Evo Morales
A coca farmer turned president who reshaped Bolivia by empowering its long-suppressed indigenous majority and defying Western economic powers.
Born 1959 (age 67)·President of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019·Birthday: October 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born into an Aymara family in the windswept altiplano, Evo Morales herded llamas before finding his voice as a union organizer for coca growers. His rise from peasant activist to political force was fueled by a potent mix of socialist ideology and indigenous identity, challenging the traditional elites who had long governed Bolivia. In 2006, he became the nation's first indigenous head of state, a seismic shift in a country where native peoples had been marginalized for centuries. His presidency nationalized key hydrocarbon resources, funneling wealth into social programs that reduced poverty, and he championed a new constitution recognizing Bolivia as a plurinational state. His nearly 14-year rule, ended by contentious protests and military pressure, remains a polarizing chapter, celebrated for its social inclusion yet criticized for its authoritarian tendencies and environmental contradictions.
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.
Evo was born in 1959, 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 Evo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Evo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
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
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
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
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
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
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became Bolivia's first president of indigenous descent, winning the 2005 election with a historic majority.
- Nationalized the country's hydrocarbon industry in 2006, dramatically increasing state revenue for social spending.
- Oversaw the drafting and ratification of a new constitution in 2009, redefining Bolivia as a plurinational state.
- Presided over a period of significant economic growth and poverty reduction during the 2000s commodity boom.
Did You Know?
He was a talented soccer player in his youth and later served as president of a Bolivian football club.
Morales is an avid basketball player and had a court installed at the presidential palace.
He once undertook a 5-day hunger strike as a protest tactic while in office.
His official presidential title included the indigenous honorific 'Ap Mallku', meaning 'supreme leader'.
““I believe only in the power of the people.””
