Full Name: Bernard “Bernie” Sanders; Profession: American politician and activist, longest-serving independent member of the U.S. Congress, senior United States senator from Vermont, and two-time Democratic presidential candidate; Nationality: American; Born: 8 September 1941; Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States; Generation: Silent Generation (born in 1941 within the commonly cited 1928–1945 Silent Generation birth range); Chinese Zodiac: Metal Snake (born in the Snake year between 27 January 1941 and 14 February 1942, with element Metal); Zodiac Sign: Virgo (Sun in Virgo, as the September 8 birthday falls within the Virgo dates of roughly 23 August–22 September); Age in 2026: 85 years old on 8 September 2026; Marital Status: Married to Jane O’Meara Sanders since 1988; Children: four children in total—one biological son, Levi Noah Sanders, and three stepchildren Heather Titus, Carina Driscoll, and David Driscoll through his wife Jane; Description: Bernie Sanders is a Jewish American politician and activist who began his national career as an independent representative for Vermont in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 2007 before becoming the state’s U.S. senator in 2007, where he has served as the senior senator and the longest-serving independent in congressional history; he previously served as mayor of Burlington, Vermont, and has become internationally known for his progressive platform advocating Medicare for All, tuition-free public colleges and universities, aggressive action on climate change, and policies addressing wealth and income inequality, building a large grassroots movement around his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns and continuing to influence the Democratic Party and global discussions on social democracy; Cause of Death: Living (no reported death as of 2026).