Joe Biden Timeline

(November 20, 1942 - Present)

Joe Biden is an American politician who served as Vice President under Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017 and became the 46th President of the United States in 2021. His five-decade political career includes serving as U.S. Senator from Delaware, key legislative work, and historic milestones such as appointing Kamala Harris as the first female Vice President. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Early Life and Education

Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Nov 20, 1942

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the eldest of four children in a Catholic family of Irish descent. His father struggled financially, and when Biden was ten the family moved to Delaware, where his father became a successful used car salesman.

Overcomes childhood stutter

Jan 1, 1955

As a teenager, Biden worked hard to overcome a debilitating stutter by reciting poetry in front of a mirror, an experience that shaped his empathy and later made him a passionate advocate for people who stutter.

Image source: Joe Biden

Graduates from University of Delaware

Jan 1, 1965

Biden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in history and political science from the University of Delaware, where he was also a standout halfback on the football team.

Earns law degree from Syracuse University

Jan 1, 1968

Biden received his Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law, where he met his first wife, Neilia Hunter, whom he married in 1966.

Elected to New Castle County Council

Nov 3, 1970

Biden won his first election at age 27, securing a seat on the New Castle County Council in Delaware, where he served two years before launching a long-shot Senate campaign.

Car accident kills wife and daughter

Dec 18, 1972

Weeks after his election, Biden's wife Neilia and infant daughter Naomi were killed in a car accident while Christmas shopping; his sons Beau and Hunter were seriously injured. Biden was sworn into the Senate at his sons' hospital bedside.

Image source: Neilia Hunter Biden

Marries Jill Jacobs

Jun 17, 1977

Biden married Jill Tracy Jacobs, a schoolteacher who helped heal his family after tragedy. She raised his surviving sons and later became Second Lady and First Lady of the United States.

Image source: Jill Biden

Senate Career

Elected to U.S. Senate at age 29

Nov 7, 1972

Biden stunned incumbent Republican J. Caleb Boggs to win a U.S. Senate seat from Delaware just weeks before turning 30, the constitutional minimum age for senators, becoming one of the youngest people ever elected to the Senate.

Sworn in as U.S. Senator from Delaware

Jan 5, 1973

Biden took the oath of office in a Wilmington hospital chapel, beginning what would become one of the longest Senate careers in American history, spanning 36 years.

Chairs Senate Judiciary Committee

Jan 3, 1987 - Jan 3, 1995

Biden chaired the Judiciary Committee during contentious confirmation battles, including the failed nomination of Robert Bork in 1987 and the Clarence Thomas hearings featuring Anita Hill's testimony in 1991.

Image source: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

First presidential campaign ends amid plagiarism controversy

Jun 9, 1987 - Sep 23, 1987

Biden launched a campaign for the 1988 Democratic nomination but withdrew after revelations he had plagiarized a speech by British politician Neil Kinnock and exaggerated his academic record.

Image source: Joe Biden 1988 presidential campaign

Undergoes surgery for brain aneurysms

Feb 1, 1988

Biden suffered two life-threatening brain aneurysms and underwent emergency surgery, taking seven months away from the Senate to recover fully.

Authors Violence Against Women Act

Sep 13, 1994

Biden drafted and championed the landmark Violence Against Women Act, which improved criminal justice responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, becoming one of his signature legislative achievements.

Image source: Violence Against Women Act

Chairs Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Jun 6, 2001 - Jan 20, 2009

Biden chaired the powerful Foreign Relations Committee (with a brief interruption), shaping debates on Iraq, Afghanistan, NATO expansion, and international treaties over nearly three decades on the panel.

Image source: United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Second presidential campaign ends after Iowa caucuses

Jan 3, 2007 - Jan 3, 2008

Biden ran again for the Democratic nomination in 2008 but dropped out after receiving less than one percent in the Iowa caucuses, despite praise for his foreign policy expertise.

Image source: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

Vice Presidency

Selected as Barack Obama's running mate

Aug 23, 2008

Senator Obama chose Biden as his vice-presidential nominee to add foreign policy gravitas and working-class appeal to the ticket ahead of the November election.

Image source: 2008 United States presidential election

Sworn in as 47th Vice President

Jan 20, 2009

Biden took office as Vice President under President Barack Obama, becoming the first vice president from Delaware and playing a central role in economic recovery efforts following the financial crisis.

Image source: Vice presidency of Joe Biden

Oversees implementation of stimulus spending

Feb 17, 2009

Obama tasked Biden with managing the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, earning him the nickname 'Sheriff Joe' for guarding against waste in recovery spending.

Son Beau Biden dies of brain cancer

May 30, 2015

Beau Biden, Delaware's former attorney general and an Iraq War veteran, died at age 46 from glioblastoma. His death devastated Biden and influenced his decision not to run for president in 2016.

Image source: Beau Biden

Launches Cancer Moonshot initiative

Jan 1, 2016

After his son's death, Biden led the national Cancer Moonshot effort to accelerate cancer research, aiming to make a decade's worth of progress in five years through collaboration across government, academia, and industry.

Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

Jan 12, 2017

President Obama surprised Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction days before leaving office, calling him 'my brother' and honoring eight years of partnership.

Image source: Presidential Medal of Freedom

2020 Presidential Campaign

Publishes memoir Promise Me, Dad

Nov 14, 2017

Biden released a bestselling memoir about his final year as vice president and coping with Beau's death, fueling speculation about a third presidential run.

Image source: Promise Me, Dad

Announces 2020 presidential campaign

Apr 25, 2019

After months of deliberation, Biden announced his candidacy for president in Philadelphia, framing the race as a 'battle for the soul of America' against President Donald Trump.

Image source: Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign

Wins South Carolina primary decisively

Feb 29, 2020

After poor showings in early contests, Biden's landslide victory in South Carolina, powered by Black voters, revived his campaign and triggered a wave of endorsements that swept Super Tuesday.

Image source: 2020 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary

Secures Democratic presidential nomination

Jun 5, 2020

Biden clinched enough delegates to become the Democratic nominee after rivals including Bernie Sanders suspended their campaigns, accepting the nomination virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Image source: 2020 Democratic National Convention

Selects Kamala Harris as running mate

Aug 11, 2020

Biden named Senator Kamala Harris of California as his running mate, making her the first Black woman and first Asian American woman on a major party's national ticket.

Image source: Kamala Harris

Participates in first debate against Trump

Sep 29, 2020

The chaotic first presidential debate in Cleveland featured constant interruptions from Trump; Biden urged Americans to vote, telling them 'keep yapping, man,' as polls showed most viewers found him more composed.

Delivers speech on COVID-19 response plan

Oct 23, 2020

Throughout the fall of 2020, Biden campaigned largely virtually, presenting detailed plans to combat the pandemic, including testing expansion, vaccine distribution, and mask mandates, contrasting sharply with the Trump administration's approach.

Image source: COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Key Facts

Joe Biden was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Delaware, where he launched his political career.
He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 at age 29, making him one of the youngest people ever elected to the Senate, and represented Delaware for 36 years.
Biden served two terms as Vice President under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017.
He won the 2020 presidential election against incumbent Donald Trump and was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021.
During his presidency, Biden oversaw major legislation including the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Source

This Joe Biden timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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