Hank Green
A pioneering online educator who turned YouTube into a dynamic classroom, demystifying science and funding research with infectious enthusiasm.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American vlogger and entrepreneur·Birthday: May 5·Generation X
Biography
Hank Green didn't set out to be a teacher, but he became one of the most influential of the internet age. Starting the Vlogbrothers channel with his brother John in 2007, he helped invent the intimate, fast-talking vlog format that built a community dubbed "Nerdfighteria." Seeing the platform's potential, he launched SciShow and then Crash Course, transforming dense academic subjects into engaging, well-researched video series watched by millions. Green is a builder: he co-founded the complex creator event VidCon, started a sustainability-focused e-commerce company, and even launched a podcast network. His true impact, however, lies in his ability to make learning feel like an urgent, joyful conversation, proving that curiosity, when communicated with genuine passion, can be a powerful business and a force for good.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Hank was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Hank Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Hank's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
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
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
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
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
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
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-created and hosts the educational YouTube channels Crash Course and SciShow, which have billions of collective views.
- Co-founded VidCon, the first large-scale convention for online video creators and their communities.
- Co-created and runs the annual charity fundraiser "Project for Awesome," which has raised millions for non-profits.
- Co-founded the eco-friendly and educational online store DFTBA Records and later the consumer goods company Awesome Socks Club.
- Authored the science-fiction novel 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing', which became a New York Times bestseller.
Did You Know?
He has a degree in biochemistry from Eckerd College and a master's in environmental studies from the University of Montana.
He performed in a folk rock band called "Hank Green and the Perfect Strangers".
He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2023 and publicly documented his treatment and recovery.
He and his brother John have a tradition of ending their annual "P4A" livestream by shaving each other's heads.
“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.”
