Joe Biden

Nov 20, 1942: Joseph Robinette Biden Jr born to Irish-Catholic family in blue-collar town of Scranton, Pennsylvania

1953: Family moves to Wilmington, Delaware

1965: Biden graduates from University of Delaware, enrols at Syracuse University law school

1966: Marries fellow student Neilia Hunter

1968: Begins work as law clerk in Wilmington

1970-72: Serves as attorney on New Castle County Council

1972: Elected to U.S. Senate at age 29 – fifth youngest senator in U.S. history

Six weeks later Neilia and 13-month old daughter Naomi are killed in car crash. Sons Beau, 3, and Hunter, 2, are seriously injured

Biden almost resigns Senate post but is persuaded to take oath – he goes on to win reelection
six times, becoming Delaware’s longest-serving senator

Biden sworn in as senator by hospital bed of son Beau

1977: Marries school teacher Jill Jacobs. They have one daughter, Ashley

1988: Biden runs for president but withdraws after admitting he plagiarised speech by UK Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock

1990s: Rises through Senate ranks, becoming chairman of judiciary and foreign relations committees

Advocates strongly for NATO and then U.S. action against Serbian forces during wars in Bosnia and Kosovo

2002: Votes for Iraq War but later calls this “a mistake” and opposes U.S. troop surge in 2007

2008: Abandons second presidential bid after failing to gain momentum. Barack Obama later selects Biden as his running mate

Nov 4: Obama-Biden ticket defeats John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin

Jan 20, 2009: Sworn in as vice president. Biden plays key role in administration, helping to avert several budget crises and shaping U.S. policy in Iraq

Nov 2012: Obama and Biden reelected, defeating Republican ticket of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan

May 2015: Tragedy strikes again – elder son Beau dies of brain cancer at age 46

Oct: Grieving Biden announces he will not enter 2016 presidential election

Jan 12, 2017: Obama awards Biden Presidential Medal of Freedom, with distinction, just days before they leave office

Apr 2019: After months of speculation, Biden announces he will run for president in 2020

2020: Biden performs poorly in early primaries but makes solid comeback. Builds sizeable lead in polls over Donald Trump, due partly to criticism of President’s response to coronavirus pandemic

Aug: Biden and running mate Senator Kamala Harris – first Black woman and first person of Indian descent nominated for national office – accept Democratic nomination

Jan 20, 2021: Joe Biden inaugurated as 46th President of the United States


Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, BBC, Reuters, Politico 
Pictures: AP, Newscom, Getty Images, Office of U.S. Senator Joe Biden, University of Delaware 
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