Portrait of John Olerud

Birthday profile

John Olerud

John Olerud, American baseball player

Born
August 5, 1968
Age in 2026
58
Zodiac sign
Leo
Birth year
1968

About John Olerud

John Garrett Olerud Jr. (; born August 5, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1989 through 2005, most prominently as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays team that won two consecutive World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. He also played for the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox. A two-time All-Star, Olerud was a patient, productive hitter throughout his career, winning the American League batting title in 1993, and finishing as runner-up for the National League batting title in 1998. Olerud was also an excellent defensive first baseman, and won three Gold Glove Awards. In 1999, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated titled "The Best Infield Ever?" along with Edgardo Alfonzo, Rey Ordóñez, and Robin Ventura, when he played for the Mets. Olerud was notable for wearing a helmet while on defense, due to his suffering from a brain aneurysm in college. On the mound, he posted a 3–2 record with a 6.68 ERA.

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

The world when John Olerud was born

John Olerud was born in 1968. 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 1968

  • #1 song"Hey Jude" – The Beatles
  • Top movie2001: A Space Odyssey
  • Top TV showRowan & Martin's Laugh-In
  • Best-selling bookAirport – Arthur Hailey

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentBob Beamon shatters long jump record at Mexico City Olympics
  • Top headlineMLK and RFK assassinated
  • Technology milestoneDouglas Engelbart demonstrates the computer mouse
  • Defining fadTie-dye everything
  • Notable inventionComputer mouse (Douglas Engelbart)
  • World population3.55 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderLyndon B. Johnson
  • Sports championDetroit Tigers (World Series)
  • Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
  • U.S. population200.7M

1968 versus 2026

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

Measure19682026
Gas$0.34$3.45/gal
Average home$15,600$435,000
Average income$10,300$67,500
Minimum wage$1.60$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$1.31$11.95
Postage stamp$0.06$0.73
Population200.7M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

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