Portrait of Helen Grant (politician)

Birthday profile

Helen Grant (politician)

Helen Grant, English lawyer and politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics

Born
September 28, 1961
Age in 2026
65
Zodiac sign
Libra
Birth year
1961

About Helen Grant (politician)

Helen Grant (née Okuboye; born 28 September 1961) is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as Shadow Solicitor General since November 2024. She has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone and Malling since July 2024, as well as for Maidstone and The Weald from 2010 until 2024 when the constituency was abolished. A member of the Conservative Party, she succeeded Ann Widdecombe, who was first elected in 1987. Grant was the first black woman of mixed heritage to be elected as a Conservative MP and selected as a candidate to stand for a Conservative-held parliamentary seat. She first served in government as jointly Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women and Equalities (2012–2015) and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (2012–2013). She also became Minister of State for Sport and Tourism in 2013, a post she held until after the 2015 general election. In January 2021, she was appointed as Special Envoy of Boris Johnson on Girls' Education. On 19 July 2026, Grant announced that she would be standing down at the next United Kingdom general election.

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

The world when Helen Grant (politician) was born

Helen Grant (politician) 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 Helen Grant (politician)'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, UK Parliament. 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.