Alison Bechdel

Alison Bechdel, American author and illustrator

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Born: September 10, 1960
Age in 2026: 66
Zodiac sign: Virgo
Birth year: 1960

About Alison Bechdel

Alison Bechdel ( BEK-dəl; born September 10, 1960) is an American cartoonist. Originally known for the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, she came to critical and commercial success in 2006 with her graphic novel memoir Fun Home. Fun Home was adapted as a musical, which won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2015. In 2012, she released her second graphic memoir Are You My Mother? She was a 2014 recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Award. She is also known for originating the Bechdel test. == Early life == Bechdel was born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Helen Augusta (née Fontana) and Bruce Allen Bechdel. Her family was Roman Catholic. Her father was an army veteran who was stationed in West Germany.

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

Career and life highlights

She is also known for originating what would later be called the Bechdel test.
Fun Home was subsequently adapted as a musical, which won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2015.
An acquaintance recommended she send her work to WomaNews, a feminist newspaper, which published her first work in its June 1983 issue.

Alison Bechdel timeline

1983An acquaintance recommended she send her work to WomaNews, a feminist newspaper, which published her first work in its June 1983 issue.
2012In 2012, she released her second graphic memoir Are You My Mother?
2014She was a 2014 recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Award.
2015Fun Home was subsequently adapted as a musical, which won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2015.

The world when Alison Bechdel was born

Alison Bechdel 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 Alison Bechdel'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.