David Blunkett
A blind politician who overcame immense prejudice to become one of Britain's most powerful and controversial Home Secretaries.
Born 1947 (age 79)·British politician·Birthday: June 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Blunkett's story is one of formidable personal triumph over societal expectation. Born blind into a working-class Sheffield family, he was educated at specialist schools before attending university, a rare feat for someone with his disability at the time. His political rise within the Labour Party was methodical and fierce, becoming the leader of Sheffield City Council before entering Parliament in 1987. As Tony Blair's Education Secretary, he championed literacy and numeracy hours. His tenure as Home Secretary, however, defined his public legacy, marked by a tough, uncompromising stance on crime, asylum, and national security following the 9/11 attacks. His career was punctuated by both admiration for his resilience and fierce criticism of his policies, ultimately ending in resignation over a personal scandal. Blunkett's life reshaped perceptions of disability in high office, proving that physical limitation was no barrier to political will—or to controversy.
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.
David was born in 1947, 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 David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
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
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
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
1968Turned 21
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!
1977Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 60
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 70
#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
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Home Secretary from 2001 to 2004, overseeing major anti-terror legislation after the September 11 attacks.
- As Education Secretary, he introduced the national literacy and numeracy strategies in English primary schools.
- Was the first blind person to serve as a cabinet minister in the British government.
- Served as MP for Sheffield Brightside for 28 years before being elevated to the House of Lords.
Did You Know?
He is a passionate beekeeper and has kept hives for many years.
Blunkett's guide dog, a Labrador named Offa, became a well-known figure in the House of Commons.
He published a series of diaries detailing his time in government, offering candid insights into the New Labour era.
As a young man, he was a champion wrestler at the Royal Normal College for the Blind.
“The English are not a spiritual people, so they invented cricket to give them some idea of eternity.”
