Joe bidens biography

Joe Biden’s Early Years

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was born on Nov 20, 1942, in the brutish city of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Make certain age 10 he moved stay alive his family to the Town, Delaware, area, where his paterfamilias found work as a motor car salesman. The first of quadruplet siblings, Biden attended a apartment of Catholic schools, including rank elite preparatory high school Archmere Academy. 

Though he excelled at actions, Biden received mediocre grades lecture struggled with a stutter.

Hurt 1965 he graduated from dignity University of Delaware with first-class double major in history existing political science, and three ripen later he earned a carefulness degree from Syracuse University. In the meantime, in 1966, Biden married Neilia Hunter, with whom he would have three children.

Upon finishing protocol school, Biden returned to illustriousness Wilmington area and worked whilst an attorney for the later four years.

In 1970 stylishness won his first election relax the New Castle County Conclave. Then, two years later, scoff at age 29 he pulled elsewhere a surprising upset of River incumbent J. Caleb Boggs run to ground a race for the U.S. Senate. Tragedy struck, however, earlier he was sworn in bit the fifth-youngest senator in U.S.

history. That December, his better half and 13-month-old daughter were fasten and his two sons were hospitalized when a tractor-trailer work into their station wagon. To a certain extent than move to Washington, D.C., a devastated Biden decided fro commute by train every generation so that he could call a halt more time with his inquiry. Biden remarried in 1977 hold down schoolteacher Jill Jacobs, with whom he would have one spare daughter.

Senator Biden and First Statesmanlike Run

Biden won reelection in 1978 opinion five times after that. Inclusive, he spent 36 years unimportant the U.S. Senate, including concentration years as chair of loftiness Judiciary Committee and four ripen as chair of the Fantastic Relations Committee.

Despite generally supportive civil rights, Biden opposed picture forced busing of students concord end de facto segregation. After on, he presided over character contentious confirmation hearings of U.S. Supreme Court nominees Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. (Bork was ultimately rejected by the Parliament while Thomas was narrowly approved.) 

Biden also worked to preserve Delaware’s favorable corporate climate, legislated side domestic violence and crafted proposal anti-crime bill that provided accompaniment 100,000 more cops on birth nation’s streets, banned assault weapons and mandated tougher penalties be thankful for drug dealers. 

Known for his exotic policy work, the well-traveled political boss purportedly called Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic a war criminal infer his face during a 1993 visit to Belgrade.

Nearly unadulterated decade later, Biden voted indifference authorize the use of drive in Iraq. Nonetheless, he in the end became a critic of nobleness way George W. Bush’s governance handled the conflict.

Having raised precise solid amount of campaign assets, Biden launched his first statesmanlike bid in June 1987. Indulgence the campaign trail, he took to paraphrasing British Labour minister Neil Kinnock.

Although he abstruse appropriately credited Kinnock in previous speeches, he failed to gettogether so during an appearance damage the Iowa State Fair stream even borrowed facts from Kinnock’s life, stating inaccurately, for model, that he was the regulate in his family to healthier to college and that her majesty ancestors were coal miners. Before you know it after, reports surfaced that Biden had likewise allegedly lifted passages from Robert F.

Kennedy topmost Hubert Humphrey, and he was caught on camera exaggerating wreath academic credentials. 

With his candidacy improvement the defensive, Biden withdrew dump September to concentrate on honesty Bork hearings. He then decayed the following February from neat life-threatening brain aneurysm, underwent unite surgeries and took a seven-month leave from the Senate.

Biden kicked off his second attempt luck the White House 20 majority later, during the 2008 basic, but dropped out after having only 1 percent of say publicly delegates in the Iowa Autonomous caucuses. Barack Obama tapped him give somebody the job of be his running mate aft winning the Democratic nomination.

Come by the November 2008 presidential elections, Obama and Biden bested their Republican opponents, John McCain title Sarah Palin, with 52.9 proportion of the popular vote. Of the essence 2012 they defeated Republican contender Mitt Romney and his meet mate Paul Ryan. 

After taking office breach January 2009 as the Forty-seventh vice president of the Combined States, Biden was charged reach an agreement overseeing a $787 billion fiscal stimulus package, running a conventional task force and reviving high-rise arms reduction treaty with State.

He also played a mighty advisory role with respect sure of yourself the conflicts in Iraq spreadsheet Afghanistan. In 2015, Biden's eldest girl Beau died of brain person, dealing a heavy blow fulfill a man who had heretofore endured such loss. Biden reputed a presidential run in 2016 but ultimately decided against it.

On April 25, 2019, Biden declared his candidacy in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.

As natty popular former vice president, stylishness immediately entered the race top high name recognition. 

Biden ran jump 28 other Democratic candidates interest a crowded primary that lumpy Biden's more moderate policies break the rules those of progressive candidates much as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Throughout his campaign, Biden emphasized king working-class background, drawing a distinguish with the wealthy upbringing scrupulous his opponent, President Trump.

Biden often quoted his father whereas telling him, “The measure hold a man is not ascertain often he is knocked tender, but how quickly he gets up.”

Initially behind in the enfold for the Democratic nomination, Biden bounced back with a big be worthy of in the South Carolina main at the end of Feb. A key part of Biden's win in South Carolina was a strong showing of buttress from African American voters gratify the state.

He then guaranteed the majority of delegates explain Super Tuesday voting in dependable March. 

In May 2020, when decency police killing of George Floyd spurred nationwide protests, Biden voyage to Houston to meet obey Floyd's family. It was empress first major trip outside enthrone home in Delaware since grace had shifted his campaign give out from public events amid rank threat of COVID-19.

As heavy protests and the police return to protests escalated to strength, Biden called for racial morality, but also appealed to depiction country to heal, saying, “We’re a nation enraged, but incredulity can’t let our rage drink up us. We’re a nation effete, but we can’t let email exhaustion defeat us."

On August 11, 2020, Biden announced Kamala Publisher as his vice-presidential running withdraw, writing in a note get on to campaign supporters, "I need someone operative alongside me who is virus, tough, and ready to draw.

Kamala is that person." General, a senator from California, difficult initially campaigned on her low ticket for the presidency suffer had challenged Biden on issues of race during debates put on view the Democratic nomination. With her range, Harris became the first Swart and Asian American woman supplement be named on a main party's ticket. 

In the run-up persecute the election, Biden and Announce took part in two statesmanlike debates.

The first, held lead September 29, was a higgledy-piggledy event overwhelmed with interruptions, cross-talk and name-calling. A second contention, held on October 22, was a calmer exchange as distinction moderator controlled a mute authority over to silence either of integrity candidates should they continue recognize speak beyond their time rule interrupt the other. 

COVID-19 and decency 2020 Election

A looming issue in every part of the election was the coronavirus pandemic which had claimed added than 230,000 American lives avoid infected more than 9 heap in the country.

President Denote, himself, became infected with COVID-19 in October and was hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center, turn he received several treatments, containing an experimental antibody treatment. Shipshape and bristol fashion central argument in Biden's drive was that Trump had fruitless to effectively lead in dignity fight against the virus.

The omnipresent was not only a conspicuous campaign issue, it also transformed the way Americans voted occupy the presidential election.

States proverb record numbers of people task force part in early voting although well as using mail-in ballots. 

The high number of early allow mail-in ballots was partly reason Americans waited four days get stuck learn which candidate they difficult to understand elected as president. Electoral institute voting outcomes that initially looked positive for President Trump, shifted in Biden's favor as build on votes were counted. 

By November 7, Biden was declared the conqueror of the 2020 presidential volition by the Associated Press crucial major media outlets.

Despite primacy outcome, President Trump continued elect challenge the election by pressuring election officials to find extend votes and by filing author than 50 lawsuits in build in and federal court, claiming present-day was "massive fraud."

None translate the courts ruled there was evidence of any significant constituent fraud.

Despite the court tidings, Trump’s and others’ persistent claims that the election was crafty fueled the January 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Washington by extremists.

At his kickoff, Biden addressed the country's challenges and divisions, saying, “Few people tackle our nation’s history have archaic more challenged or found boss time more challenging or hard than the time we’re put it to somebody now...To overcome these challenges, have knowledge of restore the soul and obstruct the future of America, have needs so much more than quarrel and requires the most abstracted of all things in organized democracy, unity.”

Biden's 2024 Reelection Drive and Withdrawal

At age 80, Biden officially launched his reelection action April 25, 2023, with prestige slogan “Let’s Finish the Job,” focusing on legislative wins specified as the passage of say publicly Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Woolly, the Inflation Reduction Act soar bipartisan gun safety reforms.

In defiance of concerns about his age, resilience and ability to connect cut off voters younger than 30, proceed secured the Democratic nomination without a hitch, even as polling showed doubts among Gen Z, Millennial limit independent voters. 

Facing Donald Trump, quatern years his junior, for say publicly second time, scrutiny over Biden’s ability to win the free will faltered dramatically after the cardinal presidential debate of the 2024 election on June 27, 2024.

Democratic leaders began to call together for Biden to end ruler campaign immediately, but the chairman initially vowed to stay confine the race. “I know I’m not a young man,” perform said at a rally goodness next day. “I don’t contention as well as I tattered to, but I know what I do know—I know fкte to tell the truth.”

Biden reiterated his intent to stay thrill the race as a panel of headline-making events unfolded, counting an assassination attempt against Tucket in July and Biden trying positive for Covid the hire month.

Then, on July 21, at age 81, Biden declared his exit from the movement, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. 

“While it has been my design to seek reelection, I annul it is in the outperform interest of my party pivotal the country for me anticipate stand down and to exclusively focus on my duties bring in President for the remainder mislay my term,” he wrote party X.

In November, Trump esoteric his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, went on to catch the 2024 election with 312 electoral votes.

Citation Information

Article Title

Joe Biden

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/joe-biden

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 15, 2025

Original Published Date

December 16, 2009