Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1953, the Biden family moved to Delaware. Biden later graduated from the University of Delaware and Syracuse Law School. In 1972, at the age of 29, he was elected to the United States Senate. 1

Several weeks after the election, Biden’s wife Neilia and daughter Naomi died in a tragic car accident; their two young sons, Joseph “Beau” III and Hunter, were also seriously injured. Biden took the Oath of Office at the hospital and began commuting to Washington by train, a practice he maintained throughout his Senate career. In 1977, Biden married Jill Jacobs, and the couple raised Beau and Hunter. In 1980, they welcomed a daughter, Ashley. 2

As chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden was recognized for his work on criminal justice, including the 1994 Crime Act and the Violence Against Women Act. As chairman or ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. foreign policy. He served thirty-six years in the United States Senate. 3

In 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama chose Biden as his running mate, and they won the election that November. Vice President Biden implemented the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, led several initiatives to reduce violence against women, and initiated the “Cancer Moonshot” program after Beau’s death from brain cancer. 4 On January 12, 2017, President Obama awarded Vice President Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his decades of public service. 5

In 2020, Biden returned to politics to challenge and defeat President Donald J. Trump. Biden was the first president from Delaware and the second Roman Catholic president in United States history. During the campaign, Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate. Harris was the first woman, first African American, and first person of South Asian heritage to serve as Vice President of the United States. 6

President Biden’s immediate priorities included expanding relief programs and ensuring public safety with the COVID-19 pandemic, boosting the American economy, and strengthening traditional alliances. The administration worked with Congress to pass several major pieces of legislation that provided funding to improve infrastructure and high-speed internet access; invest in clean energy production; expand access to health insurance; and lower prescription drug and insulin costs. 7 President Biden also made history when he nominated Kentanji Brown Jackson - the first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court.

On the world stage, President Biden condemned Russian aggression and supported Ukrainian resistance. He ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war but the operation and subsequent fallout were heavily criticized. In July 2024, President Biden withdrew from the presidential race and supported Vice President Harris as the nominee.