Portrait of Ken Olin

Birthday profile

Ken Olin

Ken Olin, American actor, director, and producer

Born
July 30, 1954
Age in 2026
72
Zodiac sign
Leo
Birth year
1954

About Ken Olin

Kenneth Edward Olin (born July 30, 1954) is an American actor, television director, and producer. As an actor, Olin is known for his role as Michael Steadman in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething (1987–1991), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1990. Olin later began working behind the scenes, as a director and producer. His credits as a producer include Alias (2001–2006), Brothers & Sisters (2006–2011), and This Is Us (2016–2022). Olin is married to actress Patricia Wettig. == Career == === Acting === Olin made several guest appearances on episodic primetime TV in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His first series regular role was on the short-lived NBC comedy-drama Bay City Blues in 1983. He later joined the cast of NBC police drama Hill Street Blues playing Detective Harry Garibaldi from 1984 to 1985, and from 1985 to 1986 co-starred on the CBS prime time soap opera Falcon Crest as Father Christopher Rossini. Olin also guest-starred on Murder, She Wrote and Hotel before he was cast as Michael Steadman, one of the lead roles in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething. Debuting in 1987, the series received critical acclaim, setting a new bar for realism in the realm of prime-time drama.

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

The world when Ken Olin was born

Ken Olin was born in 1954. 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 1954

  • #1 song"Sh-Boom" – The Crew-Cuts
  • Top movieOn the Waterfront
  • Top TV showI Love Lucy
  • Best-selling bookLord of the Flies – William Golding

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentRoger Bannister breaks the 4-minute mile
  • Top headlineSupreme Court rules school segregation unconstitutional
  • Technology milestoneFirst nuclear power plant begins operation (USSR)
  • Defining fadRock and roll emerges
  • Notable inventionNonstick pan (Tefal)
  • World population2.72 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderDwight D. Eisenhower
  • Sports championNew York Giants (World Series)
  • Also wonMinneapolis Lakers (NBA)
  • U.S. population162.0M

1954 versus 2026

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

Measure19542026
Gas$0.29$3.45/gal
Average home$10,250$435,000
Average income$5,800$67,500
Minimum wage$0.75$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.49$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population162.0M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

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