From being one of the longest serving US senators to losing his first wife and their daughter in a car crash, we take a look at 10 Interesting Facts About Joe Biden, the 46th and current president of the United States of America.
1. He Stuttered
One of Joe Biden’s proudest childhood accomplishments was a five-minute speech to his all-boys Catholic high school in Delaware. The assignment was routine — a public-speaking requirement for all students.
But for Biden, it was a triumph in a long struggle to overcome a debilitating stutter. That struggle led him to brawl with schoolyard bullies, to memorize and recite Irish poetry in front of the mirror, and to witness his mother threaten a nun who had humiliated him.
Overcoming the disability and the outcast status, it made him that much stronger and more empathetic to people with disabilities.
2. A Mediocre Student
By all accounts, Biden wasn’t the world’s greatest or brightest student. When he graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965, he ranked 506th out of 688 students.
When he earned his law degree from Syracuse University in 1968, he ranked 76th in his class of 85 students. He even admitted to plagiarism in his first year of law school.
In spite his unexceptional academics, his professor still recommended him for law school on grounds of personality and likability. After law school, his school dean recommended him for a job on the basis of his “confidence,” “general physical appearance,” and “general speaking ability.”
3. The Oldest US President
On January 20, 2021, at the age of 78, Joe Biden became the oldest person to be sworn as president of the United States of America. Ironically, he replaces Donald Trump, the previous record-holder, who was sworn at the age of 70.
Previously, Reagan held the record when he was sworn in at the age of 69. According to the White House, the average age of presidents upon inauguration is 55.
Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest at 42 when he took office after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. John F. Kennedy is still the youngest U.S. president elected at 43.
4. Married Twice
On August 27, 1966, while attending law school, Joe Biden married Neilia Hunter whom he met while studying at Syracuse University. The couple then moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where Biden worked as a lawyer and served on the New Castle County Council.
In 1972, with Neilia serving as the “brains” of his campaign, Biden won his first senatorial bid. Unfortunately, few weeks after he won, on December 18, 1972, Neilia and their daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash.
In March 1975, Joe Biden met Jill Jacobs on a blind date set up by Joe’s brother Frank, who had known her in college. Although he was nearly nine years her senior, she was impressed by his more formal appearance and manners.
On June 17, 1977, Jill and Joe Biden were married by a Catholic priest at the United Nations’ chapel in New York City.
5. His Catholic Faith
After John F. Kennedy, Joe Biden is the second Roman Catholic to be elected as president of the United States of America. During the transition and his first month in office, he attended Mass weekly and a Jesuit priest offered the invocation during his inauguration.
At his initial speech as president, Biden quoted St. Augustine, a key early church philosopher. Behind his desk in the Oval Office is a photo of him meeting Pope Francis.
Father Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and senior analyst for the Religion News Service, describes Biden as a “traditionally pious Catholic who carries a rosary in his pocket and talks about his faith.”
6. Other Jobs
As a young boy, Joe Biden earned money by working as a paperboy. He finished high school at Archmere Academy through a work-study program. During college, he took a summer job as a lifeguard at a public swimming pool near a housing project.
He was the only white lifeguard among a dozen inner-city African Americans who were students at historically Black colleges. The job opened his eyes to the stark difference in the lives of Black and white Americans.
After graduating from Syracuse University Law School in 1968, Joe Biden took a job with a corporate law firm defending big businesses. But realized that the work was not right for him, and he became a public defender, whose clients were nearly all African Americans from Wilmington’s East Side.
7. Three Times a Charm
Throughout his Senate years, Joe Biden had his sights set on higher office. His first attempt at a presidency was in 1988, but the campaign ended after a speech plagiarism scandal.
His second attempt was in 2008, but he dropped out, and was later named the vice presidential candidate for former President Barack Obama.
Biden’s selection as Obama’s running mate, was inspired by Biden’s foreign policy expertise, his skill working with Congress, his resilience after his profound personal setbacks, and his devotion to his family.
Just days before the end of the Obama-Biden administration, the president surprised his vice president by awarding him the Medal of Freedom.
8. Two Brain Surgeries
In his 2007 book, “Promises to Keep,” he describes passing out in a hotel room in Rochester in February 1988, where earlier that night, he had given a speech at the University of Rochester.
He recalls a “lightning flashing inside my head, a powerful electrical surge, and then a rip of pain like I’d never felt before.” He was unconscious for five hours. A CT scan revealed an aneurysm lying below the base of his brain.
Surgery was his best chance of survival. Few months later in May, Biden underwent a second surgery, which was a success. Reflecting on these two surgeries, Biden said that it shaped him into the “kind of man I want to be.”
9. A Good Football Player
At Archmere Academy, Biden was a standout halfback and wide receiver on the high school football team. On September 21, 1960, Hal Bodley, a reporter for The News Journal, wrote that “Biden is one of the best pass receivers on the team.”
The team cruised to its conference title with a perfect 8 – 0 record. In the conference scoring race, Biden finished fifth with four touchdowns through four games for 24 points, higher than any other Archmere player.
When his four non-conference games are also taken into account, Biden’s total points skyrocketed to 60, putting him among the highest in the state of Delaware.
10. A Car Guy
His father managed a car dealerships in Delaware for 34 years. This is how he developed a taste for cars. His first car was a 1951 Studebaker. It was called the ‘Bullet-Nose car’ because of its unique grille design.
He followed this with a 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook Convertible, a candy-apple red color, with a split windshield. Next, Biden had a Mercedes-Benz 190SL. The series wasn’t meant for American college kids; it was for men as elegant as Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan; distinguished, discerning, and bold.
However, the one closest to his heart is the 1967 Chevrolet Corvette. The convertible was a wedding gift from his father and still sits in his garage. And these are the 10 Interesting Facts About Joe Biden, the 46th and current president of the United States of America.
