Hillary Clinton

October 26, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Hillary Diane Rodham, best known as Hillary Clinton, was born on October 26, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois. She is a well-known American politician with a career spanning over two decades. Clinton was the First Lady of the U.S. from 1993 to 2001, Senator of New York from 2001 to 2009, Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, and Democratic Party candidate for president in the 2016 election. She was the first woman to receive the most popular votes in a presidential race, and her determination inspires us daily.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton

Nickname:

HRC, Hill

Birth date:

October 26, 1947

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Scorpio

Height:

5' 5"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$120 million

Background

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, on October 26, 1947, Hillary Clinton received departmental honors in political science from Wellesley College in 1969 and a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1973. After a stint as a legal counsel in Congress, she moved to Arkansas and married Bill Clinton in 1975, a Southern politician who would become president in 1993. In 1977, she co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, became the first female president of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978, and the first female partner of the Rose Law Firm in 1979.

As First Lady of the U.S., she fought for gender equality and health care reform. In 2000, she was elected the first female Senator of New York. In 2006, she got re-elected with 67% of the votes. Not long after, she ran for the 2008 Democratic primaries but was ultimately defeated by eventual winner Senator Barack Obama.

As Secretary of State, she was at the forefront of the country’s response to the Arab Spring, supported military intervention in Libya, dealt with the aftermath of the 2012 Benghazi embassy attack, and organized diplomatic isolation against Iran, to minimize its nuclear program. After leaving office in 2013, she published her fifth book and gave several speeches before announcing her second presidential bid in the 2016 election. Hillary garnered more votes and delegates in the Democratic primaries and received the party’s nomination, becoming the first woman nominated as a presidential candidate by a major U.S. political party. Despite winning more popular votes, she was eventually defeated by Republican Donald Trump in the Electoral College. In the following years, she published her third memoir, founded a political action organization, and became the first female Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast.

Career timeline

1978

The First Female Chair

President Jimmy Carter nominates her to the board of directors of the Legal Services Corporation.

1993

The First Lady of the U.S.

She serves as the First Lady of the U.S. to the 42nd President Bill Clinton.

2000

The First Female Senator from New York

Clinton becomes the first First Lady to win a Senate seat.

2008

The Presidential Race

Clinton runs for president in the Democratic Primaries but is defeated by Senator Barack Obama.

2009

The Secretary of State Role

She serves as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State under President Barack Obama.

2016

The Second Presidential Race

Despite winning the popular vote, she loses to Donald Trump due to the Electoral College system.

Why We Love Hillary Clinton

She led the way on healthcare reform
She was the spokesperson for the Task Force on Health Care Reform, helping to set up the Health Security Act in 1993. That would later lay the foundation for the Affordable Care Act under President Obama.
She has always been a children activist
As a high-schooler, she would become a volunteer, babysitting the children of migrant laborers. As an adult, she would establish the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.
She confronts violence against women
As a First Lady, she helped fund programs to assist victims of domestic violence. As a Secretary of State, she helped create the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security.

5 Surprising Facts

The Space Race inspired her
When Clinton was around 14, she wrote a letter to NASA showing interest in becoming an astronaut but was quickly turned down, as they didn't accept girls onto the program.
She hasn't driven in years
The high-security life of a First Lady and her important political role has kept her away from the wheel.
She is a Cubs fan
Despite living in New York and Arkansas for much of her life, she is a proud Chicago Cubs fan.
She helped New York after 9/11
As a senator, she helped secure $21 billion from the U.S. government and aided in regard to first responders' health care coverage.
She has traveled a lot
As Secretary of the State, she has been to 112 countries, more than anyone who had previously held the position.