Your generation, explained.

Baby Boomers

Born 1946–1964

Nineteen birth years. Many different stories.

Baby Boomers were born from 1946 through 1964 in the U.S. definition used here. The name comes from the increase in births after World War II. It is a demographic starting point for a generation whose experiences span a surprisingly wide range.

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Born between

1946to1964

Birthdays in 202662–80 years old

Comes afterSilent

Comes nextGen X

The bigger picture.

The nineteen-year span is worth keeping in view. In 1969, the year of the first Moon landing, the oldest Boomers turned 23 and the youngest turned five. A single event could be an adult memory for one person and an early childhood memory for another.

The generation’s early decades include landmark changes in education and civil rights, followed by personal computers and portable music players. Its first members entered adulthood in the 1960s; its last reached that point in the early 1980s. Those dates leave room for several distinct cultural chapters within one cohort.

What shaped this generation?

A name tied to births

The U.S. Census Bureau identifies the baby boom cohort as 1946–1964. This range reflects a historical pattern in births rather than a rule that every generation must last twenty years.

Growing up during change

School desegregation and civil rights legislation unfolded during this cohort’s childhood and youth. These were consequential public changes, experienced very differently across communities.

Adulthood across decades

Boomers turned 18 from 1964 through 1982. The earliest and latest arrivals therefore entered adulthood in different years, with different surroundings and opportunities.

A few moments
in the timeline.

The same moment can mean different things at different ages.

1954
A landmark education ruling
Brown v. Board of Education rejected racial segregation in public schools. The decision was one milestone in a much longer struggle.
1964
The Civil Rights Act
Signed on July 2, the act addressed discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and other areas. It became a landmark federal law.
1969
The Moon landing
Apollo 11 landed on July 20. Its television coverage brought a distant space mission into homes around the world.
1981
IBM introduces its PC
The IBM Personal Computer was unveiled on August 12. Members of this cohort turned between 17 and 35 that year.

A little time capsule.

A broadcast worth remembering

Apollo 11’s televised images are one way to revisit 1969. A family story about where people watched can add a completely different layer.

Hello, Sesame Street

The show first aired on November 10, 1969. Even within this generation, viewers could encounter it as children, older siblings, or young adults.

Music on the move

Sony introduced its first Walkman in 1979. A portable cassette player offered a different way to carry a personal selection of music.

There’s more to the story.

19, not 20

Counting 1946 and 1964 as included years produces nineteen birth years. Generations do not all have equal lengths.

The oldest and youngest

In any calendar year, the first and last Boomer birth years are eighteen years apart.

A U.S. definition

The baby boom happened differently across countries. A national source may use boundaries that differ from the ones shown here.

A few good questions.

What makes someone a Baby Boomer?

Here, a birth date in 1946–1964. The label refers to a birth cohort; it does not depend on current age or whether someone has children.

Does every older person count as a Boomer?

No. Older people can belong to the Silent or Greatest generations as well. Birth year is more reliable than guessing from someone’s age or appearance.

Why do some timelines disagree?

Definitions can follow different national histories or research choices. Check the country and the stated years before comparing two timelines.

Keep exploring.

The generation beforeSilent Generation 1928–1945 The generation afterGeneration X 1965–1980

Born on the cusp?

Why you might relate to two generations—and why that makes perfect sense.

Read the guide

The generations, explained

A clear guide to the names, the birth years, and what they actually tell us.