Bill Clinton's birthday
Bill Clinton is one of many American politicians but what makes this guy special is that he was the 42nd president to serve the US of A.
Despite his stint within the presidency and therefore a peak within anyone’s political career, he has continued to be active in the Democratic Party. His wife is also a particularly notable presence in American politics — yes, we’re talking about Hilary Clinton!
So there’s much to learn about the 42nd president of the United States, from his early years, and his time in office, to the more notable achievements acquired in his lifetime.
Early Years
Born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19th, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas, Bill is the son of William Jefferson Blythe Jr, and Virginia Dell Cassidy. Unfortunately, he never got to meet his father who died in an automobile accident just three months before his birth.
Despite the racially segregated South America at the time, his grandparents who sold goods to local customers would sell them on credit to people of all races, a great influence on young Bill at the time.
Clinton’s political career started early at Hot Springs High School where he played an active student leader. He was also an avid reader and musician during this time, playing the tenor saxophone.
Music seemed to be a strong presence in his life and he considered dedicating his life to music up until his 16th birthday when he desired a public life as an elected official instead. Not long after, he got the opportunity to shake the hand of President John F. Kennedy at the Whitehouse in 1963, at the tender age of 17.
It would be through this meeting and watching Martin Luther King Jr’s 1963, ‘I Have A Dream’ speech on TV that he would continue a career in politics.
The Presidential Years
Clinton stepped into the political world as one of the youngest gubernatorial candidates of Arkansas in the state’s history. At just 31 years old he was elected governor of Arkansas in 1978.
He would go on to win the 1992 presidential election with 370 electoral votes against George H. W. Bush’s 168 electoral votes. Many believe it was the dwindling public support of Bush that caused this win for Clinton.
He served as the president of the US from 1993, all the way until 2001 when he was succeeded by George W. Bush — a deserved win for the Bushes and only right seeing as Clinton knocked Bush’s dad off the top!
Lifetime and Notable Achievements
Some of Bill Clinton’s lifetime and notable achievements include:
- Various colleges and universities have awarded Clinton with honorary degrees.
- Honored in other countries including Germany, the Czech Republic, and Papua New Guinea.
- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama on November 20th, 2013.
