Joe Biden is 79: 10 facts about the US President you might not know

Today, November 20, US President Joe Biden turns 79 years old. First elected to the Senate in 1972, Biden has been in the public eye for nearly half a century. After serving in the US Senate for 36 years and then two terms as vice president under Barack Obama, he is no stranger to the American electorate, which elected him the 46th president of the United States in November 2020. Interesting facts about Biden collected edition Biography.

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Often the subject of viral memes about him is his "bromance" with President Barack Obama or the signature aviator sunglasses he's worn since he was a lifeguard in the 1960s. The current head of the White House is the father of four children (Hunter, Ashley and the late Beau and Amy). Biden is known for his landmark contributions to legislation, including the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. What else might we not know about the 46th President of the United States of America?

He overcame his childhood stuttering

Growing up in Scranton, PA, the current president suffered merciless bullying as a child due to his stuttering.

“I can’t think of anything else that has ever robbed me of my dignity as quickly, so deeply, so thoroughly as when I stuttered in elementary school,” he said in a speech at the American Institute of Stuttering in 2008.

In his 2008 memoir, he wrote that the teacher, who was a nun, even laughed at him - calling him “Mr. Ba-ba-ba-Biden.” His mother, Katherine Finnegan-Biden, once confronted a teacher and told her: "If you ever talk to my son like that again, I'm going to come to school and you're going to be in trouble."

On the subject: Biden pardoned the turkeys for Thanksgiving: how it was

Biden explained that he overcame his stuttering by reading and reciting Irish poetry in front of a mirror, including works by William Butler-Yeats, to control the distortion of his face. To this day, he can read long passages of Irish poetry from memory.

He was known as a high school soccer star

In his final year at the Archmere Academy in Delaware in 1960, Biden, who played as a midfielder, was the top scorer of the undefeated football team at a private Catholic school.

“He was the guy who was the primary pass catcher,” teammate Michael Fay recalled in November 2020. “Joe caught seven or eight touchdown passes in eight games, which was a lot at the time.”

In 2008, former Biden coach John Walsh described his charge as lean, "but one of the best passing catchers I've had in my 16 years as a coach."

He has a dog (there were two)

In January, two German Shepherds, Champ and Major, joined the Biden couple at the White House. The couple rescued Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018. Unfortunately, 13-year-old Champ passed away in June this year, but Biden still has a Major left.

Joe is a car enthusiast

Biden's father, Joseph Biden Sr., a former auto dealership manager, funded a green 1967 Corvette Stingray for him as a wedding gift, and the president still drives.

“I love this car. “Incredible memories are associated with her,” Biden Jr. noted. “Every time I get in it, I think about my dad and Beau.”

The head of the White House is a Catholic

Following his inauguration, Biden, who carries Bo's rosary in his pocket and regularly attends Sunday Mass, became the second Catholic President of the United States after John F. Kennedy. During his victory speech in the November 2020 presidential election, he referred to the Catholic hymn "On the Wings of an Eagle," which he said is important to his family and his late son Bo, who died of brain cancer in 2015.

“This reflects the faith that sustains me, that I believe sustains the United States,” he told the crowd before reading lines from the song. “And He will lift you up on eagle’s wings, carry you away on the breath of dawn.” He will make you shine like the Sun and will hold you in the palm of his hand.”

Was sworn in by the U.S. Senate at a hospital

Following a December 1972 car accident that killed his first wife, Neilia, and 13-month-old daughter Naomi "Amy" Biden, the newly elected United States Senator was sworn in in January 1973 at the bedside of Bo and Hunter's severely injured sons. ... Then he turned 30, and Biden was one of the youngest senators, although he considered retiring after the tragedy.

Majority Leader Mike Mansfield eventually convinced him to reconsider his decision, and the Senate passed a resolution allowing him to be sworn in at a Delaware hospital. Even so, the single father pledged that he would step down if his Senate duties took too much attention to the detriment of Beau and Hunter.

“They can always find another senator, but my boys can’t find another father,” Biden said at the time.

He ran for president three times

Biden first ran for president in 1987, but dropped out of the race in the fall of that year. At the time, his campaign erupted after a video was released: Biden giving a speech at the Iowa State Fair, where he quotes the leader of the UK Labor Party, Neil Kinnock, without citing the source.

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He later ran for the Democratic Party in 2008, but dropped out after finishing fifth in the Iowa caucus in January of that year. The then Senator Obama announced that Biden had joined him in August 208.

During their third round, Biden and his team-mate Kamala Harris were elected president and vice president, respectively, in November 2020.

Dined with President Obama weekly

When he was vice president under President Obama, friends met for weekly dinners. As part of their partnership, Obama agreed that his vice president will always be the last person to talk to before making a big decision. In return, Biden made a promise of loyalty.

“You make a decision, and I will follow it to the very end,” Biden said then.

Before leaving office in 2016, Obama called his decision to appoint Biden as vice president "the single best decision" he made and awarded him the President's Medal of Freedom.

The current president loves ice cream

“I don’t drink or smoke, but I eat a lot of ice cream,” Biden admitted in 2016. In April 2020, it became known that his presidential campaign spent $10 on ice cream, although these were gifts to campaign sponsors.

During the 2020 virtual Democratic National Convention, some of Biden's seven grandchildren appeared in a pre-recorded video describing his love of frozen dessert.

“He always eats ice cream,” the grandchildren said and joked that he hides chocolate and vanilla so that “grandma won’t see.” After accepting the Democratic nomination, his eldest granddaughter Naomi shared on social media that they gave her grandfather a pint of ice cream.

His favorite movie is "Chariots of Fire"

In 2008, the 46th President told Katie Couric that his favorite motion picture was the 1981 British historical sports drama Chariots of Fire.

Biden said his favorite scenes include one in which one of the main runners refuses to participate in Sunday's race because of his religious beliefs.

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