Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Rachel Maddow

Role / Field:

Prominent liberal political commentator, author, and host of The Rachel Maddow Show.

Born:

1973-04-01

Century / Era:

1973s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Rachel Anne Maddow ( MAD-oh; born April 1, 1973) is an American television news program host, author, and liberal political commentator. She hosts The Rachel Maddow Show, a weekly television show on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), and serves as the cable network's special event co-anchor. Her syndicated talk radio program of the same name aired on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010. Maddow has received multiple Emmy Awards for her broadcasting work; in 2021, she also received a Grammy Award for the audiobook version of Blowout (2019).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Maddow holds a bachelor's degree in public policy from Stanford University and a doctorate in political science from the University of Oxford and is the first openly lesbian anchor to host a major prime-time news program in the United States. Maddow was born in Castro Valley, California. Her father, Robert B. Maddow, is a former United States Air Force captain who resigned his commission the year before her birth and then worked as a lawyer for East Bay Municipal Utility District. Her mother, Elaine (née Gosse), was a school program administrator.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

She has one older brother, David. Her paternal grandfather was from a Jewish family...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. S. Neill — Contemporary (Died in 1973) (1973): Scottish progressive educator, founder of Summerhill, championing self-governance.
• Abebe Bikila — Contemporary (Died in 1973) (1973): Ethiopian Olympic marathon champion, known for his barefoot victories in Rome and Tokyo.
• Adrien Brody — Contemporary (Born in 1973) (1973): Acclaimed American actor known for intense, emotionally charged character portrayals.
• Abbé Prévost — Shared historical date (04-01 · Born) (1697): French novelist, best known for the highly popular romance, Manon Lescaut.
• Abdul Qadeer Khan — Shared historical date (04-01 · Born) (1936): Pakistani nuclear physicist, known as the 'father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program'
• Aishwarya Rai — Historical peer (Born in 1973) (1973): Iconic Indian actress celebrated for beauty and versatile performances in Hindi and Tamil cinema.
• Akon — Historical peer (Born in 1973) (1973): Senegalese-American singer, songwriter, and influential figure in world music.
• Ahmed Zaki (actor) — Historical peer (Died in 2005) (2005): Iconic Egyptian actor celebrated for intense dramatic performances and masterful impersonation.
• Alexander Gomelsky — Historical peer (Died in 2005) (2005): Pioneering Russian basketball player and coach, revered as the Father of Soviet and Russian basketball.
• Alexander McQueen — Historical peer (Died in 2010) (2010): Iconic British fashion designer known for theatrical, boundary-pushing collections.
• 1973 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1973
• April 1 (04-01) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 1

Frequently Asked Questions about Rachel Maddow