Who Was Alive

Were Ian McKellen and Barack Obama alive at the same time?

Yes. Ian McKellen and Barack Obama were alive at the same time for 65 years, from 1961 to today.

Ian McKellen was 22 when Barack Obama was born.

Ian McKellen

British actor

Born 25 May 1939 · living, 87 as of September 2026

Barack Obama

44th President of the United States

Born 4 August 1961 · living, 65 as of September 2026

  1. Albert Einstein
  2. Adolf Hitler
  3. Ronald Reagan
  4. Nelson Mandela
  5. Ian McKellen
  6. Donald Trump
  7. Vladimir Putin
  8. Michael Jackson
  9. Barack Obama
Ian McKellen and Barack Obama in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.