Jennifer Granholm
A trailblazing governor who steered Michigan through economic crisis, she now champions America's clean energy future.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American politician·Birthday: February 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jennifer Granholm's political story is one of firsts and formidable challenges. Born in Canada, she moved to California as a child and later became the first woman elected as Michigan's Attorney General and then its Governor. Taking office in 2003, her two terms were dominated by the relentless decline of the American auto industry and the global financial crisis. She became a fierce advocate for her state, famously appearing on national news to battle for federal auto industry bailouts she believed were vital for survival. After leaving office, she taught law and became a political commentator before returning to the national stage as U.S. Secretary of Energy under President Biden. In this role, she shifted from crisis manager to future-builder, aggressively implementing legislation to boost domestic manufacturing of batteries, solar panels, and other technologies crucial for the energy transition.
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.
Jennifer 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 Jennifer Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Jennifer'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
- Served as the first female Governor of Michigan, leading the state from 2003 to 2011.
- As U.S. Secretary of Energy, she was a key architect in implementing the clean energy manufacturing incentives of the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Previously served as Michigan's first female Attorney General.
- Was a leading voice in the successful push for a federal rescue of the U.S. auto industry in 2008-2009.
Did You Know?
She was a semi-finalist in the 1978 Miss California pageant.
She earned her law degree from Harvard Law School, where she was a classmate of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.
She holds dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.
She hosted a political talk show on Current TV after her tenure as governor.
“Don't be a potted plant. Get out there and do something.”
