Dan Aykroyd
A comedic shape-shifter from Saturday Night Live's original cast, he co-created Ghostbusters and brought an off-kilter intensity to characters like Dr. Raymond Stantz.
Born 1952 (age 74)·Canadian and American actor·Birthday: July 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dan Aykroyd emerged from the Canadian comedy scene as a writer and performer with a deep, deadpan voice and a fascination for the bizarre. He was a foundational pillar of Saturday Night Live's first era, creating indelible characters like the sleazy salesman Irwin Mainway and the mumbling Czech immigrant, Bob Dobalina. His true cultural impact, however, was forged in partnership. With John Belushi, he formed the blues-loving Blues Brothers, a musical act that spun out of an SNL sketch into a platinum album and a hit film. His passion for the paranormal and belief in UFOs fueled his most enduring work: co-writing and starring in Ghostbusters, a blockbuster that perfectly blended his oddball sensibilities with mainstream spectacle. His career has spanned decades, marked by a consistent, unflappable energy whether he's playing a straight-laced cop or a con man, always with that signature glint of mischief in his eye.
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.
Dan was born in 1952, 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 Dan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Dan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote the classic supernatural comedy film Ghostbusters, which became a defining pop-culture phenomenon of the 1980s.
- Was an original cast member on Saturday Night Live (1975-1979), winning an Emmy for his writing on the show.
- Co-created The Blues Brothers with John Belushi, leading to a multi-platinum album and a successful feature film.
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Driving Miss Daisy.
Did You Know?
He is a licensed paranormal investigator and has a keen interest in law enforcement, having been sworn in as an honorary deputy sheriff.
He holds a degree in criminology and sociology from Carleton University in Ottawa.
He co-founded the House of Blues chain of music venues and restaurants.
He wrote the first draft of Ghostbusters with the role of Peter Venkman intended for John Belushi.
“I believe in an afterlife. I believe in UFOs. I believe in the whole thing.”
