Mitch Albom
A journalist turned storyteller who transformed a series of conversations with a dying professor into a global meditation on life and meaning.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American author and journalist·Birthday: May 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mitch Albom's career began in the noisy press boxes of American sports stadiums, where his columns for the Detroit Free Press earned him a loyal following for their heart and humanity. The trajectory of his life and work shifted fundamentally in the 1990s after reconnecting with his former sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, who was dying of ALS. Their weekly discussions became 'Tuesdays with Morrie,' a slender memoir that defied publishing expectations to become an international phenomenon, spending years on bestseller lists. Albom pivoted to writing inspirational fiction, like 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven,' which further cemented his status as a author who speaks to universal questions of connection and purpose. Beyond writing, he established charities in Detroit and Haiti, putting the ethos of his books into tangible action.
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.
Mitch was born in 1958, 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 Mitch Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Mitch's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
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 60
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 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored 'Tuesdays with Morrie,' which spent over four years on the New York Times bestseller list.
- Has written seven novels that have all reached the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list.
- Founded eight charities in the Detroit area and operates an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
- Was named the number one sports columnist in the nation by the Sports Editors of America 13 times.
Did You Know?
He is a licensed pilot and once flew to every NFL city in a single season to write a column.
Albom is also an accomplished songwriter and musician, having composed for several musicals.
He wrote the screenplay for the film 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven,' which starred Jon Voight.
Before journalism, he pursued a career in music, playing in bands and working as a nightclub pianist.
“Death ends a life, not a relationship.”
