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Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton official Secretary of State portrait crop.jpg
67th United States Secretary of State
In office
January 21, 2009 – February 1, 2013
President Barack Obama
Deputy James Steinberg
William Burns
Preceded by Condoleezza Rice
Succeeded by John Kerry
United States Senator
from New York
In office
January 3, 2001 – January 21, 2009
Preceded by Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Succeeded by Kirsten Gillibrand
First Lady of the United States
In office
January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001
President Bill Clinton
Preceded by Barbara Bush
Succeeded by Laura Bush
First Lady of Arkansas
In office
January 11, 1983 – December 12, 1992
Governor Bill Clinton
Preceded by Gay Daniels White
Succeeded by Betty Tucker
In office
January 9, 1979 – January 19, 1981
Governor Bill Clinton
Preceded by Barbara Pryor
Succeeded by Gay Daniels White
Personal details
Born October 26, 1947 (1947-10-26) (age 71)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party Democratic Party (1968–present)
Other political
affiliations		 Republican Party (before 1968)
Spouse(s) Bill Clinton (m. 1975-present)
Children Chelsea
Residence Chappaqua, New York
Alma mater Wellesley College
Yale Law School
Profession Lawyer
Signature
Website Official website

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013. Clinton was the Democratic Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2016 election. She is a former U.S. Senator, First Lady of the United States and First Lady of Arkansas.

From 2009 to 2013, she was the 67th Secretary of State, serving under President Barack Obama. Before that, she was the junior United States Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009. She is married to former President of the United States Bill Clinton in 1975. When her husband was president, she had the title of First Lady of the United States. She was a candidate in the 2008 election of a new President. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Hillary Clinton was the first former First Lady to be elected to the U.S. Senate and to hold a federal cabinet-level position. She ran for re-election to the Senate in 2006, which she won, and was considered by many in the media and politics as having a good chance to win in the race for the Democratic Party's US presidential nomination in 2008, but she lost to Barack Obama.

In April 2015, Clinton announced that she would be running for president once again for the 2016 United States presidential elections. On June 6, 2016, Clinton reached the number of delegates to become the presumptive Democratic Party nominee. She lost the election to Donald Trump on November 8, 2016.

Early life and education

Hillary Diane Rodham was born in Chicago. She was raised in Park Ridge, a suburb located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of downtown Chicago. Her parents were Hugh E. Rodham and Dorothy Emma Howell Rodham. She is of Welsh, English, French and French Canadian ancestry. Hillary grew up with two younger brothers, Hugh and Tony.

She studied at Maine East High School and Maine South High School. She finished high school in 1965, and enrolled at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

In 1969, Rodham entered Yale Law School. She received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Yale in 1973. Then, she began a year of post-graduate study on children and medicine at the Yale Child Study Center.

First Lady of the United States (1993-2001)

Bill-hillary-inside
Hillary and Bill Clinton at the White House in 1993

When she was First Lady, she tried to change the health care system. Some people did not like it when the planning meetings were kept secret away from the public. In the end, too many people did not want the changes that she wanted.

Senate (2001-2009)

When she decided that she wanted to be Senator, she chose New York even though she never lived there. Some accused her of "carpetbagging" because of this. She went on to win the election and won a second term in 2006.

When the war between the United States-led coalition and Iraq was about to start, she voted in favor of the war. Now she is opposed to the war and wants American troops to stop fighting rebel Iraqis.

2008 presidential campaign

Hillary Clinton had raised more money than anybody else in the 2008 Presidential campaign, but later had big money problems for her campaign by May 7, 2008. She was not picked by her party, the person who did was Barack Obama, but she campaigned for Obama after this.

United States Secretary of State (2009-2013)

Hillary Clinton sworn in as SecState 1-21-09 clinton-SIC-1.21.09 600 1
Clinton being sworn in as United States Secretary of State, January 2009

In mid-November 2008, Obama and Clinton talked about whether she could be the next U.S. Secretary of State in his presidency. On November 21, there were reports that said Hillary Clinton had accepted his offer.

During her term as Secretary of State, Clinton used her position to make women's rights and human rights a focus of U.S. initiatives. She became one of the most traveled secretaries of state in American history. She promoted the use of social media to convey the country's positions. She also led U.S. diplomatic efforts in responding to the Arab Spring and military intervention in Libya.

Clinton did not want to serve a second term as secretary. Once Barack Obama won his re-election, he announced that John Kerry would succeed Clinton as secretary. Clinton left office on February 1, 2013.

2016 presidential campaign

Main page: Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016

In 2016 Clinton became the first woman in the History of the United States to be a major party presidential candidate. Clinton did not want to run for president in 2016, but after much of a majority support from the Democratic party, on April 12, 2015, speculation ended as Clinton formally announced her candidacy via email and the release of a video saying, "Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion." In the polls, Clinton maintained her lead for the nomination although she faced several challenges from Senator Bernie Sanders. Clinton became the presumptive nominee by Superdelegates on June 6, 2016.

Personal life

While working as a faculty member at the Law School of the University of Arkansas, she married Bill Clinton on October 11, 1975. He was also working as a faculty member at the same university. Both knew each other and were classmates at the Yale Law School. Their only child is daughter Chelsea Clinton, born on February 27, 1980.

Images for kids

  • Museum display case containing photographs, papers, shoes, doll, and other early childhood artifacts of Hillary Rodham's early life

    Mementos of Hillary Rodham's early life are shown at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center

  • A small, one-story brick-faced house with a small yard in front. This house is located in Little Rock, Arkansas. Hillary Rodham and Bill Clinton lived in this house when Bill was Arkansas Attorney General from 1977 to 1979.

    Rodham and Clinton lived in this house in Little Rock's Hillcrest neighborhood while he was Arkansas Attorney General (1977–1979).

  • The Reagans and the Clintons walking a red carpet during the 1987 Dinner Honoring the Nation's Governors

    Governor Bill and First Lady Hillary Clinton attend the 1987 Dinner Honoring the Nation's Governors with President Ronald and First Lady Nancy Reagan.

  • Formal color portrait of Clinton, 1992

    Hillary Clinton, 1992

  • Clinton greeting U.S. troops at Tuzla Air Base in Bosnia while she is walking. This image was taken in December 1997.

    Clinton greets U.S. troops at Tuzla Air Base in Bosnia during a visit in December 1997

  • Clinton reads a book to an African-American grade-schooler in Maryland during Read Across America Day in 1998

    Clinton reads to a Maryland child during Read Across America Day, 1998

  • Clinton speaking at a podium with several onlookers. She is delivering her "human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights" speech in Beijing during September 1995.

    Clinton delivering her "human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights" speech in Beijing in September 1995

  • Chelsea, Bill, and Hillary Clinton take an inauguration day walk down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 1997, when Bill started a second term as President.

    The Clinton family takes an Inauguration Day walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to start Bill's second term as President, January 20, 1997

  • Clinton being sworn in as U.S. Senator by Vice President Al Gore in 2000. Her husband Bill, and daughter Chelsea, are looking on.

    Reenactment of Hillary Rodham Clinton being sworn in as a U.S. senator by Vice President Al Gore in the Old Senate Chamber, as Bill and Chelsea look on

  • Clinton listens as the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Mullen, responds to a question during his 2007 confirmation hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee. She is in the background, sitting behind a desk with a placard bearing the words "MRS CLINTON", and is wearing a blue suit. A man wearing a black suit sits behind Clinton, taking notes.

    Clinton listens as the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Mullen, responds to a question during his 2007 confirmation hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee

  • Hillary Clinton Speaks to College Democrats

    Hillary Clinton addresses the 2007 CDA National Convention

  • Clinton speaking at a college rally as part of her 2008 Presidential campaign, with a crowd behind her looking on. She is speaking at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, two days before "Super Tuesday", the day in 2008 when the largest number of simultaneous state-level elections was held. She is wearing a black suit. There are blue banners with the word "Hillary" on them, hung around the room, as well as a large white-on-burgundy banner with the words "Augsburg College".

    Clinton campaigning at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, two days before Super Tuesday, 2008

  • Clinton speaking on behalf of Barack Obama before a convention audience during the second night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. Multiple audience members in the foreground wave white flags with the word "Hillary" written in marker.

    Clinton speaks on behalf of her former rival, Barack Obama, during the second night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver

  • Hillary Clinton taking oath as Secretary of State on January 21, 2009. She is on the left side of the image, facing toward the right. The oath is being administered by Associate Judge Kathryn Oberly, who is standing directly in front of Hillary (on the right side of the photo) and facing toward the left. Bill Clinton, who is standing on both women's side in the background of the image, is holding a Bible.

    Clinton takes the oath of office as Secretary of State, administered by Associate Judge Kathryn Oberly, as Bill Clinton holds a Bible

  • Obama whispering to Clinton at a summit meeting, with multiple soldiers in uniform standing behind them and heads of state sitting behind and in front of them. They are in the 21st NATO summit, which was held in April 2009.

    Obama and Clinton confer at the 21st NATO summit, April 2009

  • Hillary Clinton standing with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Both of them are holding a "reset button". They are in a room with a window to the left and an American flag behind them

    Clinton with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the "reset button", March 2009

  • Clinton greeting U.S. military personnel at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The personnel are wearing uniforms and standing side-by-side.

    Clinton greets service members at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, October 2010

  • Hillary Clinton speaks at a London meeting to discuss NATO military intervention in Libya on March 29, 2011. She is standing behind a blue podium with a sign that has the words "THE LONDON CONFERENCE ON LIBYA" printed in white-on-blue text in capital letters.

    The London meeting to discuss NATO military intervention in Libya, March 29, 2011

  • Clinton standing with Aung San Suu Kyi. The two women are discussing something during Clinton's 2011 visit to Burma.

    Clinton meeting with Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as part of her historic December 2011 visit to that country

  • Clinton testifying before the House Select Committee on Benghazi on October 22, 2015. She is standing behind a podium with a microphone, with many people behind her.

    Clinton testifying before the House Select Committee on Benghazi on October 22, 2015

  • Clinton standing behind lectern

    Clinton in September 2014

  • Hillary Clinton Elizabeth Warren Manchester NH October 2016

    Clinton campaigning for president in Manchester, New Hampshire, in October 2016, with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (seated)

  • Bernie Sanders & Hillary Clinton (28250130386)

    Bernie Sanders endorsing Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, July 2016

  • Bill and Hillary Clinton at 58th Inauguration 01-20-17 (cropped)

    Bill and Hillary Clinton attending Donald Trump's inauguration

  • Secretary Clinton Meets With King Abdullah

    Secretary of State Clinton meets with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Clinton is in favor of maintaining U.S. influence in the Middle East.

  • Informal pose of Clinton, in which she is wearing a beige wool jacket and facing toward the right. The angle at which Clinton is photographed is from her bottom right side.

    Clinton in February 2011

  • A three-story, red brick building in Arkansas. The Rose Law Firm is located inside this building. Clinton worked at Rose Law Firm for fifteen years.

    Clinton worked at Rose Law Firm for fifteen years. Her professional career and political involvement set the stage for public reaction to her as first lady.

  • Side profile of Clinton facing toward her right side. She is speaking into a microphone.

    Clinton in 2009

  • Hillary Clinton dressed in a black suit and a green shirt, sitting in a café. She is smiling, and a red teacup is situated in front of her. The foreground is distorted due to the presence of various small objects.

    Hillary Clinton in April 2015


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