Frank Murkowski
A political fixture who shaped Alaska's modern era, moving from the U.S. Senate to the governor's mansion with a focus on resource development.
Born 1933 (age 93)·American politician·Birthday: March 28·The Silent Generation
Biography
Frank Murkowski's political journey is inextricably linked to the last frontier. Born in 1933, he arrived in Alaska as a young banker just before statehood, embedding himself in its financial and political fabric. His election to the U.S. Senate in 1980, part of the Reagan wave, began a 21-year tenure where he championed Alaskan oil, timber, and fishing interests with a relentless, sometimes brusque, style. In a controversial move, he resigned his Senate seat in 2002 to run for governor, winning and then appointing his own daughter, Lisa, to fill his vacated position—a decision that would haunt his legacy. As governor, he aggressively pursued a natural gas pipeline and opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, but his autocratic approach and the nepotism scandal fueled voter discontent. He was defeated in the 2006 Republican primary, ending a long chapter of direct influence over Alaskan affairs.
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.
Frank was born in 1933, 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 Frank Was Born
The biggest hits of 1933
#1 Movie
King Kong
Best Picture
Cavalcade
Frank's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1933Born
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1938Started school
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1946Became a teenager
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
1949Could drive
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1951Could vote
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Turned 21
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
1963Turned 30
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
1973Turned 40
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
1983Turned 50
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 60
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 70
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 80
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2026Age 93 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a United States Senator from Alaska for over two decades, from 1981 to 2002.
- Elected as the eighth Governor of Alaska, serving a single term from 2002 to 2006.
- Was a principal architect of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act amendments and legislation opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
- Previously served as the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Economic Development in the 1970s.
Did You Know?
He piloted his own small plane to campaign across Alaska's vast terrain.
Before politics, he worked as a banker for the National Bank of Alaska.
His appointment of his daughter Lisa Murkowski to his Senate seat was a rare instance of familial succession in the U.S. Senate.
He lost his gubernatorial re-election bid in the Republican primary to Sarah Palin.
“Alaska's resources are our ticket to independence from federal control.”
