Who Was Alive

Were Ray Charles and Barack Obama alive at the same time?

Yes. Ray Charles and Barack Obama were alive at the same time for 42 years, from 1961 to 2004.

Ray Charles was 30 when Barack Obama was born.

Barack Obama was 42 when Ray Charles died, aged 73.

Ray Charles

American singer, pianist and songwriter

Born 23 September 1930 · died 10 June 2004, aged 73

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. Ray Charles
  6. Donald Trump
  7. Vladimir Putin
  8. Michael Jackson
  9. Barack Obama
Ray Charles 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.