Petro Poroshenko
A confectionery tycoon turned wartime president, he led Ukraine during a pivotal period of conflict with Russia and pro-Western reform.
Born 1965 (age 61)·President of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019·Birthday: September 26·Generation X
Biography
Petro Poroshenko's presidency was forged in the crucible of national crisis. Taking office in 2014 after the Revolution of Dignity, he immediately faced a Russian annexation of Crimea and a fomented war in the Donbas. A wealthy businessman who built the Roshen chocolate empire, Poroshenko brought a pragmatic, if sometimes controversial, oligarch's touch to governance. His administration signed the landmark EU Association Agreement, a decisive westward turn for Ukraine, and oversaw a painful but necessary decentralization of power. His tenure was marked by the monumental challenge of fighting a hybrid war while attempting to rebuild a corrupt state, a balancing act that earned him both praise for his steadfastness and criticism for the slow pace of change.
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.
Petro was born in 1965, 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 Petro Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Petro's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
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
1978Became a teenager
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
1981Could drive
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
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
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
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Signed the European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement, cementing Ukraine's political and economic shift toward Europe.
- Oversaw the creation of an autocephalous (independent) Orthodox Church of Ukraine, separating it from Russian ecclesiastical control.
- Initiated a major decentralization reform, granting more power and budget control to local communities.
- Served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and headed the National Bank council prior to his presidency.
Did You Know?
His confectionery company, Roshen, is one of the largest in Europe.
He owns the 5 Kanal TV station, which played a key role in covering the 2004 Orange Revolution.
He served as Minister of Trade and Economic Development while simultaneously heading the National Bank council.
He is an avid collector of historic watches.
“My goal is to conduct such reforms so that every Ukrainian feels changes for better in his or her life.”
