Portrait of Rae Dawn Chong

Birthday profile

Rae Dawn Chong

Rae Dawn Chong, Canadian-American actress

Born
February 28, 1961
Age in 2026
65
Zodiac sign
Pisces
Birth year
1961

About Rae Dawn Chong

Rae Dawn Chong (born February 28, 1961) is a Canadian actress. She made her big screen debut appearing in the 1978 musical drama film Stony Island, and in 1981 starred in the science fantasy film Quest for Fire, for which she received the Genie Award for Best Actress. Chong later starred in films Beat Street (1984), Choose Me (1984), American Flyers (1985), The Color Purple (1985), Commando (1985), Soul Man (1986), The Principal (1987), Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990), The Borrower (1991), Time Runner (1993), and Boulevard (1994). She is the daughter of comedian and actor Tommy Chong. == Early life == Rae Dawn Chong was born on February 28, 1961, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the first daughter of actor/comedian Tommy Chong. Her father is of Chinese and Scots-Irish descent and her mother, Maxine Sneed, was of Black Canadian descent. Her maternal uncle was drummer Floyd Sneed. Her younger sister Robbi Chong is a model and actress. They have three younger half-brothers (one adopted) and a half-sister by their father's second wife. In addition to Rae Dawn, two of her sisters and her adopted brother Marcus Chong have also pursued acting careers.

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

Career and life highlights

Rae Dawn Chong timeline

  1. She made her big screen debut appearing in the 1978 musical drama film Stony Island, and in 1981 starred in the science fantasy film Quest for Fire, for which she received the Genie Award for Best Actress.
  2. On television, Chong starred opposite Adrian Pasdar in the science fiction drama series Mysterious Ways from 2000 to 2002. later she starred in the first season of Lifetime comedy-drama series Wild Card opposite Joely Fisher.

The world when Rae Dawn Chong was born

Rae Dawn Chong was born in 1961. 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 1961

  • #1 song"Tossin' and Turnin'" – Bobby Lewis
  • Top movieWest Side Story
  • Top TV showGunsmoke
  • Best-selling bookCatch-22 – Joseph Heller

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentRoger Maris hits 61 home runs, breaking Babe Ruth's record
  • Top headlineYuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space
  • Technology milestoneYuri Gagarin becomes first human in space
  • Defining fadSurfing culture
  • Notable inventionValium
  • World population3.08 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJohn F. Kennedy
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
  • U.S. population183.7M

1961 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Rae Dawn Chong's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19612026
Gas$0.31$3.45/gal
Average home$12,500$435,000
Average income$7,600$67,500
Minimum wage$1.15$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.69$11.95
Postage stamp$0.04$0.73
Population183.7M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb. 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.