Henry Winkler
He transformed a supporting role into a cultural touchstone, then reinvented himself as a beloved, award-winning character actor and children's author.
Born 1945 (age 81)·American actor·Birthday: October 30·The Silent Generation
Biography
Henry Winkler arrived in Hollywood with a master's degree from Yale and immediately became the embodiment of 1950s cool for a 1970s audience. As Arthur Fonzarelli on 'Happy Days,' he took what was written as a minor hoodlum and infused him with such heart and humor that 'The Fonz' jumped the shark into the American lexicon. The weight of that fame could have typecast him forever, but Winkler deliberately stepped back, focusing on directing and producing behind the scenes. His second act, beginning in the late 1990s, revealed the depth everyone had missed. Roles in shows like 'Arrested Development' and 'Barry' showcased a master of comic timing and poignant vulnerability, earning him Emmy awards decades after his first brush with superstardom. Parallel to this, his 'Hank Zipzer' children's book series, inspired by his own struggles with dyslexia, has made him a hero to a new generation of readers.
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.
Henry was born in 1945, 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 Henry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Henry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1945Born
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1950Started school
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1958Became a teenager
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Could drive
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1963Could vote
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
1966Turned 21
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1975Turned 30
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
1985Turned 40
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
1995Turned 50
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 60
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 70
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 80
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 81 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Gene Cousineau on 'Barry.'
- Co-authored the bestselling 'Hank Zipzer' series of children's novels, which was adapted into a BBC television show.
- Executive produced the hit 1980s television series 'MacGyver.'
- Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980 at the height of 'Happy Days' mania.
Did You Know?
He was dyslexic but wasn't diagnosed until he was 31 years old.
He directed the 1984 comedy 'The Sure Thing,' which starred a young John Cusack.
The iconic leather jacket worn by Fonzie is displayed in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
He is an avid fly fisherman.
“Assumptions are the termites of relationships.”
