Michael Nutter
The pragmatic mayor who steered Philadelphia through the Great Recession, championed gun control, and transformed the city's skyline and reputation.
Born 1957 (age 69)·Mayor of Philadelphia from 2008 to 2016·Birthday: June 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Michael Nutter brought a data-driven, no-nonsense approach to Philadelphia's top job after decades of insider politics on the City Council. Taking office just as the 2008 financial crisis hit, he made tough, unpopular choices to stabilize the city's budget, but paired austerity with ambitious goals. He launched initiatives to make Philadelphia the greenest city in America, aggressively pursued education reform, and became a leading national voice on gun violence prevention, famously challenging the NRA. His tenure saw a dramatic drop in crime, a construction boom that reshaped the Center City skyline, and a sustained push to attract young professionals. While some criticized his aloof style, Nutter's relentless focus on efficiency and growth is widely credited with setting a new, more competent standard for city governance and helping to spark Philadelphia's 21st-century renaissance.
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.
Michael 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 Michael 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
Michael'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
- Reduced Philadelphia's murder rate by over 30% during his first term through data-driven policing strategies.
- Launched 'Greenworks Philadelphia,' a comprehensive sustainability plan with ambitious goals for reducing the city's environmental impact.
- Served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, using the platform to advocate fiercely for federal gun control legislation.
- Oversaw a period of significant downtown development and population growth, reversing decades of urban decline.
Did You Know?
He is a massive fan of the electronic music group Daft Punk and has been known to play their music at official events.
Before politics, he worked in the private sector as a consultant for the management and technology firm Arthur Andersen.
He was a guest star on the TV show 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' playing a fictionalized version of himself.
He is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
“We have a responsibility to try. We may not solve it today, but we have to do something.”
