Jeremy Clarkson
A brash, opinionated broadcaster who turned car reviews into global entertainment spectacles, often courting controversy with his unapologetic persona.
Born 1960 (age 66)·English television presenter, journalist and author·Birthday: April 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jeremy Clarkson emerged from local journalism in the north of England to become a defining, and divisive, figure in British popular culture. His career pivoted when he took the helm of a revamped Top Gear in 2002, transforming a staid motoring show into a blockbuster of blokeish humor, cinematic challenges, and visceral car critiques. Alongside co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May, he crafted a chemistry that propelled the program to a worldwide phenomenon. His later ventures, from The Grand Tour to the surprisingly earnest Clarkson's Farm, proved his appeal extended far beyond horsepower. Despite frequent clashes with broadcasters and public outcry over his provocative remarks, his voice—through television, newspaper columns, and books—remains a stubbornly influential force in media.
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.
Jeremy was born in 1960, 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 Jeremy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Jeremy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
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
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
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
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
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 60
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 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-hosted the internationally syndicated Top Gear reboot, making it one of the world's most-watched factual television programs.
- Co-created and starred in The Grand Tour, a major original series for Amazon Prime Video.
- Launched the hit documentary series Clarkson's Farm, highlighting the realities of modern agriculture.
- Authored numerous best-selling books on motoring and his personal exploits.
- Served as host of the UK revival of the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
Did You Know?
He was fired from a local newspaper for driving a Porsche through the office.
He once worked as a traveling salesman for his parents' Paddington Bear toy business.
Clarkson's Farm is filmed on land he owns in the Cotswolds, called Diddly Squat Farm.
He has a deep, well-documented dislike of the singer Morrissey.
“Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you.”
