Rod Blagojevich
A flamboyant Illinois governor whose political career imploded in a spectacular corruption scandal centered on the attempted sale of a U.S. Senate seat.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009·Birthday: December 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rod Blagojevich’s rise and fall is a classic, if sordid, American political tale. The son of a Serbian immigrant steelworker, he used his charm and telegenic appeal to climb from state legislator to Congressman and, in 2002, to the governor’s mansion in Illinois. He styled himself as a populist 'man of the people,' with a famous head of hair and a penchant for jogging with reporters. His tenure, however, was marred by federal investigations into pay-to-play politics. The drama peaked in 2008 when he was arrested on federal charges, most notoriously for allegedly trying to auction off the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. The brazenness of the crime, captured on wiretaps, made him a national punchline and the embodiment of political graft. Impeached, removed from office, and convicted, he served eight years in prison before his sentence was commuted. His story remains a stark lesson in the corrosive intersection of ambition, power, and entitlement.
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.
Rod was born in 1956, 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 Rod Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Rod's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
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
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
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
1977Turned 21
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
1986Turned 30
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
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 until his removal from office in 2009.
- Was the first governor in Illinois history to be impeached and convicted by the legislature.
- Initially won the governorship by a wide margin, positioning himself as an outsider reformer.
- His federal conviction led to a 14-year prison sentence, later commuted by President Donald Trump.
Did You Know?
He appeared on the reality television show 'The Apprentice: Celebrity Edition' in 2010, before reporting to prison.
He is a licensed attorney and worked as a prosecutor in Cook County early in his career.
His distinctive hairstyle was frequently the subject of media commentary and public parody.
After his release from prison, he hosted a weekly podcast about politics.
“I’ve got this thing and it’s fucking golden. And I’m just not giving it up for fucking nothing.”
