Chris Hadfield began life as a young everyday boy growing up in Milton, Ontario. He was born on August 29, 1959, in Sarnia. He had many hobbies and pastimes throughout his early years, such as singing, riding, and writing, but he first became interested in flying from a young age, while being raised on a corn farm in southern Ontario. Chris went with this and became one of the few Canadian Astronauts.
At an early age, he joined the Air Cadets, and he won a glider pilot scholarship at age 15 and a powered pilot scholarship at age 16. He also taught He also taught skiing and ski racing part- and full-time for ten years. Hadfield graduated as an Ontario scholar from Milton District High in 1977 and joined the Canadian Armed Forces in May 1978. He then went through several years at various military colleges throughout Canada, eventually earning a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (with honors) in 1982. Hadfield underwent basic flight training in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, and then trained as a fighter pilot in Cold Lake, Alberta on CF-5s .and CF-18s.

For the next three years Hadfield flew CF-18s for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) with 425 Squadron before attending the United States Air Force (USAF) Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, in California. His accomplishments from 1989 to 1992 include testing the F/A-18 and A-7 aircraft; performing research work with NASA on pitch control margin simulation and flight; completing the first military flight of F/A-18 enhanced performance engines; piloting the first flight test of the National Aerospace Plane external burning hydrogen propulsion engine; developing a new handling qualities rating scale for high angle-of-attack test; and participating in the F/A-18 out-of-control recovery test program. In total, Hadfield has flown over 70 different types of aircraft.