Shashi Tharoor
A diplomat-turned-politician whose erudite English vocabulary and sharp wit make him a unique and formidable voice in Indian public life.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Indian politician and author·Birthday: March 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Shashi Tharoor's trajectory has woven through the highest echelons of international diplomacy and the gritty arena of Indian politics. After a nearly three-decade career at the United Nations, where he rose to become Under-Secretary-General and made a serious bid for the top job, he pivoted to serve as a Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram. More than his official roles, Tharoor has carved a space as a public intellectual who commands global attention, using his prolific writing and oratory to dissect colonialism, champion liberal values, and engage in spirited cultural debates. His presence bridges the worlds of policy and literature, making complex historical and political arguments accessible and compelling to a vast audience.
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.
Shashi 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 Shashi 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
Shashi'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 United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.
- Was a finalist in the 2006 election for UN Secretary-General, finishing second.
- Has served as a Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram since 2009.
- Authored numerous bestselling books on history, politics, and international relations.
- Served as Minister of State for Human Resource Development and External Affairs in the Indian government.
Did You Know?
His use of complex English words in Parliament once prompted the creation of the hashtag #Tharoorisms.
He worked for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees during the 1979 Vietnamese boat people crisis.
He holds a PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
He was the first Indian to apply for the post of UN Secretary-General.
“The problem with the English language is that it has so many words and so many nuances that you can spend a lifetime learning it and still not know it.”
