Dick Cheney
A behind-the-scenes political operator who became the most influential and controversial Vice President in American history.
1941–2025 (age 84)·Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009·Birthday: January 30·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dick Cheney's career was forged in the machinery of Washington long before he became Vice President. A former White House chief of staff, Congressman, and Secretary of Defense, he was the ultimate Washington insider, known for a quiet, steely competence. Selected as George W. Bush's running mate in 2000 largely for his experience, Cheney quickly assumed an unprecedented role, operating as a powerful prime minister within the administration. After the 9/11 attacks, he was a chief architect of the global war on terror, advocating for expansive executive power, enhanced interrogation techniques, and the invasion of Iraq based on intelligence about weapons of mass destruction. His tenure redefined the vice presidency from a ceremonial role to a center of operational power, but it also made him a lightning rod for criticism. To supporters, he was a necessary, clear-eyed defender in a dangerous time; to detractors, he was a figure who pushed the boundaries of presidential authority and led the nation into a protracted war.
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.
Dick was born in 1941, 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 Dick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1941
#1 Movie
Sergeant York
Best Picture
How Green Was My Valley
Dick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1941Born
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1946Started school
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1954Became a teenager
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Could drive
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
1959Could vote
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
1962Turned 21
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1971Turned 30
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 40
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 50
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 60
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 70
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 80
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
2025Died at 84
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
Key Achievements
- Served as the 46th Vice President of the United States under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009.
- Previously served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense, overseeing Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War.
- Was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming for five terms.
- Served as White House Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford, becoming the youngest person to hold that position at the time.
Did You Know?
He received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War, a point of later political controversy.
He is the only Vice President to have served as Secretary of Defense.
He has had multiple heart attacks and underwent a heart transplant in 2012.
He accidentally shot a hunting companion in the face during a quail hunt in 2006.
His daughter, Liz Cheney, served as a U.S. Representative from Wyoming and chaired the House Republican Conference.
“It is easy to take liberty for granted when you have never had it taken from you.”
