Life Timeline

For those born May 19, 1944.

Not your birthday? Find your timeline here.

1943
Before you were born

You're one of the first people who's never lived in a world without scuba gear.

In February 2011, Alexis C. Madrigal surfaced footage from an early dive that featured a Lambertsen Underwater Respiratory Unit in action.

1944
Year 79

You were born in May of 1944. This year, The Atlantic celebrates its 160th birthday, making it 2 times as old as you.

The year you were born, Justina Hill wrote about the fight against influenza, as the number of cases swelled nationwide.

1944
Beginnings

Around the time you were born, the United Negro College Fund was founded to provide scholarships to African American college students.

In February 2015, Donovan X. Ramsey wrote about how Obama's plan to rate universities would compromise funding for black colleges.

1962
Coming of age

Around your 18th birthday, the first Target store opened in Roseville, Minnesota.

In October 2016, Kaveh Waddell spoke with Joseph Turrow about the spread of consumer surveillance into physical stores, including Target.

1969

NASA

Man on the Moon

At 25 years old, you were alive to behold people walking on the moon.

Over the years, the moon landing has come to be lauded as the pinnacle of human achievement, although it was often derided at the time. In 1963, NASA astronauts took to The Atlantic to plead the case for landing on the moon.

1980
Half a life ago

Your life can be divided into two halves: before and after the 24-hour news cycle.

In October 2009, Mark Bowden wrote about the toll of constant coverage.

1982

AP

Contemporaries

In 1982, Alice Walker, who was born the same year as you, released the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning novel The Color Purple.

In December 2013, Philip Bump wrote about Alice Walker's "Best of 2013" list.

2007

NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute

Across the Universe

When you turned 63, you watched humankind reach the outer solar system.

With NASA's Cassini-Huygens mission in 2005, humans landed a probe in the outer reaches of the solar system for the first time, a moment Ross Andersen called the most glorious mission in the history of planetary science.

Today
History in the making

History is happening all around you, every day.

The Atlantic is here to help you process it, in stories like these: