Portrait of Robin Widdows

Birthday profile

Robin Widdows

Robin Widdows, English racing driver

Born
May 27, 1942
Age in 2026
84
Zodiac sign
Gemini
Birth year
1942

About Robin Widdows

Robin Michael Widdows (born 27 May 1942 in Cowley, Middlesex) is a British former racing driver from England. He participated in Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Three and sportscars including Le Mans. Widdows began his career with an MG Midget and a Lotus 23 winning the Autosport Class C Championship in 1965. He moved to Formula Three the following year and in 1967 competed in Formula Two with a Brabham BT23, winning the Rhine Cup at Hockenheim. In 1968, Widdows joined The Chequered Flag team to compete in a McLaren M4A and that year took part in his only World Championship Grand Prix, for Cooper, in the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch but retired with ignition problems. He returned to Formula Two the following season with Bob Gerard and also raced sportscars for Matra. Widdows continued in Formula Two in 1970, with a Brabham, but retired from the sport part way through the season. Widdows holds the rare distinction of being one of a select group of six who have competed in both a Formula One World Championship race and the Olympic Games (bobsleigh in 1964 and 1968). On 17 January 1965, Widdows became the fastest Englishman to ride the Cresta Run from Junction with a time of 44.14 secs, recorded in the Harjes Cartier Silver Chip handicap race.

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

Robin Widdows timeline

  1. Widdows holds the rare distinction of being one of a select group of six who have competed in both a Formula One World Championship race and the Olympic Games (bobsleigh in 1964 and 1968).
  2. Widdows began his career with an MG Midget and a Lotus 23 winning the Autosport Class C Championship in 1965.
  3. In 1968, Widdows joined The Chequered Flag team to compete in a McLaren M4A and that year took part in his only World Championship Grand Prix, for Cooper, in the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch but retired with ignition problems.
  4. Widdows continued in Formula Two in 1970, with a Brabham, but retired from the sport part way through the season.

The world when Robin Widdows was born

Robin Widdows was born in 1942. 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 1942

  • #1 song"White Christmas" – Bing Crosby
  • Top movieCasablanca
  • Best-selling bookThe Song of Bernadette – Franz Werfel

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentFirst Negro League World Series
  • Top headlineBattle of Midway becomes turning point of WWII in the Pacific
  • Technology milestoneEnrico Fermi achieves first nuclear chain reaction
  • Defining fadRationing and war bonds
  • Notable inventionNapalm
  • World population2.35 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderFranklin D. Roosevelt
  • Sports championSt. Louis Cardinals (World Series)
  • U.S. population134.9M

1942 versus 2026

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

Measure19422026
Gas$0.20$3.45/gal
Average home$5,600$435,000
Average income$3,800$67,500
Minimum wage$0.30$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.27$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population134.9M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

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