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Joe Biden's path to the U.S. presidency

Joe Biden's path to the U.S. presidency
Joe Biden's path to the U.S. presidency
Learn more about the life and career of Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
  • Joe Biden's path to the U.S. presidency
    Joe Biden's path to the U.S. presidency
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    Wander through the mountains, across valleys, down rivers, and along the coasts of the U.S. Pacific region
  • Listen President Barack Obama speaking before signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act after an introduction by Joe Biden
    Listen President Barack Obama speaking before signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act after an introduction by Joe Biden
  • Witness the historic speech by U.S. Pres. Barack Obama announcing the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces, May 2011
    Witness the historic speech by U.S. Pres. Barack Obama announcing the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces, May 2011
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    Explore the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, Grand Canyon, and Sonoran Desert in the U.S. Southwest
  • Listen Joe Biden introducing Barack Obama before the signing into law the repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” December 22, 2010
    Listen Joe Biden introducing Barack Obama before the signing into law the repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” December 22, 2010
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    See how the Supreme Court decision in Lochner v. New York affected labourers in the Industrial Revolution
  • Discover how European American settlers drove Native Americans and bison from the Midwest and transformed the land
    Discover how European American settlers drove Native Americans and bison from the Midwest and transformed the land
  • Tour the U.S. Southeast region and learn about its warm climate, landforms, and water features
    Tour the U.S. Southeast region and learn about its warm climate, landforms, and water features
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Transcript

Joe Biden is an American politician and the 46th president of the United States. He previously served as vice president under President Barack Obama and he represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate. Joe Biden was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He was raised in Scranton and New Castle county, Delaware. Biden earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware in 1965 and a law degree from Syracuse University in New York in 1968. During this time he married Neilia Hunter. The couple had three children before Neilia and their infant daughter were killed in a tragic car accident. In 1977 he married educator Jill Jacobs. Biden began his political career in 1970 by serving on the New Castle county council. Two years later he was elected to the U.S. Senate at the age of 29, becoming the fifth youngest senator in history. Before he was elected president, Biden made other bids for the presidency, running in 1988 and 2008 but falling short. However, after Biden dropped out of the 2008 Democratic primary, Barack Obama named him his vice presidential nominee. On November 4 the Obama-Biden ticket defeated John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin. Joe Biden announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential election in April 2019, joining a crowded Democratic field. Despite a slow start, he overtook the rest of the field as the race became a two-way competition between Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. When Sanders dropped out in April, Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee. In November 2020 Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris were elected president and vice president of the United States.