Bill Clinton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Clinton
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 1993
|
|
| 42nd President of the United States | |
| In office January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001 |
|
| Vice President | Al Gore |
| Preceded by | George H. W. Bush |
| Succeeded by | George W. Bush |
| 40th & 42nd Governor of Arkansas | |
| In office January 11, 1983 – December 12, 1992 |
|
| Lieutenant |
|
| Preceded by | Frank D. White |
| Succeeded by | Jim Guy Tucker |
| In office January 9, 1979 – January 19, 1981 |
|
| Lieutenant | Joe Purcell |
| Preceded by | David Pryor Joe Purcell (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Frank D. White |
| 50th Attorney General of Arkansas | |
| In office January 3, 1977 – January 9, 1979 |
|
| Governor |
|
| Preceded by | Jim Guy Tucker |
| Succeeded by | Steve Clark |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Jefferson Blythe III
August 19, 1946 Hope, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Chelsea Clinton |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Clinton family |
| Education | |
| Occupation |
|
| Awards | Full list |
| Signature |  |
| Website |
|
|
Other offices
1986–1987: Chair of the National Governors Association
1985–1986: Vice Chair of the National Governors Association |
|
Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) is an American politician. He was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. When he was elected, he was 46 years old, making him one of the youngest presidents ever.
After Jimmy Carter passed away in December 2024, Bill Clinton became the earliest-serving living former U.S. president. He is also the only living president who served in the 20th century.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Bill Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas. His father died in a car accident before he was born. His mother, Virginia Clinton Kelley, was a nurse. He later took the last name Clinton from his stepfather, Roger Clinton, Sr. Bill grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In high school, he enjoyed playing the saxophone.
Thanks to scholarships, Bill Clinton went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He earned a degree in Foreign Service in 1968.
After Georgetown, he won a special scholarship called a Rhodes Scholarship to study at University College, Oxford in England. While there, he played for Oxford University's basketball and rugby teams. He left Oxford early to attend Yale Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1973. At Yale, he met his future wife, Hillary Rodham. They started dating and became very close.
Becoming a Politician
After law school, Clinton returned to Arkansas and taught law at the University of Arkansas. In 1976, he successfully ran for Arkansas Attorney General. He faced little opposition and won the election.
In 1978, Bill Clinton became the Governor of Arkansas. He was only 32 years old, making him the youngest governor in the country at that time. People sometimes called him the "Boy Governor." He worked on improving education and roads in Arkansas. His wife, Hillary, helped lead efforts to improve urban health care.
He was elected governor again in 1982 and served for ten more years. During this time, he helped improve Arkansas's economy and its school system. He pushed for more money for schools, better opportunities for talented students, and higher salaries for teachers. He also helped senior citizens by removing sales tax on medicines. He became a leader among the New Democrats, a group that wanted government to be smaller and welfare to be reformed.
In 1992, Bill Clinton ran for president of the United States. He won the election against the Republican president, George H. W. Bush. Clinton's win ended 12 years of Republican presidents. It also meant that Democrats controlled both the White House and Congress for the first time in many years.
He was re-elected in the 1996 presidential election. This made him the first Democrat to win two presidential elections in a row since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
President of the United States (1993–2001)
During his time as president, Bill Clinton worked on many new laws and programs. He focused on being careful with government money, which helped reduce the national debt. Under his leadership, the United States saw the longest period of economic growth during peacetime in its history.
.jpg)
In 1993, he signed a law that cut taxes for many low-income families and small businesses. It also raised taxes for the wealthiest people. That same year, he put in place a policy called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" for the military. This policy allowed gay people to serve in the armed forces.
On January 1, 1994, Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into law. This agreement aimed to make trade easier between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Also in 1994, his administration launched the first official White House website, whitehouse.gov.
In 1996, Clinton signed a law to help control illegal immigration.
Second Term (1997–2001)
In 1997, President Clinton suggested a plan to provide health insurance for up to five million children. With help from both Democratic and Republican senators, and his wife Hillary, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was created. This was a big success in health care reform during his presidency. Hillary Clinton also helped pass laws to improve adoption and foster care. Bill Clinton also worked with Congress to pass the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
In 1998, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Clinton. This meant they formally accused him of wrongdoing. He was the second U.S. president to be impeached. However, the Senate later voted to acquit him, meaning he was not removed from office.
Life After the Presidency (2001–present)
When Bill Clinton left office in 2001, he had one of the highest approval ratings of any U.S. president in modern times. Many historians rank his presidency highly.
Since leaving the White House, he has done a lot of public speaking and humanitarian work. He started the Clinton Foundation to help with global issues like preventing HIV/AIDS and fighting global warming. In 2009, he became a special envoy for the United Nations to Haiti. After a big earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, Clinton and former President George W. Bush worked together to create the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund to help.
He has also stayed active in politics, campaigning for his wife, Hillary, when she ran for president in 2008 and 2016. On November 20, 2013, President Barack Obama gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the highest award a civilian can receive in the United States.
In November 2024, his second book of memoirs, Citizen: My Life After the White House, was published.
Personal Life
Bill Clinton was baptized at a Baptist church in Hot Springs, Arkansas when he was 10. He has remained a member of the Baptist church. In 2007, he co-founded the New Baptist Covenant organization with Jimmy Carter.
On October 11, 1975, he married Hillary Rodham in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They had their only child, Chelsea Clinton, on February 27, 1980. Bill Clinton is now a grandfather to Chelsea's three children.
Awards and Honors
Many colleges and universities have given Bill Clinton honorary degrees. He is also an honorary member of University College, Oxford, where he studied. Schools and statues have been named after him. In 2001, he received the Medal for Distinguished Public Service. The Clinton Presidential Center opened in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2001.
The country of Kosovo, grateful for his help during the Kosovo War, named a main street in its capital city, Pristina, "Bill Clinton Boulevard" and put up a statue of him. In 2011, the president of Haiti gave Clinton a high honor called the National Order of Honour and Merit. This was for his efforts to help Haiti, especially after the 2010 earthquake.
Time magazine named Bill Clinton their "Man of the Year" twice: in 1992 and again in 1998. He has also received awards for his work as an advocate for the LGBT community.
Bill Clinton won a Grammy Award in 2003 for "Best Spoken Word Album for Children" for Wolf Tracks and Peter and the Wolf. He shared this award with Mikhail Gorbachev and Sophia Loren. His autobiography, My Life, which he read himself, won a Grammy Award in 2005 for "Best Spoken Word Album."
Fun Facts About Bill Clinton
- His father, William Jefferson Blythe III, was a traveling salesman.
- He is about 6 feet 2 inches tall.
- Bill Clinton is left-handed.
- The Clintons had a cat named "Socks" when they lived in the White House.
- He plays the saxophone.
- He has won two Grammy Awards. One was for a children's spoken word album.
What Bill Clinton Said
- "Great rewards will come to those who can live together, learn together, work together, forge new ties that bind together."
- "The road to tyranny, we must never forget, begins with the destruction of the truth."
- "Yesterday is yesterday. If we try to recapture it, we will only lose tomorrow."
- "Criticism is part of the lifeblood of democracy."
- "A man is more than the sum of all the things he can do."
See also
In Spanish: Bill Clinton para niños
- Clinton family
- List of presidents of the United States
Images for kids
-
Clinton's childhood home in Hope, Arkansas
-
Newly elected Governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton meets with President Jimmy Carter in 1978.
-
Governor and Mrs. Clinton attend a dinner at the White House with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, 1987.
-
The Clintons in a White House Christmas portrait, 1993.
-
Clinton and Vice President Al Gore on the South Lawn, August 10, 1993.
-
Clinton, Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat during the Oslo Accords on September 13, 1993.
-
Clinton, Jordan's King Hussein and Yitzhak Rabin sign the Israel–Jordan peace treaty on July 25, 1994.
-
Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin in October 1995.
-
President Bill Clinton (center), first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton (right) and their daughter Chelsea (left) wave to watchers on Inauguration Day, January 20, 1997.
-
Al Gore and Newt Gingrich applaud as US president Clinton waves during the State of the Union address in 1997.
-
Clinton shaking hands with Donald Trump at Trump Tower, June 2000.
-
Clinton and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in Florence, Italy on November 20, 1999.
-
Clinton speaks with Col. Paul Fletcher, USAF, before boarding Air Force One, November 4, 1999.
-
General John P. Jumper, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, escorts Clinton upon his arrival to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, May 5, 1999.
-
Clinton greets Air Force personnel at Spangdahlem Air Base, May 5, 1999.
-
Ruth Bader Ginsburg accepting her nomination to the Supreme Court from President Clinton.
-
Clinton's approval ratings throughout his presidential career.
-
Clinton addressing the British parliament on November 29, 1995.
-
Clinton at a "Get out the vote" rally in Los Angeles on November 2, 2000.
-
Clinton speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
-
Clinton with former President George H. W. Bush in January 2005.
-
The Clinton Presidential Center, dedicated in 2004.
-
Clinton speaking at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
-
Clinton with President Barack Obama and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett in July 2010.
-
Clinton campaigning on behalf of his wife, 2016.
-
Bill Clinton speaks at Central High School in Phoenix, Arizona, 2016.
-
Secretary of Defense Cohen presents President Clinton the DoD Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
-
Bill Clinton statue in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo.
_-_PM_YITZHAK_RABIN_AND_JORDAN%27S_KING_HUSSEIN_SIGN_THE_PEACE_TREATY.jpg)
_(514619639).jpg)
_(cropped1).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
