Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, was born
William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas. His
father died in a traffic accident three months before he was born.
When he was four years old, his mother wed Roger Clinton. Bill took the
Clinton family name at age 14.
Clinton excelled both as a student
and as a saxophone player, and once considered becoming a professional
musician. In high school, he was a delegate to Boys Nation and met
President John Kennedy in the White House Rose Garden. That meeting
gave him the desire to pursue a life of public service. Clinton
graduated from Georgetown University, and then in 1968, won a Rhodes
Scholarship to Oxford University. After receiving a law degree from Yale
University in 1973, he entered politics in Arkansas. He was defeated
in his 1974 campaign for Congress in Arkansas. The next year he married
Hillary Rodham, a graduate of Wellesley College and Yale Law School.
Born: August 19, 1946Died: --
Famous For: 42nd President of the United States, second president in U.S. history to be impeached.
Key Accomplishments:
Rhodes Scholar, first Democratic president since Franklin D.
Roosevelt to win a second term, helped bring an end to the Cold War.
Significant Quote: "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right with America."
Fun Quote: "I tried marijuana once. I did not inhale."
Clinton
was elected Arkansas Attorney General in 1976, and then went on to
become governor in 1978. Elected to office at the age of 32, he was the
youngest governor in the country. He lost a bid for a second term, but
was re-elected four years later. He served as governor of Arkansas
until he defeated then-President George Bush in the 1992 presidential
race. His running mate was Tennessee Senator Al Gore, Jr. Clinton
became the third youngest president in history, following Theodore
Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. He went on to serve two terms (1993 -
2001). In 1998, Clinton was impeached as the result of
allegations of sexual indiscretion with a young female White House
intern. He was the second U.S. president to be impeached by the House
of Representatives. He was tried in the Senate and found not guilty of
the charges brought against him. He apologized to the nation and
continued to have astounding approval ratings as president, even though
many Americans questioned his morals and ethics.
During Clinton's
presidency, the nation enjoyed more peace and economic security than
at any other time in its history, the lowest unemployment rate in
recent history, the lowest inflation in 30 years and the highest home
ownership in the nation's history. Crime rates also dropped in many
cities and unemployment rolls were reduced. During his administration,
he proposed the first balanced budget in years and achieved a budget
surplus. As part of a plan to celebrate the millennium in 2000, he
called for a national initiative to end racial discrimination.
Since
leaving office, Clinton has been involved in public speaking and
humanitarian work. He founded the William J. Clinton Foundation, which
promotes international causes, such as treatment and prevention of
HIV/AIDS and global warming. In 2004, he released his autobiography,
My Life.
Clinton currently resides in New York with his wife, Hillary, the
Junior U.S. Senator for the state. They have one daughter, Chelsea, who
was born in 1980.
