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Galen Rowell

Galen Rowell, American mountaineer and photographer (died 2002)

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Born
August 23, 1940
Died
August 11, 2002
Zodiac sign
Virgo
Birth year
1940

About Galen Rowell

Galen Avery Rowell was an American wilderness photographer, adventure photojournalist and mountaineer. Born in Oakland, California, he became a full-time photographer in 1972. Rowell was introduced to the wilderness at a very young age and he completed his first roped climb in Yosemite Valley when he was 16. Within a year, he had completed his first major assignment, published as the June 1974 cover story for National Geographic. In 1972, Rowell sold his small automotive business and became a full-time photographer.

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

Galen Rowell timeline

  1. In 1972, Rowell sold his small automotive business and became a full-time photographer.
  2. Born in Oakland, California, he became a full-time photographer in 1972.
  3. Within a year, he had completed his first major assignment, published as the June 1974 cover story for National Geographic.

The world when Galen Rowell was born

Galen Rowell was born in 1940. 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 1940

  • #1 song"In the Mood" – Glenn Miller
  • Top movieRebecca
  • Best-selling bookFor Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentFirst televised college basketball game
  • Top headlineWinston Churchill becomes British Prime Minister
  • Technology milestoneFirst McDonald's restaurant opens
  • Defining fadSwing music hits its peak
  • Notable inventionJeep (military vehicle)
  • World population2.30 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderFranklin D. Roosevelt
  • Sports championCincinnati Reds (World Series)
  • U.S. population132.2M

1940 versus 2026

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

Measure19402026
Gas$0.18$3.45/gal
Average home$5,300$435,000
Average income$3,100$67,500
Minimum wage$0.30$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.25$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population132.2M341 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, 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.