Bill Nelson is 84 years old as of October 2026. He was born on 29 September 1942.
Quick facts
Date of birth29 September 1942
Age84
NationalityAmerican
BirthplaceMiami, United States
Editor's Take:
Bill Nelson combined a long political career with a close tie to America's space programme. His Florida district included Cape Canaveral, and for six years he led the House panel dealing with space before reaching the Senate. There he was widely seen as a centrist, and he later chaired the Senate science and space subcommittee. His views on NASA were not fixed: he showed scepticism towards the Commercial Crew Program in 2010, yet backed commercial fixed-price contracts as administrator. During his tenure NASA oversaw the James Webb Space Telescope, Artemis 1 and the DART asteroid impact.
Key Milestones
1972: Elected to the Florida House of Representatives.
1986: Flew on Space Shuttle Columbia as the first House member in space.
2001: Took his seat in the US Senate after winning the 2000 election.
2018: Lost his fourth Senate race to Rick Scott by 10,033 votes after a recount.
2021: Sworn in as NASA Administrator.
Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician, attorney, and former astronaut who served from 2001 to 2019 as a United States senator from Florida and from 2021 to 2025 as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
American politician, lawyer and astronaut, born 1942
Bill Nelson was born in Miami on 29 September 1942.
He grew up in Melbourne, Florida, and studied at Yale University and the University of Virginia, qualifying in law in 1968.
In 1986 he flew aboard Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-61-C flight, working as a payload specialist while still a member of the House.
He represented Florida in the US Senate from 2001 to 2019 and later led NASA from 2021 to 2025.
Career highlights
1972Florida House: Elected to state legislature
1978Elected to Congress: Won Florida's open 9th district
1986Flight on Columbia: Payload specialist on STS-61-C
2001Enters US Senate: Began three terms for Florida
2021NASA Administrator: Confirmed by unanimous consent
Did you know?Gregory Jarvis was originally due to fly on STS-61-C, but he was moved to the Challenger flight STS-51-L and Nelson took his place on Columbia.
Bill Nelson's birthday is September 29. He was born on September 29, 1942 in Miami, United States.
How old is Bill Nelson?
Bill Nelson is 84 years old, and turns 85 on his next birthday, September 29.
Who shares a birthday with Bill Nelson?
Famous people who share Bill Nelson's September 29 birthday include Miguel de Cervantes, Lech Wałęsa, Enrico Fermi, Silvio Berlusconi and Michelle Bachelet.
