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Darren Manzella

Darren Manzella, American sergeant (died 2013)

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Born
August 8, 1977
Died
August 29, 2013
Zodiac sign
Leo
Birth year
1977

About Darren Manzella

Darren Manzella was a United States Army Sergeant, Army medic and gay activist from Portland, New York, who was discharged under the Don't ask, don't tell policy. Manzella served in Iraq and Kuwait, and was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas. Manzella came out on American news program 60 Minutes in 2007, the first openly gay service member on active duty to speak to the press from a war zone. Immediately following the repeal of DADT, Manzella enlisted into the New York Army National Guard and was promoted and awarded for his meritorious service.

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

The world when Darren Manzella was born

Darren Manzella was born in 1977. 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 1977

  • #1 song"You Light Up My Life" – Debby Boone
  • Top movieStar Wars
  • Top TV showHappy Days
  • Best-selling bookThe Silmarillion – J.R.R. Tolkien

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentPelé retires after final match with the New York Cosmos
  • Top headlineStar Wars premieres and changes cinema forever
  • Technology milestoneApple II computer released
  • Defining fadStar Wars mania
  • Notable inventionAtari 2600 video game console
  • World population4.23 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJimmy Carter
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonPortland Trail Blazers (NBA)
  • U.S. population220.2M

1977 versus 2026

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

Measure19772026
Gas$0.62$3.45/gal
Average home$49,300$435,000
Average income$16,009$67,500
Minimum wage$2.30$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.23$11.95
Postage stamp$0.13$0.73
Population220.2M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

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