Sirhan Sirhan
His shooting of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in a Los Angeles hotel kitchen irrevocably altered the course of American politics in 1968.
Born 1944 (age 82)·Assassin of Robert F. Kennedy·Birthday: March 19·The Silent Generation
Biography
Sirhan Sirhan's name is permanently etched into one of the darkest chapters of American history. Born in Jerusalem to a Palestinian Christian family, his early life was shaped by the Arab-Israeli conflict, a subject that fueled a deep-seated anger. His family emigrated to the United States when he was a teenager. On June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, the 24-year-old approached Senator Robert F. Kennedy just after the candidate had won the California Democratic primary. Sirhan fired multiple shots at close range, fatally wounding Kennedy. His trial revealed a meticulously kept journal filled with anti-Zionist diatribes, framing the act as political vengeance. Convicted and sentenced to death, his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, where he has remained the subject of endless parole hearings and conspiracy theories, a living specter of a nation's traumatic loss.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Sirhan was born in 1944, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sirhan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1944
#1 Movie
Going My Way
Best Picture
Going My Way
Sirhan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1944Born
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1949Started school
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1957Became a teenager
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
1960Could drive
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1962Could vote
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
1965Turned 21
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
1974Turned 30
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
1984Turned 40
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 50
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 60
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 70
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 80
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 82 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Assassinated U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968.
- Was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1969.
- Had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment in 1972 following a change in California law.
Did You Know?
He worked as a stable hand at the Santa Anita Racetrack prior to the assassination.
During his trial, psychiatrists testified that he was in a hypnotic-like trance during the shooting.
His parole requests have been repeatedly denied, most recently in 2022.
“I did it for my country.”
