Hu Jintao
The Chinese leader who guided the nation's explosive economic ascent while cultivating a modest, consensus-driven style of governance.
Born 1942 (age 84)·Leader of China from 2002 to 2012·Birthday: December 21·The Silent Generation
Biography
Hu Jintao presided over China during what many call its 'golden decade,' a period of staggering economic growth and rising global influence. Ascending to the paramount leadership in 2002, he represented a generation of technocrats who valued stability and collective decision-making above all. His signature policy framework, the 'Scientific Development Concept,' aimed to balance breakneck GDP expansion with concerns over social inequality and environmental degradation, though its implementation met mixed results. Internationally, he championed a 'peaceful rise' doctrine, seeking to assure the world of China's benign intentions even as its military and economic power expanded. His tenure saw the Beijing Olympics, the completion of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and a dramatic expansion of internet users. Often characterized by a reserved and unassuming public persona, Hu's leadership was marked less by radical reform than by managed continuity, steering the world's most populous nation through a transformative and complex era.
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.
Hu was born in 1942, 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 Hu Was Born
The biggest hits of 1942
#1 Movie
Bambi
Best Picture
Mrs. Miniver
Hu's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1942Born
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1947Started school
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1955Became a teenager
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Could drive
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1960Could vote
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Turned 21
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
1972Turned 30
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
1982Turned 40
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 50
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 60
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 70
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 80
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 84 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as China's paramount leader for a decade, overseeing a period of unprecedented economic growth and global integration.
- Introduced the 'Scientific Development Concept' as a guiding political theory emphasizing balanced and sustainable growth.
- Presided over the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, a landmark event showcasing China's modern development on the world stage.
Did You Know?
He is a trained hydraulic engineer, graduating from Tsinghua University with a degree in water conservancy engineering.
During the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, he was seen directing relief efforts on-site with a megaphone.
His father, Hu Jingzhi, was a tea merchant who was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution.
“We must always put people first, and govern for the people.”
