Tom Bergeron
A master of live television's unpredictable dance, he hosted America's living rooms through laughter and missteps with effortless, self-deprecating charm.
Born 1955 (age 71)·American television personality·Birthday: May 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Tom Bergeron represents a vanishing breed of television host: a quick-witted, unflappable professional who made live broadcasting look easy. His career trajectory took him from local radio in his native Massachusetts to the national stage, where his breakout came hosting the playful, chaotic morning show 'Breakfast Time' on FX. That experience honed his ability to think on his feet and connect directly with viewers, skills that made him the perfect successor for Bob Barker on 'America's Funniest Home Videos'. There, and later on the high-stakes ballroom of 'Dancing with the Stars', Bergeron's genius lay in his light touch. He could deliver a scripted punchline, gently rib a nervous celebrity, or gracefully cover a technical glitch, all while maintaining an atmosphere of genuine warmth. His long tenure on these family-friendly staples made him a familiar, trusted presence, a host who seemed to be enjoying the show as much as the audience at home.
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.
Tom was born in 1955, 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 Tom Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Tom's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
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
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
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 50
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 60
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 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hosted 'Dancing with the Stars' for 28 seasons, from its US debut in 2005 until 2019, guiding it to become a global phenomenon.
- Served as the host of 'America's Funniest Home Videos' for 15 years, from 2001 to 2015.
- Won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2012 for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program for 'Dancing with the Stars'.
- Revitalized the classic game show 'Hollywood Squares' as its host from 1998 to 2004.
Did You Know?
He is a practicing Transcendental Meditation advocate and has discussed its benefits publicly.
Bergeron began his career as a radio DJ on a local station in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
He published a memoir in 2009 titled 'I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can!'.
He is an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox.
“I've always believed that the job of a host is to be the representative of the audience at home.”
