Mark Kelly
A space shuttle pilot turned U.S. Senator, using his methodical astronaut's perspective to tackle Earth-bound challenges like gun violence and climate change.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American politician, astronaut and naval officer·Birthday: February 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mark Kelly's life has been defined by high-stakes journeys, first above the atmosphere and now in the political arena. A former U.S. Navy captain and combat pilot, he was selected by NASA in 1996 and flew four space shuttle missions, twice as commander. His career in orbit was personally intertwined with that of his twin brother, Scott, a fellow astronaut. A profound tragedy on Earth reshaped his path: the 2011 shooting of his wife, then-Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Kelly became a prominent advocate for gun safety, co-founding an organization dedicated to the cause. In 2020, he channeled that advocacy into a successful run for the U.S. Senate from Arizona, succeeding the late John McCain. In the Senate, he applies the data-driven, problem-solving mindset of an engineer and pilot to issues ranging from water rights in the arid Southwest to veterans' affairs and infrastructure.
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.
Mark 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 Mark Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Mark'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
- Piloted the space shuttle Endeavour on its final mission to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the ISS.
- Co-founded Americans for Responsible Solutions (now Giffords), a prominent gun violence prevention organization.
- Won a special election in 2020 to become a United States Senator from Arizona.
Did You Know?
He and his twin brother, Scott Kelly, are the only siblings to have both traveled in space.
He is married to former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords.
He authored several children's books with Giffords about an adventurous mouse named "Mousetronaut."
“"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker."”
