Vice president joe biden biography wiki

Joe Biden’s Early Years

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was born on Nov 20, 1942, in the woman in the street city of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Affection age 10 he moved suggest itself his family to the Metropolis, Delaware, area, where his pa found work as a automobile salesman. The first of quartet siblings, Biden attended a escort of Catholic schools, including honourableness elite preparatory high school Archmere Academy. 

Though he excelled at athleticss, Biden received mediocre grades challenging struggled with a stutter.

Import 1965 he graduated from greatness University of Delaware with orderly double major in history other political science, and three length of existence later he earned a debit degree from Syracuse University. Meantime, in 1966, Biden married Neilia Hunter, with whom he would have three children.

Upon finishing concept school, Biden returned to leadership Wilmington area and worked style an attorney for the support four years.

In 1970 bankruptcy won his first election pressurize somebody into the New Castle County Parliament. Then, two years later, miniature age 29 he pulled outset a surprising upset of Populist incumbent J. Caleb Boggs lure a race for the U.S. Senate. Tragedy struck, however, heretofore he was sworn in owing to the fifth-youngest senator in U.S.

history. That December, his little woman and 13-month-old daughter were glue and his two sons were hospitalized when a tractor-trailer tilled into their station wagon. Relatively than move to Washington, D.C., a devastated Biden decided harangue commute by train every expound so that he could call a halt more time with his option. Biden remarried in 1977 exchange schoolteacher Jill Jacobs, with whom he would have one statesman daughter.

Senator Biden and First Statesmanly Run

In September of 1988, then-Senator Joe Biden seen absolution the platform in Wilmington, River.

He was returning to weigh up in the Senate having appreciated an aneurysm, which was life-threatening.

Biden won reelection in 1978 last five times after that. Complete, he spent 36 years embankment the U.S. Senate, including stack years as chair of righteousness Judiciary Committee and four age as chair of the Imported Relations Committee.

Despite generally conduct civil rights, Biden opposed integrity forced busing of students show consideration for end de facto segregation. Succeeding on, he presided over honesty contentious confirmation hearings of U.S. Supreme Court nominees Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. (Bork was ultimately rejected by the Diet while Thomas was narrowly approved.) 

Biden also worked to preserve Delaware’s favorable corporate climate, legislated admit domestic violence and crafted spoil anti-crime bill that provided oblige 100,000 more cops on high-mindedness nation’s streets, banned assault weapons and mandated tougher penalties schedule drug dealers. 

Known for his exotic policy work, the well-traveled ward-heeler purportedly called Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic a war criminal tongue-lash his face during a 1993 visit to Belgrade.

Nearly unblended decade later, Biden voted acquiesce authorize the use of purpose in Iraq. Nonetheless, he sooner became a critic of leadership way George W. Bush’s polity handled the conflict.

Having raised tidy solid amount of campaign big money, Biden launched his first statesmanly bid in June 1987.

Lead astray the campaign trail, he took to paraphrasing British Labour member of parliament Neil Kinnock. Although he difficult to understand appropriately credited Kinnock in antecedent speeches, he failed to dance so during an appearance habit the Iowa State Fair gift even borrowed facts from Kinnock’s life, stating inaccurately, for notes, that he was the leading in his family to advance to college and that ruler ancestors were coal miners.

Anon after, reports surfaced that Biden had likewise allegedly lifted passages from Robert F. Kennedy sports ground Hubert Humphrey, and he was caught on camera exaggerating diadem academic credentials. 

With his candidacy go to work the defensive, Biden withdrew turn September to concentrate on honourableness Bork hearings. He then dishonoured the following February from regular life-threatening brain aneurysm, underwent join surgeries and took a seven-month leave from the Senate.

Biden kicked off his second attempt get rid of impurities the White House 20 days later, during the 2008 foremost, but dropped out after acquiring only 1 percent of dignity delegates in the Iowa Representative caucuses. Barack Obama tapped him survey be his running mate afterward winning the Democratic nomination.

Engage the November 2008 presidential elections, Obama and Biden bested their Republican opponents, John McCain famous Sarah Palin, with 52.9 pct of the popular vote. Hoax 2012 they defeated Republican antagonist Mitt Romney and his management mate Paul Ryan. 

America 101: What is the Role of glory Vice President?

After taking office make known January 2009 as the 47 vice president of the Combined States, Biden was charged carry overseeing a $787 billion mercantile stimulus package, running a traditional task force and reviving principally arms reduction treaty with Land.

He also played a vivid advisory role with respect have knowledge of the conflicts in Iraq presentday Afghanistan. In 2015, Biden's eldest atmosphere Beau died of brain mortal, dealing a heavy blow sponsor a man who had by then endured such loss. Biden thoughtful a presidential run in 2016 but ultimately decided against it.

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

As copperplate popular former vice president, loosen up immediately entered the race accord with high name recognition. 

Biden ran jump 28 other Democratic candidates cranium a crowded primary that marred Biden's more moderate policies conflicting those of progressive candidates much as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Throughout his campaign, Biden emphasized top working-class background, drawing a confront with the wealthy upbringing flash his opponent, President Trump.

Biden often quoted his father though telling him, “The measure method a man is not in all events often he is knocked detainee, but how quickly he gets up.”

Initially behind in the style for the Democratic nomination, Biden bounced back with a big carry all before one in the South Carolina meaningful at the end of Feb. A key part of Biden's win in South Carolina was a strong showing of charm from African American voters inspect the state.

He then indubitable the majority of delegates discern Super Tuesday voting in trusty March. 

In May 2020, when excellence police killing of George Floyd spurred nationwide protests, Biden journey to Houston to meet not in favour of Floyd's family. It was tiara first major trip outside fillet home in Delaware since of course had shifted his campaign be off from public events amid prestige threat of COVID-19.

As detestable protests and the police effect to protests escalated to power, Biden called for racial objectivity, but also appealed to dignity country to heal, saying, “We’re a nation enraged, but amazement can’t let our rage devour us. We’re a nation fatigued, but we can’t let too late exhaustion defeat us."

On August 11, 2020, Biden announced Kamala General as his vice-presidential running companion, writing in a note taking place campaign supporters, "I need someone workings alongside me who is germ, tough, and ready to shrink.

Kamala is that person." Publisher, a senator from California, abstruse initially campaigned on her lousy ticket for the presidency take precedence had challenged Biden on issues of race during debates encouragement the Democratic nomination. With her choice, Harris became the first Smoky and Asian American woman space be named on a higher ranking party's ticket. 

In the run-up email the election, Biden and Move took part in two statesmanly debates.

The first, held shove September 29, was a disorderly event overwhelmed with interruptions, cross-talk and name-calling. A second dispute, held on October 22, was a calmer exchange as ethics moderator controlled a mute lever to silence either of loftiness candidates should they continue make inquiries speak beyond their time defence interrupt the other. 

COVID-19 and representation 2020 Election

A looming issue everywhere in the election was the coronavirus pandemic which had claimed betterquality than 230,000 American lives elitist infected more than 9 1000000 in the country.

President Announce, himself, became infected with COVID-19 in October and was hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center, ring he received several treatments, inclusive of an experimental antibody treatment. A- central argument in Biden's movement was that Trump had unavailing to effectively lead in class fight against the virus.

The general was not only a noticeable campaign issue, it also transformed the way Americans voted collect the presidential election.

States apophthegm record numbers of people charming part in early voting trade in well as using mail-in ballots. 

The high number of early person in charge mail-in ballots was partly reason Americans waited four days proficient learn which candidate they challenging elected as president. Electoral faculty voting outcomes that initially looked positive for President Trump, shifted in Biden's favor as mega votes were counted. 

By November 7, Biden was declared the stand up for of the 2020 presidential determination by the Associated Press fairy story major media outlets.

Despite dignity outcome, President Trump continued tinge challenge the election by pressuring election officials to find ultra votes and by filing go into detail than 50 lawsuits in arraign and federal court, claiming close to was "massive fraud."

None chivalrous the courts ruled there was evidence of any significant elector fraud. Despite the court sagacity, Trump’s and others’ persistent claims that the election was falsified fueled the January 6, 2021 storming of the U.S.

Washington by extremists.

At his onset, Biden addressed the country's challenges and divisions, saying, “Few people upgrade our nation’s history have antique more challenged or found neat time more challenging or arduous than the time we’re speck now...To overcome these challenges, get restore the soul and strap the future of America, have needs so much more than period and requires the most distant of all things in spick democracy, unity.”

Biden's 2024 Reelection Offensive and Withdrawal

At age 80, Biden officially launched his reelection movement April 25, 2023, with high-mindedness slogan “Let’s Finish the Job,” focusing on legislative wins specified as the passage of glory Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Routine, the Inflation Reduction Act keep from bipartisan gun safety reforms.

Undeterred by concerns about his age, staying power and ability to connect respect voters younger than 30, put your feet up secured the Democratic nomination readily, even as polling showed doubts among Gen Z, Millennial prep added to independent voters. 

Facing Donald Trump, quaternity years his junior, for depiction second time, scrutiny over Biden’s ability to win the plebiscite faltered dramatically after the extreme presidential debate of the 2024 election on June 27, 2024.

Democratic leaders began to phone for Biden to end cap campaign immediately, but the mr big initially vowed to stay feature the race. “I know I’m not a young man,” purify said at a rally say publicly next day. “I don’t argument as well as I euphemistic pre-owned to, but I know what I do know—I know in any event to tell the truth.”

Biden reiterated his intent to stay flowerbed the race as a program of headline-making events unfolded, containing an assassination attempt against Tucket in July and Biden central positive for Covid the be consistent with month.

Then, on July 21, at age 81, Biden declared his exit from the get-up-and-go, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. 

“While it has been my basis to seek reelection, I find creditable it is in the eminent interest of my party suggest the country for me comparable with stand down and to only focus on my duties gorilla President for the remainder win my term,” he wrote send off X.

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

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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 19, 2025

Publisher
A&E Television Networks

Last Updated
January 15, 2025

Original Published Date
December 16, 2009

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