Alan Greenspan, one of the most influential economists in U.S. history, died on Monday at the age of 100. “Alan passed away at our home this morning at the age of 100 from complications of Parkinson’s disease,” stated his wife of 29 years, Andrea Mitchell, as per reported by NBC News.
What is Parkinson’s disease?
Greenspan died from complications related to Parkinson’s disease, Andrea Mitchell said in her statement. Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the nervous system that affects how a person moves.
The disease gets worse over time and symptoms usually develop slowly. The nervous system is a network of nerve cells that controls many functions of the body, including movement, as per Mayo Clinic. One of the first signs is often a small tremor, or shaking, in one hand.
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Alan Greenspan dies: Early life and education
Alan Greenspan was born on March 6, 1926, in the Washington Heights area of New York City. He showed strong mathematical skills from a very young age, as reported by NBC News. Before becoming an economist, he studied music at the Juilliard School. He played jazz saxophone and clarinet in a band during his younger years.
Greenspan later studied economics at New York University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1948. He completed a master’s degree in economics in 1950. He then started doctoral studies at Columbia University under economist Arthur F. Burns.
Alan Greenspan’s career
Greenspan oversaw one of the longest economic expansions in US history. The expansion lasted roughly from 1991 to 2001. This period included rapid globalization and the growth of the internet economy. Greenspan guided the Fed through major events such as the dot-com bubble and the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, as noted by an NBC News report.
During the strong economy of the 1990s, Greenspan became one of the most famous economists in the world. Journalist Christopher Hitchens called him “America’s least-likely celebrity”, as mentioned in the report by NBC News.
