Who Was Alive

Were José Saramago and Barack Obama alive at the same time?

Yes. José Saramago and Barack Obama were alive at the same time for 48 years, from 1961 to 2010.

José Saramago was 38 when Barack Obama was born.

Barack Obama was 48 when José Saramago died, aged 87.

José Saramago

Portuguese novelist

Born 16 November 1922 · died 18 June 2010, aged 87

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. José Saramago
  6. Donald Trump
  7. Vladimir Putin
  8. Michael Jackson
  9. Barack Obama
José Saramago 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.