Jim McGreevey
His dramatic resignation as New Jersey governor made him the first openly gay state executive in U.S. history.
Born 1957 (age 69)·Governor of New Jersey from 2002 to 2004·Birthday: August 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jim McGreevey's political career was a study in contrasts, marked by considerable electoral success and a stunning, televised fall. A Democrat from New Jersey, he served as a state senator, mayor of Woodbridge, and finally as governor in 2002. His tenure was overshadowed by allegations of corruption and, most famously, a personal crisis. In 2004, facing a scandal involving an affair with a male staffer, McGreevey stood before cameras and declared, 'I am a gay American,' announcing his resignation. That moment, painful and historic, redefined his public life. After leaving office, he turned away from electoral politics and towards ministry, earning a divinity degree. He has since focused on prison reform and advocacy for marginalized communities, crafting a second act centered on redemption and service.
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.
Jim was born in 1957, 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 Jim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Jim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
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
1975Could vote
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
1978Turned 21
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
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 52nd Governor of New Jersey from 2002 until his resignation in 2004.
- Became the first openly gay person to serve as a state governor in United States history.
- Founded the Jersey City Employment & Training Program, which became a model for urban workforce development.
- Earned a Master of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary after his political career.
Did You Know?
He appointed the first Sikh American to a state cabinet post in U.S. history.
He worked as a prison chaplain following his resignation from the governorship.
His 2006 memoir is titled 'The Confession'.
He was married twice to women before publicly coming out.
“My truth is that I am a gay American.”
