Profile of the Day: Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders

Happy birthday, Bernie Sanders! Today the former Democratic presidential candidate turns 75.

Sanders was born on September 8, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents, Elias Sanders and Dorothy Glassberg. His father immigrated to the United States at the age of 17 from Słopnice, Poland, while his mother’s parents were immigrants from Poland and Russia. Many members of his family back in Poland perished during the Holocaust.

He had an interest in politics at an early age and became active in the Civil Rights Movement while a student at the University of Chicago. In the early 1980’s, Sanders began his career in public office as the mayor of Burlington, Vermont. He went on to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives before serving as Senator of Vermont. An unlikely political candidate, Sanders surprised many when he became a major contender for the Democratic presidential nomination. Although he lost the race to Hillary Clinton, his call for a “political revolution” continues to deeply resonate with his many passionate supporters.

Explore Bernie Sanders’s family tree on Geni and discover your connection to the senator.
 

View Bernie Sanders’s Geni Profile

Image: United States Congress