Sonny Perdue
A Georgia veterinarian turned political trailblazer who became the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction and later shaped U.S. farm policy.
Born 1946 (age 80)·American politician·Birthday: December 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Sonny Perdue's story is a classic American pivot from business to politics. He built successful companies in agriculture and transportation, a background that grounded him in the practical concerns of rural Georgia. His shift to the state senate in the 1990s was a prelude to a seismic political upset: in 2002, he broke a 130-year Democratic hold on the Georgia governor's mansion. As governor for two terms, he focused on fiscal conservatism and education reform, steering the state through a severe drought and economic downturn. His deep ties to the agricultural world made him a natural choice for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President Trump, where he oversaw trade negotiations, farm aid packages, and the rollout of the 2018 Farm Bill, directly impacting the lives of rural Americans.
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.
Sonny was born in 1946, 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 Sonny Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Sonny's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
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
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
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 50
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 60
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 70
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 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected as the 81st Governor of Georgia in 2002, becoming the first Republican to hold the office since 1872.
- Served as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021.
- Presided over the implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill, a major piece of agricultural legislation.
Did You Know?
He is a licensed veterinarian, graduating from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
He served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force.
His cousin, David Perdue, served as a U.S. Senator from Georgia.
“We need to get back to the basics of growing things, making things, and moving things.”
