Portrait of Aaron Elkins

Birthday profile

Aaron Elkins

Aaron Elkins, American author and academic

Born
July 24, 1935
Age in 2026
91
Zodiac sign
Leo
Birth year
1935

About Aaron Elkins

Aaron Elkins (born July 24, 1935, in Brooklyn) is an American mystery writer. He is best known for his series of novels featuring forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver—the 'skeleton detective'. == Biography == Elkins's father was a machinist, his mother a homemaker. Elkins graduated from Hunter College in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts, after which he studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, earned Master of Arts degrees at the University of Arizona (1960) and California State University, Los Angeles (1962), and received a doctorate in education (Ed.D.) in 1976 from the University of California, Berkeley. Elkins had a multi-year career as a government employee, consultant, lecturer, and teacher in the fields of business, psychology, and anthropology. Elkins and his wife, Charlotte Elkins, live in Sequim, Washington; they have two children. == Writing == Elkins began his first novel (the first in the Gideon Oliver series) in 1978, at the age of 42. The fourth Oliver book, Old Bones, received the 1988 Edgar Award for "Best Mystery Novel" and was nominated for the 1988 Anthony Award in the same category. The seventh Gideon Oliver novel, Make No Bones, was nominated for an Agatha Award in 1991. In another series, the protagonist is museum curator Chris Norgren, an expert in Northern Renaissance art.

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

Career and life highlights

Aaron Elkins timeline

  1. Elkins began his first novel (the first in the Gideon Oliver series) in 1978, at the age of 42.
  2. His third novel in the Chris Norgren series, Old Scores, won a Nero Award for best mystery novel (1994), and was also nominated for an Agatha Award for "Best Novel".

The world when Aaron Elkins was born

Aaron Elkins was born in 1935. 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 1935

  • #1 song"Cheek to Cheek" – Fred Astaire
  • Top movieMutiny on the Bounty
  • Best-selling bookGreen Light - Lloyd C. Douglas

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentJesse Owens sets 3 world records in 45 minutes at Big Ten meet
  • Top headlineSocial Security Act signed into law by FDR
  • Technology milestoneRadar first demonstrated
  • Defining fadMonopoly officially released by Parker Brothers
  • Notable inventionBeer in cans
  • World population2.23 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderFranklin D. Roosevelt
  • Sports championDetroit Tigers (World Series)
  • U.S. population127.3M

1935 versus 2026

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

Measure19352026
Gas$0.19$3.45/gal
Average home$5,000$435,000
Average income$2,700$67,500
Minimum wage$0.25$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.25$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population127.3M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

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