Tom Hanks
The quintessential American everyman whose profound empathy and technical skill have made him the most trusted actor of his generation.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American actor and filmmaker·Birthday: July 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Tom Hanks didn't just achieve movie stardom; he engineered a new kind of it, built not on aloof glamour but on palpable decency and meticulous craft. His early career in television comedy hinted at a likable goofball, but films like 'Big' revealed the soulful intelligence beneath the humor. He then executed one of the most dramatic and successful shifts in modern cinema, moving seamlessly from comic roles to the raw dramatic work in 'Philadelphia,' where his portrayal of a lawyer dying of AIDS won him his first Oscar. The following year, his embodiment of the gentle, determined Forrest Gump cemented his status as a cultural touchstone. Hanks has since become America's narrator, a figure who projects an innate goodness without sentimentality, whether stranded on an island, commanding a WWII battalion, or piloting a crippled airliner. As a producer, writer, and director, he has further shaped historical storytelling, ensuring his influence extends far beyond his own performances.
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 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 Tom 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
Tom'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
- Won back-to-back Academy Awards for Best Actor for his performances in 'Philadelphia' (1993) and 'Forrest Gump' (1994).
- Voiced the character of Sheriff Woody in Pixar's 'Toy Story' franchise, a role spanning over 25 years.
- Produced and starred in the critically acclaimed WWII miniseries 'Band of Brothers' and 'The Pacific.'
- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 for his contributions to American culture and humanitarian work.
Did You Know?
He is an avid collector of vintage typewriters and owns over 200 of them.
Hanks is a licensed amateur radio operator with the call sign KB1YDI.
He became a Greek citizen in 2020, honoring his work promoting awareness of the 2018 wildfires in Mati.
He made his directorial debut with the 1996 musical comedy 'That Thing You Do!' about a one-hit-wonder band.
“The whole idea is to try to give the audience a sense of what it's like to be that particular character.”
