Joe Biden
Who was Joe Biden?
46th President of the United States (2021–2025)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Joe Biden (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, became a key figure in American politics. He attended Archmere Academy and graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965 before completing his law degree at Syracuse University College of Law in 1968. In 1970, he was elected to the New Castle County Council. At 29, he won a seat in the United States Senate for Delaware in 1972, making him one of the youngest senators at that time.
Biden spent 36 years in the Senate, leading both the Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees during his career. He was part of six Supreme Court confirmation hearings, including those of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. Noteworthy legislation he helped pass includes the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and the Violence Against Women Act. He was against the Gulf War in 1991 but voted for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, a decision he later regretted. Biden's presidential bids in 1988 and 2008 were unsuccessful, but Barack Obama chose him as his running mate in 2008.
During his time as the 47th Vice President from 2009 to 2017, Biden was a key advisor to President Obama. He played a significant role with Congress, managed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and led overseas diplomatic missions. Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2017, and he also received the Order of Liberty from Portugal that year.
Biden ran for president in 2020, choosing Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential candidate. He defeated incumbent President Donald Trump. As the 46th President from 2021 to 2025, Biden enacted the American Rescue Plan Act to help with the COVID-19 economic fallout and passed major bipartisan infrastructure and manufacturing legislation. He appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court and rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement. His foreign policy was heavily influenced by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, responding with sanctions and military support to Kyiv alongside NATO allies.
Biden is also an author, having written the memoirs "Promises to Keep" and "Promise Me, Dad," the latter focusing on his son Beau Biden's illness and death. He has been married twice: first to Neilia Hunter, who passed away in a car accident in 1972, and then to Jill Biden, whom he married in 1977.
Before Fame
Biden grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, before his family moved to Delaware. There, he attended Archmere Academy. In his youth, he was known for overcoming a stutter through hard work and by memorizing poetry. He later studied at the University of Delaware, followed by Garden City Collegiate, and completed his legal training at Syracuse University.
After passing the bar in 1969 and working briefly as a public defender, Biden quickly turned to politics. His early career was influenced by the political climate of the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the Vietnam War, civil rights issues, and widespread dissatisfaction with Washington. He started in county-level politics before unexpectedly winning a Senate seat in 1972 against incumbent Republican Caleb Boggs, propelling him onto the national stage at a notably young age.
Key Achievements
- Served as the 46th President of the United States from 2021 to 2025, signing major legislation including the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act
- Authored and led the passage of the Violence Against Women Act during his Senate tenure
- Appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to serve as a Justice on the United States Supreme Court
- Served as the 47th Vice President under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017
- Chaired both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee over the course of his 36-year Senate career
Did You Know?
- 01.Biden was so young when elected to the Senate in 1972 that he had not yet reached the constitutionally required age of 30 at the time of the election; he turned 30 just weeks before being sworn in.
- 02.He suffered two cerebral aneurysms in 1988 that required emergency surgery, leading to months of recovery and his withdrawal from that year's presidential race.
- 03.Biden received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1992, an award given to American citizens recognized for contributions to their communities and the nation while honoring their ancestral heritage.
- 04.He was awarded the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class by Estonia in 2004, reflecting his long engagement with Baltic security issues during his Senate tenure.
- 05.Biden commuted by Amtrak train between Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, Delaware, almost every day during his Senate career, a habit that earned him the informal nickname 'Amtrak Joe.'
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Order of the Three Stars, 2nd Class | — | — |
| St. George's Order of Victory | 2009 | — |
| Order of Liberty | 2017 | — |
| Nishan-e-Pakistan | — | — |
| Hilal-e-Pakistan | 2009 | — |
| Ellis Island Medal of Honor | 1992 | — |
| Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class | 2004 | — |
| Presidential Medal of Freedom | 2017 | — |
| Grand Cross of the Order of Boyacá | 2016 | — |
| Laetare Medal | 2016 | — |
| Time 100 | 2021 | — |
| Cross of Military Merit | 2022 | — |
| Time 100 | 2022 | — |
| Walk of the Brave plaque | 2023 | — |
| Grand Cross with collar of the Order of Vytautas the Great | 2023 | — |
| Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany | 2024 | — |
| Order of the Three Stars | — | — |
| Presidential Medal of Distinction | — | — |
| Iraq Commitment Medal | — | — |