Kamala Harris
She broke the ultimate marble ceiling in American politics, becoming a historic vice president whose career was forged in courtrooms and the Senate.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Vice President of the United States from 2021 to 2025·Birthday: October 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Kamala Harris's political identity was shaped on the streets of Oakland and in the courtrooms of California. The daughter of immigrants, she cut her teeth as a prosecutor in Alameda County, building a reputation as a sharp, pragmatic attorney. Her ascent was methodical: San Francisco District Attorney, then California Attorney General—the first woman and first Black person to hold the latter office. In the Senate, her prosecutorial style shone during high-profile hearings. In 2020, Joe Biden selected her as his running mate, and her election made her the first woman, first Black American, and first person of South Asian descent to become Vice President. Her tenure was defined by navigating a divided Congress and casting tie-breaking votes, cementing her as a central figure in a consequential administration.
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.
Kamala was born in 1964, 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 Kamala Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Kamala's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
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
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
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
1980Could drive
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
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
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
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected as the first female, first Black, and first Asian American Vice President of the United States in 2020.
- Served as the Attorney General of California, the first woman and first Black person to hold the position.
- Represented California in the United States Senate, where she served on the Intelligence and Judiciary committees.
- Became the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in the 2024 election.
Did You Know?
She attended Howard University, a historically Black university, where she was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
Her first name means 'lotus flower' in Sanskrit.
As a child, she was part of the second class to integrate buses in Berkeley, California, through a voluntary program.
“My mother used to say, 'Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last.'”
