About Richard Riordan
Richard Joseph Riordan was an American businessman, investor, military commander, philanthropist, and politician. A decorated Korean War veteran and a member of the Republican Party, Riordan served as the 39th mayor of Los Angeles from 1993 to 2001; he remains the most recent Republican to hold that office. He ran for governor in the 2002 California gubernatorial election, losing the Republican primary. After politics, he resumed his business career, specializing in private equity. As a philanthropist, he founded the Riordan Foundation, a charity for expanding childhood literacy. Riordan won with 54% of the vote, becoming the first Republican mayor in 36 years.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.