September 21, 1989 | General Colin Powell Confirmed As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
On September 21, 1989, Four Star General Colin Powell was confirmed unanimously by the Senate Armed Forces Committee as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A month earlier on August 10, 1989, he was nominated as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President H.W. Bush. He was the first African American and the youngest person at age 52 to hold the highest military position in the Department of Defense. Powell was born on April 5, 1937 in Harlem, New York City.

General Colin Powell
His parents Luther Theophilus and Maud Arial Powell had immigrated from Jamaica. Powell grew up in the South Bronx section of New York City. He received in 1958 a BS degree n geology from the City College of New York and an Army Commission as a second lieutenant from the ROTC program. He graduated in 1971 with a MBA from George Washington University after his second tour of Vietnam.
![By United States Army [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Colin_Powell_and_Norman_Schwarzkopf.jpg/512px-Colin_Powell_and_Norman_Schwarzkopf.jpg)
General Colin Powell and General Norman Schwarzkopf
![By DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, is greeted by former Secretary of State Colin Powell before the start of the 2014 Atlantic Council’s awards ceremony and dinner in Washington, D.C., April 30, 2014 140430-D-NI589-061a](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Defense_Secretary_Chuck_Hagel%2C_left%2C_is_greeted_by_former_Secretary_of_State_Colin_Powell_before_the_start_of_the_2014_Atlantic_Council%E2%80%99s_awards_ceremony_and_dinner_in_Washington%2C_D.C.%2C_April_30%2C_2014_140430-D-NI589-061a.jpg/512px-thumbnail.jpg)
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, is greeted by former Secretary of State Colin Powell before the start of the 2014 Atlantic Council’s awards ceremony and dinner in Washington, D.C., April 30, 2014
Colin Powell arrives for 2009 President Obama Inauguration