Lisa Murkowski
A fiercely independent Republican senator from Alaska who has repeatedly broken with her party to defend democratic norms and her state's interests.
Born 1957 (age 69)·American attorney and politician·Birthday: May 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born in Ketchikan and raised in the political world of Alaska, Lisa Murkowski carved a path defined by a stubborn practicality. Appointed to the Senate by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski, in 2002, she quickly proved she was nobody's placeholder. Her political identity is rooted in a frontier brand of self-reliance, often placing Alaska's unique needs and her own conscience above partisan loyalty. This was never clearer than in 2010, when she lost the Republican primary to a Tea Party challenger, only to mount an unprecedented and victorious write-in campaign, a feat of sheer logistical grit. In the Senate, she has become a pivotal centrist force, known for her work on energy and Native issues, and for her willingness to cast decisive, conscience-driven votes, such as her support for marriage equality and her vote to convict Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial.
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.
Lisa 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 Lisa 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
Lisa'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
- Won a U.S. Senate seat in 2010 through a historic write-in campaign after losing her party's primary.
- Became the first woman to represent Alaska in the U.S. Congress.
- Served as Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, shaping national energy policy.
- Was one of only three Republican senators to vote to convict Donald Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial.
Did You Know?
She is an avid long-distance runner and has completed multiple marathons.
Her father, Frank Murkowski, appointed her to the Senate seat he vacated to become Governor of Alaska.
She is a licensed attorney and worked in the Anchorage District Attorney's office before entering politics.
“Sometimes you have to take a stand, and you have to do what you know is right, regardless of the political consequences.”
