Origins & Early Life

Janet Louise Yellen (born August 13, 1946) is an American economist who served as the 78th United States secretary of the treasury from 2021 to 2025 and as the 15th chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018. She was the first woman to hold either position, and has also led the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Yellen is professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, where she joined the faculty in 1980 and held the Eugene E. and Catherine M.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Trefethen professorship in business administration and economics. Born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Yellen graduated from Brown University in 1967 and earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University in 1971. She taught as an assistant professor at Harvard University from 1971 to 1976, was a staff economist for the Federal Reserve Board from 1977 to 1978, and was a faculty member at the London School of Economics from 1978 to 1980. Yellen is professor emeritus at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, where she has been a faculty member since 1980 and became the Eugene E.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

and Catherine M. Trefethen Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Economics. Yellen served as a...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adam Michnik — Contemporary (Born in 1946) (1946): Prominent Polish intellectual, dissident, and journalist advocating for democracy.
• Ahmed Zewail — Contemporary (Born in 1946) (1946): Pioneering chemist, acclaimed as the 'father of femtochemistry'.
• Al Green — Contemporary (Born in 1946) (1946): Iconic American soul singer, songwriter, and pastor celebrated for his timeless vocal artistry.
• Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah — Shared historical date (08-13 · Born) (985): Sixth Fatimid Caliph and 16th Ismaili Imam, known for a controversial reign.
• Alan Shearer — Shared historical date (08-13 · Born) (1970): English football legend, record goalscorer, and respected pundit.
• Alan Rickman — Historical peer (Born in 1946) (1946): Iconic English actor celebrated for his distinctive voice and powerful stage presence.
• Alexander Alekhine — Historical peer (Died in 1946) (1946): A celebrated Russian-French chess master and four-time World Champion.
• Abdul Qadeer Khan — Historical peer (Died in 2021) (2021): Pakistani nuclear physicist, known as the 'father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program'
• Abimael Guzmán — Historical peer (Died in 2021) (2021): Peruvian Maoist revolutionary leader, founder of the Shining Path.
• Alasdair MacIntyre — Historical peer (Died in 2025) (2025): Influential Scottish-American philosopher known for virtue ethics and political theory.
• 1946 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1946
• August 13 (08-13) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 13