WedNov 20

Featured

US President

Joe Biden

November 20, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Joe Biden, the current president of the United States, was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on November 20, 1942. Biden is a Democrat who served as Barack Obama’s 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and previously represented Delaware in the United States Senate from 1973 to 2009. From 1987 to 1995, he oversaw the Senate Judiciary Committee. During President Barack Obama’s Senate tenure, Biden wielded considerable power in foreign policy. The Vice President was the driving force behind the passing of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. We are here to help you celebrate the President’s special day.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

Nickname:

Uncle-in-Chief, Amtrak Joe, Cup of Joe

Birth date:

November 20, 1942

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Scorpio

Height:

5' 11"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$9 million

Background

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Catherine Eugenia “Jean” and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. He is the oldest child in a Catholic family, with a sister, Valerie, and two brothers, Francis and James. Jean was of Irish ancestry, while Joseph Sr. was of English, French, and Irish ancestry. Biden’s father had been wealthy, but suffered financial setbacks around the time Biden was born, and the family spent several years living with Biden’s maternal grandparents. During the 1950s, Scranton experienced economic decline, and Biden’s father was unable to find steady work. Beginning in 1953, when Biden was ten years old, the family resided in an apartment in Claymont, Delaware, before relocating to a home in nearby Mayfield. Biden Sr. later became a successful used-car salesman, keeping the family in the middle class.

Biden was a standout halfback and wide receiver for Archmere Academy in Claymont. Despite being a poor student, he served as class president in his junior and senior years. He received his diploma in 1961. He briefly played freshman football at the University of Delaware. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965 with a double major in history and political science and a minor in English. Biden has a stutter, which he has been working on since his early twenties. He claims he reduced it by reciting poetry in front of a mirror, but some observers believe it had an impact on his performance in the Democratic Party presidential debates in 2020.

Biden became the 46th president of the United States on January 20, 2021. He is the oldest person to hold the position, at the age of 78. He is the first man since George H. W. Bush to serve as both vice president and president, and the second non-incumbent vice president to be elected president after Richard Nixon in 1968. Due to COVID-19 precautions as well as massively increased security measures due to a threat of widespread civil unrest, Biden’s inauguration was “a muted affair, unlike any previous inauguration.” Biden took the Oath of Office on the west steps of the Capitol and delivered an inaugural address, but there were no spectators on the Mall and no parades or inaugural balls. Donald Trump did not attend the inauguration, making him the first outgoing president since 1869 to do so.

Career timeline

1965

He Earns His Bachelor’s Degree

Biden graduates from the University of Delaware in Newark with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science, and a minor in English.

1968

He Gets a Juris Doctor

Biden graduates from Syracuse University College of Law, where he ranks 76th in his class of 85, and is admitted to the Delaware bar in 1969.

1972

He Becomes a Junior U.S. Senator

Biden defeats Republican incumbent J. Caleb Boggs to become Delaware's junior senator, the only Democrat willing to take on Boggs.

1988

He Declares His Democratic Presidential Candidacy

Biden formally declares his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination; his moderate image, speaking ability, and high profile as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee make him a strong candidate.

2008

Nomination for Vice President

Obama announces Biden as his running mate, and he is officially nominated for vice president by voice vote on August 27 at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

2021

Becoming the United States President

Biden is sworn in as the United States 46th president on January 20, the oldest person to hold the position, at the age of 78.

Why We Love Joe Biden

He was awarded the highest civilian honor
Former President Barack Obama presented Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. This was just days before the end of Obama’s second term.
He fights violence against women
In 1994, Biden co-sponsored the Violence Against Women Act with Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. The law, which was included in a larger crime bill, provided $1.6 billion to investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed victims to sue their attackers in civil court even if prosecutors did not pursue criminal charges.
He led the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative
During his tenure as vice president, Biden was given the authority to lead the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative in 2016. He was to act as a catalyst for cancer research by expediting discoveries, promoting greater collaboration, and making research more transparent between researchers and the public.

5 Surprising Facts

He is the country's second Catholic president
Biden is the second Catholic president in American history, the first being John F. Kennedy.
He had brain surgery
Biden was taken to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in February 1988 after experiencing several episodes of increasingly severe neck pain, and he underwent surgery to repair a leaking intracranial berry aneurysm.
He has a weakness for ice cream
Instead of smoking or consuming alcohol, Biden has a weakness for chocolate chip ice cream, so much so that his campaign spent $10,000 on ice cream, primarily for donors, “Eater” reported.
He is a published author
He has written nine books on his life experiences, including "Promise Me, Dad," in which Biden describes his son’s struggle with cancer, as well as how he coped after his son passed away.
His dog made history
Major, one of Biden's two German Shepherds, is a rescue dog and is the first rescue dog to enter the White House.

Joe Biden FAQs

Was Joe Biden married before Jill Biden?

Biden was married twice, first to Neilia Hunter in 1966 until her passing in a car accident, and later to Jill Biden in 1977.

Was Joe Biden Trump's vice president?

Biden served as vice president twice, but never for Donald Trump; he served as vice president during both terms of Obama’s presidency.

What is Joe Biden’s slogan?

During the presidential elections, Biden’s campaign slogan was “Our Best Days Still Lie Ahead,” “Battle for the Soul of the Nation,” and “No Malarkey!” “Build Back Better,” and “Unite for a Better America.”