Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
A diplomat who broke barriers as Croatia's first female president, navigating global stages with a blend of sharp geopolitics and viral soccer fandom.
Born 1968 (age 58)·President of Croatia from 2015 to 2020·Birthday: April 29·Generation X
Biography
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović's path to the presidency was forged in the fires of Croatia's independence. A skilled diplomat and former foreign minister, she rose through the ranks of a political landscape dominated by men, combining fluency in multiple languages with a deep understanding of international affairs. Her 2015 election was historic, making her the first woman to lead the young nation. Her tenure was defined by a focus on economic growth, demographic challenges, and strengthening Croatia's position within NATO and the European Union. To the world, however, she may be best remembered for her unrestrained celebration during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Drenched in rain and wearing her team's jersey, her hugs and cheers as Croatia reached the final became a global image of patriotic passion, showcasing a human side rarely seen in heads of state.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Kolinda was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kolinda Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Kolinda's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
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
1981Became a teenager
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
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
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
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected as the first female President of Croatia in 2015, serving a full five-year term.
- Served as Croatia's first female Minister of Foreign and European Affairs from 2005 to 2008.
- Was the first woman to hold the post of Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy at NATO.
- Led Croatia's delegation during its successful accession negotiations to join the European Union.
Did You Know?
She is fluent in Croatian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and also speaks some German and French.
Her enthusiastic support at the 2018 World Cup final, where she hugged players in the rain, became an internationally famous meme.
She worked as a science advisor at the Embassy of Croatia in Canada early in her diplomatic career.
She holds a Master's degree in international relations from the University of Zagreb and was a Fulbright scholar at George Washington University.
“I have never entered any race as a woman, but as the best candidate.”
