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.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Learn more about the life and career of Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Confronted by Copperhead opposition and by dissension within his cabinet, U.S. Pres. Abraham Lincoln struggled to contain the “fire in the rear” during the Civil War.
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The bald eagle is a conservation success story—and a national symbol.
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Introduced by Vice Pres. Joe Biden, U.S. Pres. Barack Obama speaking before signing into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), March 23, 2010.
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The United States quickly became known as formidable in battle as well as diplomatically savvy.
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Introduced by Vice Pres. Joe Biden, U.S. Pres. Barack Obama speaking before signing into law the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” December 22, 2010.
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Learn more about Maryland and its geography, people, economy, and history.
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Abraham Lincoln once called the railroad the United States’ most important goal.
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Learn more about U.S. Vice Pres. Kamala Harris.
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.
Last Modification:
May 7, 2026