Vasilios Magginas
A steadfast conservative politician from western Greece who served multiple terms in parliament and held key ministerial posts during turbulent economic times.
1949–2015 (age 66)·Greek politician·Birthday: October 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Vasilios Magginas was a political fixture in the Aetolia-Acarnania region of Greece, representing the New Democracy party for over two decades. Trained as a lawyer, he entered parliament in 1990 and built a reputation as a reliable and regionally focused representative. His ministerial career placed him at the heart of critical economic portfolios. He served as Deputy Minister of National Economy during a period of preparation for Greece's entry into the Eurozone, and later, during the severe debt crisis that followed, he held the position of Minister of Agricultural Development and Food. In this role, he was tasked with managing a sector vital to the Greek economy and identity under the strain of austerity measures. Magginas's career reflects the arc of modern Greek politics—from the optimism of European integration to the grueling realities of economic rescue programs—all navigated from a steadfast conservative perspective.
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.
Vasilios was born in 1949, 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 Vasilios Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Vasilios's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
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
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
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
1965Could drive
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
1967Could vote
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
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2015Died at 66
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
Key Achievements
- Served as the Greek Minister of Agricultural Development and Food from 2012 to 2014 under Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
- Held the position of Deputy Minister of National Economy from 2004 to 2007.
- Was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Aetolia-Acarnania constituency for New Democracy multiple times between 1990 and 2015.
- Served as a Mayor of the local community of Kainourgio in Aetolia-Acarnania early in his political career.
Did You Know?
He earned his law degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Magginas was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
He was first elected to parliament in the 1990 election, which saw New Democracy return to power after a decade.
His tenure as agriculture minister coincided with the peak of the Greek financial crisis and intense EU negotiations over bailout terms.
“My duty was to my region and its people, in parliament and in the fields.”
