Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin, Scottish author

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Born: April 28, 1960
Age in 2026: 66
Zodiac sign: Taurus
Birth year: 1960

About Ian Rankin

Sir Ian James Rankin (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer and philanthropist, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. Born in Fife, Rankin was the first of his family to attend university, and he worked in a number of different jobs before becoming a writer. Rankin's crime novels form a major contribution to the tartan noir genre, and have won numerous domestic and international awards. His Rebus books have sold over 35 million copies; the first entry, Knots and Crosses (1987) was named the eighth-best Scottish novel of all time in a 2016 poll. Rankin's crime novels form a major contribution to the tartan noir genre, and have won numerous British and international awards. Rankin was the first of his family to go to university.

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

The world when Ian Rankin was born

Ian Rankin was born in 1960. 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 1960

#1 song"The Twist" – Chubby Checker
Top movieThe Apartment
Top TV showGunsmoke
Best-selling bookTo Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

Headlines and milestones

Major sports momentCassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) wins Olympic gold in boxing
Top headlineJFK elected as youngest US president
Technology milestoneFirst working laser demonstrated
Defining fadThe Twist dance craze
Notable inventionLaser
World population3.03 billion

United States snapshot

U.S. leaderDwight D. Eisenhower
Sports championPittsburgh Pirates (World Series)
Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
U.S. population180.7M

1960 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Ian Rankin's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure	1960	2026
Gas	$0.31	$3.45/gal
Average home	$12,700	$435,000
Average income	$7,400	$67,500
Minimum wage	$1.00	$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket	$0.69	$11.95
Postage stamp	$0.04	$0.73
Population	180.7M	341 million

Sources and editorial standards

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