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Notable Achievements at Age 28
Assigned to cover Watergate break-in
On a Saturday (June 17, 1972) Bernstein and Bob Woodward were assigned to cover the break-in at the DNC headquarters in the Watergate complex; their reporting launched the Watergate investigation.
Began PhD studies at Teachers College, Columbia University
Enrolled in PhD program in clinical psychology at Teachers College (Columbia), which trained many psychoanalytically oriented therapists.
Primary upset: defeated Joe Crowley
Won the Democratic primary for NY-14 against 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in a major upset, receiving 57.13% (15,897 votes) to Crowley's 42.5% (11,761).
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend major series milestone (multi-season run)
Show ran from 2015 through 2019, earning critical acclaim, awards, and a cult following; major career-defining milestone.
Marries Priscilla Chan
Zuckerberg married longtime partner Priscilla Chan in Palo Alto the day after the Facebook IPO (May 19, 2012).
Led Reddit blackout to protest SOPA/PIPA
Helped lead Internet-enabled campaign; Reddit and other major sites protested; bills were eventually shelved.
Launched 'What's Trending' (host, executive producer, creator)
Started hosting and producing 'What's Trending', a weekly live interactive online talk show covering the most popular videos and internet trends.
Founded Stitch Fix (in San Francisco, from her apartment)
Launched Stitch Fix while a Harvard MBA student, combining data science and human stylists to send curated clothing 'fixes' to customers.
Portrayed in film 'The Social Network'
A fictionalised version of Saverin was played by Andrew Garfield in the David Fincher film 'The Social Network'.
AirBed & Breakfast renamed Airbnb.com
Company shortened the name to Airbnb and expanded listings beyond airbeds to private rooms, entire homes and apartments.
Entered Parliament as a list MP (2008 general election)
Elected to New Zealand Parliament as a Labour list MP after the 2008 general election despite losing the Waikato electorate.
Awarded MacArthur Fellowship
Received the MacArthur 'genius' fellowship for work at intersection of cryptography and human computation.
Marriage to Lavinia Borromeo
Married Donna Lavinia Borromeo in a Catholic ceremony on Isola Madre, Lake Maggiore.
Launched to space on Soyuz TM-34 (space tourist)
Launched as a self-funded space tourist aboard Soyuz TM-34 (Space Adventures) to the International Space Station; became the first citizen of an independent African country to travel to space and the first South African in space.
Ph.D. in Social/Personality Psychology, Stanford University
Awarded Ph.D.; doctoral thesis titled 'The hedonic consequences of social comparison: implications for enduring happiness and transient mood.' Advisors included Lee Ross and Susan Nolen-Hoeksema.
Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon
Awarded Ph.D.; dissertation 'Application-Transparent Fault Management' supervised by Zary Segall.
💡 What this means for you
At age 28, you're at a pivotal point where many successful entrepreneurs made their breakthrough. Whether you're building your first company or scaling an existing one, these examples show what's possible with focus and execution.
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