Al Gore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Al Gore
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Official portrait, 1994
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| 45th Vice President of the United States | |
| In office January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Dan Quayle |
| Succeeded by | Dick Cheney |
| United States Senator from Tennessee |
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| In office January 3, 1985 – January 2, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Howard Baker |
| Succeeded by | Harlan Mathews |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee |
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| In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1985 |
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| Preceded by | Joe L. Evins |
| Succeeded by | Bart Gordon |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Albert Arnold Gore Jr.
March 31, 1948 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, including Karenna and Kristin |
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| Education | |
| Occupation |
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| Civilian awards | List of awards and honors |
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| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1969–1971 |
| Rank | Specialist 4 |
| Unit | 20th Engineer Brigade |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Military awards |
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Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948), known as Al Gore, is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist. He served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton.
Before becoming Vice President, Gore was a U.S. Senator for Tennessee from 1985 to 1993. He also served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1985. In the 2000 United States presidential election, he was the Democratic candidate for president. He won the popular vote but lost the election to George W. Bush.
After his time as Vice President, Gore became well-known for his work on climate change activism. His efforts earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, which he shared with the IPCC. He founded The Climate Reality Project and has been involved in many environmental and business ventures.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Military Service and Early Career
- Time in Congress
- First Presidential Campaign (1988)
- 1992 Presidential Election
- Vice Presidency (1993–2001)
- Second Presidential Campaign (2000)
- After the Vice Presidency (2001–Present)
- Personal Life
- Awards and Honors
- Selected Publications
- See Also
Early Life and Education
Al Gore was born on March 31, 1948, in Washington, D.C. He was the second child of Albert Gore Sr., who was a U.S. Representative and later a U.S. Senator from Tennessee. His mother, Pauline LaFon Gore, was one of the first women to graduate from Vanderbilt University Law School.
During the school year, Gore lived with his family in Washington, D.C. In the summer, he worked on the family farm in Carthage, Tennessee. There, they grew tobacco and hay and raised cattle.
Gore attended St. Albans School, a school for boys in Washington, D.C. He was the captain of the football team and also participated in basketball and track and field. After graduating, he went to Harvard University.
Military Service and Early Career
Serving in the Army
After graduating from college in 1969, Al Gore was eligible for the military draft. His father was against the Vietnam War and was running for re-election. Gore decided to join the Army. He felt it was important to serve his country.
Many of his classmates at Harvard avoided the draft. But Gore believed that if he didn't go, someone else with fewer choices would have to go instead. He also felt that joining the Army as an enlisted man was what most people in Tennessee did.
Gore had basic training and then became a journalist at Fort Rucker, Alabama. In January 1971, he was sent to Vietnam. He worked as a journalist for The Castle Courier with the 20th Engineer Brigade. He received an honorable discharge from the Army in May 1971.
Gore later said, "I didn't do the most, or run the gravest danger. But I was proud to wear my country's uniform."
College and Journalism
After returning from Vietnam, Gore felt a bit lost. His father had lost his Senate seat, and Gore was against the war he had just served in.
His parents wanted him to go to law school. But Gore first attended Vanderbilt University Divinity School from 1971 to 1972. He wanted to explore "spiritual issues" and understand social problems.
In 1971, Gore also started working nights as an investigative reporter for The Tennessean newspaper. His reporting on corruption in Nashville's Metro Council led to the arrest of two council members.
In 1974, he took a break from the newspaper to attend Vanderbilt University Law School. He realized that as a journalist, he could show corruption, but he couldn't change it. He didn't finish law school. In 1976, he decided to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Time in Congress
Gore began serving in the U.S. Congress when he was 28 years old. He stayed there for 16 years. He served in the House from 1977 to 1985 and in the Senate from 1985 to 1993. He often spent weekends in Tennessee, working with the people he represented.
From House to Senate
In 1976, the U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 4th congressional district retired. Al Gore decided to run for the open seat. He won the Democratic primary and then the general election. He won the next three elections easily.
In 1984, Gore successfully ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate. He won this election even though Republican President Ronald Reagan won Tennessee in the presidential election that same year.
During his time in the House, Gore supported the bill to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday. He also voted to override President Reagan's veto of the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987.
As a Senator, Gore supported the Gulf War in 1991. He was known as an "Atari Democrat" because he was very interested in technology. This included things like biomedical research and the greenhouse effect. In 1979, he was the first member of Congress to appear on C-SPAN.
Gore also worked on creating the High Performance Computing Act of 1991. This bill helped lead to what Gore called the "information superhighway", which is now known as the Internet.
Gore held the first congressional hearings on climate change. He also co-sponsored hearings on toxic waste and global warming. He continued to talk about these issues throughout the 1980s. In 1990, he led a conference with lawmakers from many countries. They wanted to create a Global Marshall Plan to help developing countries grow while protecting the environment.
Son's Accident and First Book
On April 3, 1989, Al and Tipper Gore's six-year-old son, Albert, was hit by a car. The Gores spent a month in the hospital with Albert. This event was very difficult for them and changed Gore's outlook on life.
In 1991, Gore announced that his son's accident was a reason he decided not to run for president in 1992. He felt it was important to focus on his family. During this time, Gore wrote Earth in the Balance. This book became a best-seller and was the first book by a sitting U.S. Senator to make The New York Times Best Seller list since John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage.
First Presidential Campaign (1988)
In 1988, Al Gore ran for the Democratic Party's nomination for President. He won seven states in the primary elections. He was 39 years old, making him one of the youngest serious presidential candidates.
Gore hoped to do well on "Super Tuesday," when many Southern states held their primaries. He won Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Nevada, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. However, he later dropped out of the race.
1992 Presidential Election
Al Gore was at first unsure about being Bill Clinton's running mate for the 1992 United States presidential election. But after disagreeing with the George H. W. Bush administration on global warming, he accepted the offer. Clinton chose Gore because of his experience in foreign policy, his work on the environment, and his commitment to his family.
Some people thought Clinton's choice was unusual. Usually, a presidential candidate picks a running mate who is very different from them. But Clinton chose another Southerner who was close to his own age and shared his political ideas. However, many people now see Gore as one of the best vice presidential picks in recent history.
Clinton and Gore were called the "Baby Boomer Ticket" or the "Fortysomething Team." If elected, they would be the youngest team to reach the White House. They traveled across the country with their wives, Hillary and Tipper, on a bus tour. The Clinton-Gore ticket won the election, beating the Bush-Quayle ticket.
Vice Presidency (1993–2001)
Al Gore served as Vice President during the Clinton administration. They were inaugurated on January 20, 1993. Clinton and Gore worked very closely together. They had regular lunch meetings, and Gore became the president's main advisor.
During their time in office, the U.S. economy grew a lot. There were record-high surpluses and low poverty rates. This economic success was partly due to Gore's focus on developing information technology, which led to the dot-com boom.
Gore helped make the term Information Superhighway popular, which became another name for the Internet. He was involved in creating the National Information Infrastructure. The Clinton-Gore administration also launched the first official White House website in 1994.
Gore was also very involved in environmental efforts. He started the GLOBE program on Earth Day '94. This program used the Internet to help students learn more about their environment. In 1998, Gore promoted a NASA satellite that would provide a constant view of Earth.
Gore strongly supported the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases. However, the treaty was not ratified by the Senate during the Clinton administration.
Second Presidential Campaign (2000)
Al Gore officially announced his candidacy for president on June 16, 1999, in Carthage, Tennessee. His main goal was to strengthen American families. He was introduced by his oldest daughter, Karenna Gore Schiff.
Gore faced a challenge from former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley in the Democratic primaries. Gore won every primary and caucus. In March 2000, he even won the first primary election ever held over the Internet. He secured the Democratic nomination.
On August 13, 2000, Gore announced that Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut would be his vice presidential running mate. Lieberman was the first person of the Jewish faith to run for the nation's second-highest office. Many people thought this choice would help Gore distance himself from any past scandals of the Clinton White House.
Gore and George W. Bush were very close in the polls. They had three televised debates.
The Recount
On election night, news channels first said Florida went to Gore, then changed it to Bush, and then said it was too close to call. Florida's Secretary of State, Katherine Harris, eventually certified the vote count for Bush. This led to a Florida election recount, where votes were re-examined.
The recount was stopped by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the recount was unconstitutional. This decision effectively gave George W. Bush a victory in Florida by 537 votes. This meant Bush won Florida's 25 electoral votes and the presidency.
Al Gore won the popular vote nationwide by about 500,000 votes. However, he received 266 electoral votes to Bush's 271. On December 13, 2000, Gore conceded the election. He disagreed with the Court's decision but said he would accept it for the sake of the country's unity.
After the Vice Presidency (2001–Present)
After leaving office, Al Gore and Bill Clinton kept their distance for a while. But they reunited in 2009 when Clinton helped free two journalists held in North Korea who worked for Gore's company, Current TV.
Presidential Speculation
Many people wondered if Gore would run for president again in 2004. However, on December 16, 2002, Gore announced he would not run. The September 11 attacks and President Bush's increased popularity after them were big reasons for his decision.
Speculation about a Gore candidacy came up again for the 2008 United States presidential election. His popularity grew after his 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, was released. Even without running, polls showed him doing well against other Democratic candidates. However, Gore remained firm and decided not to run for president.
Interest in him running for the 2016 United States presidential election also came up, but he did not declare any intention to do so.
Involvement in Campaigns
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After deciding not to run in 2004, Gore supported Vermont governor Howard Dean. This decision was criticized by other Democratic candidates. Later, in March 2004, Gore supported John Kerry.
During the 2008 primaries, Gore stayed neutral. When Barack Obama became the likely Democratic nominee, some wondered if Gore would be his vice president. However, Gore said he was not interested in being vice president again. On June 16, 2008, Gore endorsed Obama. He also gave a speech supporting Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Gore remained neutral during the 2016 Democratic primaries until he endorsed Hillary Clinton on July 25, 2016.
Environmental Work
Al Gore has been involved with environmental issues since 1976. As a new congressman, he held the first congressional hearings on climate change. He also co-sponsored hearings on toxic waste and global warming. He is still a very important voice in the environmental community.
In the late 1990s, Gore strongly pushed for the Kyoto Protocol. This agreement aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the Senate opposed it at the time.
In 2004, Gore co-founded Generation Investment Management, a company where he serves as chair. He also founded the Alliance for Climate Protection. This organization later created the We Campaign. Gore also helped organize the Live Earth benefit concerts, which raised awareness about climate change.
In 2013, Gore became a vegan. He had previously noted that eating more meat around the world contributes to the global climate crisis. He said he felt better after changing his diet and planned to continue it.
Gore's film, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, was released in 2017. It is a follow-up to his 2006 film, An Inconvenient Truth. The film shows his ongoing efforts to fight climate change.
In 2020, he helped launch Climate TRACE. This group independently monitors global greenhouse gas emissions. In November 2021, Gore spoke at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.
Personal Life
Al Gore met Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Aitcheson at his senior prom in 1965. They married on May 19, 1970.
They have four children: Karenna Gore (born 1973), Kristin Gore (born 1977), Sarah LaFon Gore (born 1979), and Albert Arnold Gore III (born 1982).
In June 2010, the Gores announced that they had decided to separate. In May 2012, it was reported that Gore was dating Elizabeth Keadle.
Gore is a Baptist. In 2004, he announced he had left the Southern Baptist Convention, but he remained a Baptist. In 2007, he received an award for his environmental activism.
Awards and Honors
Al Gore has received many awards. These include the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, which he shared with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Current TV in 2007 and a Webby Award in 2005.
His 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, won an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2007. The book based on the film, An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It, won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2009. In 2024, President Joe Biden awarded Gore the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Selected Publications
Books
- Know Climate Change and 101 Q and A on Climate Change from 'Save Planet Earth Series', 2008 (children's books)
- Putting People First: How We Can All Change America. (with William J. Clinton). New York: Times Books, 1992.
Articles
- "Toward Sustainable Capitalism: Long-term incentives are the antidote to the short-term greed that caused our current economic woes . The Wall Street Journal, June 24, 2010.(With David Blood)
- "We Can't Wish Away Climate Change ." The New York Times, February 27, 2010.
- "The Climate for Change ." The New York Times, November 9, 2008.
- Vice President Al Gore's introduction to Earthwatch: 24 Hours In Cyberspace. February 8, 1996. 24 Hours in Cyberspace
- "Foreword by Vice President Al Gore ." In The Internet Companion: A Beginner's Guide to Global Networking (2nd edition) by Tracy LaQuey, 1994.
- "Introduction. In Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. 1994. New York : Houghton-Mifflin.
- The Climate Change Action Plan. Washington, D.C.: The White House, October 1993 (with William J. Clinton).
- "Infrastructure for the global village: computers, networks and public policy." Scientific American Special Issue on Communications, Computers, and Networks, September 1991. 265(3): 150–153.
See Also
- Environmental activism of Al Gore
- Vice presidency of Al Gore
