- First cousin of Olympia Dukakis.
- Presidential candidate 1988.
- Governor of Massachusetts 1974-1978, 1982-1990.
- Now a University lecturer.
- Portrayed by Jon Lovitz on Saturday Night Live.
- During his governorship, a convicted murderer named Willie Horton left a Massachusetts prison for a furlough and brutally attacked a Maryland couple. Although the Massachusetts prison furlough program was soon abolished, the furlough issue was used against him in the 1988 presidential race when George Bush accused him of being soft on crime, and criticized his support for prison furloughs with television ads, one of which featured a mugshot of Horton. Dukakis did not counterattack until late in the race when his campaign tried to accuse Bush of hypocrisy with an ad that displayed a photo of Angel Medrano, who killed a pregnant woman during a furlough from a federal prison (which was part of a program that existed during the Reagan/Bush administration). Ultimately, the furlough ads and Dukakis' initial decision not to respond to them were believed to have contributed to his election defeat.
- Oscar-winning composer John Williams, who was then principal conductor of the Boston Pops orchestra, wrote "Fanfare for Michael Dukakis" in 1988 at the request of Dukakis' father-in-law Harry Ellis Dickson, then the associate conductor of the Boston Pops. The piece was premiered under the baton of Dickson at that year's Democratic National Convention in Atlanta.
- He is an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.
- Used Neil Diamond's immigrant song "America" as a theme song for his 1988 campaign.
- His wife, Kitty Dukakis, was named after Kitty Carlisle, a friend of her father, conductor Harry Ellis Dickson
- He made a cameo appearance in the medical drama St. Elsewhere (Season 3, Episode 15, "Bye, George," January 9, 1985). He limps to the hospital desk and says that he has suffered a jogging injury, but Dr. Fiscus (played by Howie Mandel) refuses to believe that he is the governor of Massachusetts.
- Married to Katherine D. (Kitty) Dukakis. Their children are John, Andrea and Kara. The Dukakises continue to reside in his boyhood home in Brookline, Massachusetts, but live in Los Angeles, California during the winter while Dukakis teaches at UCLA.
- "I'm voting for Dukakis" is the first line of dialog in the cult film Donnie Darko, and is often quoted by its fans. The phrase's use in the movie is a satirical take on Dukakis' unsuccessful campaign. (The movie takes place in 1988, but was filmed in 2001.)
- Had he been elected, he would have been the second US President, after Andrew Jackson, to have had two immigrant parents.
- He is the cousin of Academy Award-wining actress Olympia Dukakis. When Olympia picked up her Oscar on TV during the Democratic Presidential primary season in 1988, she spoke to her cousin Michael on-camera, telling him it was time for him to win his contest.
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