
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
1977Turned 21
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
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected as the first and, to date, only female President of Lithuania in 2009.
- Became the first Lithuanian president to be reelected for a second consecutive term in 2014.
- Steered Lithuania's economy through the severe global financial crisis as president.
- Served as the European Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget, overseeing the EU's entire budget.
Did You Know?
She holds a black belt in karate (kyokushin).
She is an accomplished painter and has held personal art exhibitions.
Before politics, she was a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Economy at Vilnius University.
She is known for being unmarried and without children, stating 'Lithuania is my family.'
““Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.””
