Portrait of Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler

Birthday profile

Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler

Norman Fowler, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Transport

Born
February 2, 1938
Age in 2026
88
Zodiac sign
Aquarius
Birth year
1938

About Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler

Peter Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler (born 2 February 1938) is a British politician who served as a member of both Margaret Thatcher and John Major's ministries during the 1980s and 1990s. He held the office of Lord Speaker from 1 September 2016 to 30 April 2021. After serving as Shadow Minister of Transport, Fowler was appointed Minister of Transport in 1979, being responsible for making seat belts compulsory. Later, as Secretary of State for Social Services, he drew public attention to the dangers of AIDS. He resigned from the cabinet as Employment Secretary, and was knighted in 1990. Fowler was Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1992 to 1994, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions from 1997 to 1998, and Shadow Home Secretary from 1998 to 1999. In 2001, he left the House of Commons and later that same year was created a Conservative life peer. As is customary for presiding officers, he renounced his party political allegiance upon taking office as Lord Speaker. On 25 February 2021, he announced that in April he would step down as Lord Speaker to focus on campaigning work, particularly in relation to AIDS. He continues to sit in the House of Lords. As secretary of state for social services in 1986, Fowler implemented the first official drive to educate the British public as to the dangers of AIDS and how transmission could be reduced.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler timeline

  1. As secretary of state for social services in 1986, Fowler implemented the first official drive to educate the British public as to the dangers of AIDS and how transmission could be reduced.
  2. In 2001, he left the House of Commons and later that same year was created a Conservative life peer.
  3. He held the office of Lord Speaker from 1 September 2016 to 30 April 2021.

The world when Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler was born

Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler was born in 1938. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1938

  • #1 song"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" – Ella Fitzgerald
  • Top movieThe Adventures of Robin Hood
  • Best-selling bookRebecca – Daphne du Maurier

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentJoe Louis knocks out Max Schmeling in round 1
  • Top headlineWar of the Worlds broadcast causes nationwide panic
  • Technology milestoneNuclear fission discovered
  • Defining fadSuperman debuts in Action Comics #1
  • Notable inventionInstant coffee (Nescafé)
  • World population2.30 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderFranklin D. Roosevelt
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • U.S. population129.8M

1938 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19382026
Gas$0.20$3.45/gal
Average home$5,100$435,000
Average income$2,800$67,500
Minimum wage$0.25$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.25$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population129.8M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Library of Congress. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.