Joe Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on November 20, 1942. He was the eldest of four children born to Joseph R. Biden Sr., a used car salesman, and Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Finnegan Biden. Biden's father lost his job during the Great Depression, and the family was forced to move to Claymont, Delaware, where they lived in a small apartment.
Biden attended Archmere Academy, a Catholic boarding school in Claymont. He was a good student and a talented athlete, playing football and baseball. After graduating from Archmere in 1961, Biden attended the University of Delaware, where he majored in history and political science. He graduated from college in 1965 and went on to law school at Syracuse University.
After graduating from law school in 1968, Biden clerked for a federal judge in Delaware. He then worked as a public defender before being elected to the New Castle County Council in 1970. In 1972, Biden was elected to the United States Senate, becoming one of the youngest senators in history.
Biden served in the Senate for 36 years, during which time he was a leading voice on a wide range of issues, including criminal justice, foreign policy, and healthcare.
Biden was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War and led the effort to end the war. He also played a key role in passing the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1994, which imposed tough new penalties on crime and invested in crime prevention programs.
In foreign policy, Biden was a strong supporter of the NATO alliance and worked to strengthen relations with Europe. He also played a key role in negotiating the START II nuclear arms treaty with Russia.
In healthcare, Biden was a strong advocate for the Affordable Care Act, which expanded health insurance coverage to millions of Americans. He also worked to reduce prescription drug costs and improve the quality of healthcare.
Biden first ran for president in 1988, but he withdrew from the race after being accused of plagiarism. He ran for president again in 2008, but he lost the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama. In 2020, Biden ran for president again and won the Democratic nomination. He defeated incumbent President Donald Trump in the general election, becoming the 46th president of the United States.
Biden took office on January 20, 2021. His presidency has been marked by a number of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic recession, and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
Despite these challenges, Biden has made progress on a number of his priorities, including passing the American Rescue Plan, which provided economic relief to Americans during the pandemic; signing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which invests in infrastructure projects; and rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate change.