He Lost His Wife and Baby Daughter in a Tragic Crash Weeks After Election – The Shocking Story of How He Still Became President

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., known as Joe Biden, was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. He is the American politician from the Democratic Party who served as the 46th President of the United States from 2021 to 2025, the 47th Vice President under Barack Obama (2009–2017), and a U.S. Senator from Delaware for 36 years (1973–2009). As a moderate figure within his party, Biden has lived a life filled with political successes, personal tragedies, and health challenges.
Childhood and Education

Joe Biden was the first child of Catherine Eugenia “Jean” Finnegan Biden and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr., in a working-class Irish Catholic family. After financial difficulties, the family moved to Claymont, Delaware, in 1953, where his father worked as a used-car salesman. Biden struggled with a severe stutter as a child but overcame it by practicing in front of a mirror and memorizing poetry by Yeats and Emerson. He attended Archmere Academy (a private Catholic school), where he excelled in football and baseball and was elected class president.
In 1965 he graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in history and political science. In 1968 he earned his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law. While studying, he married Neilia Hunter (1966) and they had three children: Beau (1969), Hunter (1970), and Naomi (1971).

Early Political Career and the Great Tragedy (1970–1977)
After graduating, Biden worked as a public defender and then opened his own law practice. In 1970 he was elected to the New Castle County Council. In 1972, at age 29, he was elected U.S. Senator from Delaware — one of the youngest senators in history. His campaign focused on the environment, withdrawal from Vietnam, civil rights, and healthcare.
Just weeks after the election, on December 18, 1972, a tragic car accident took the lives of his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi. His two sons, Beau and Hunter, were seriously injured. Biden considered quitting politics but was sworn in as senator at the hospital bedside of his sons in January 1973. He commuted daily by Amtrak train from Delaware to Washington, D.C., to be with his children.

In 1975 he met Jill Jacobs (a teacher), and they married in 1977. Jill became a mother to Beau and Hunter, and in 1981 they had a daughter, Ashley. Tragically, Beau died from brain cancer in 2015 — a devastating blow for Biden.
Long Senate Career (1973–2009)
As a senator, Biden specialized in judicial and foreign affairs. He chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee (1987–1995) and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (2001–2003 and 2007–2009). Among the major laws he sponsored were:

Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (1994),
Violence Against Women Act (1994).

He oversaw the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court justices (including Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas). His vote for the Iraq War resolution (2002) was later called a “mistake.” Biden opposed the Gulf War (1991) but supported intervention in the Balkans.
He was re-elected six times and was regarded as a moderate Democrat, close to business interests (often called the “MBNA senator”).

Presidential Campaigns (1988 and 2008) and Vice Presidency (2009–2017)
In 1988 Biden ran for the Democratic presidential nomination but withdrew after being accused of plagiarism in speeches. In 2008 he finished fifth in Iowa and withdrew, but Barack Obama chose him as his vice-presidential running mate. As Vice President, Biden played a key role in:

The economic stimulus package,
Debt-ceiling negotiations (2011),
Foreign policy (Iraq, Afghanistan, Balkans).

The Presidency (2021–2025)
In 2020 Biden defeated Donald Trump, choosing Kamala Harris as his running mate. As president he signed:

American Rescue Plan (2021),
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,
CHIPS and Science Act,
Inflation Reduction Act (2022).

He re-joined the Paris Climate Agreement, recognized the Armenian Genocide, supported Ukraine after the Russian invasion (2022), and backed Israel in the war with Hamas. The withdrawal from Afghanistan (2021) was chaotic and hurt his popularity. Inflation and high gas prices negatively affected his approval ratings (averaging around 40%).
In July 2024, after a poor debate performance, Biden withdrew from re-election and endorsed Harris. Donald Trump won the 2024 election.
Post-Presidency (2025–2026)
On January 20, 2025, Biden left the White House as the oldest former president in history (age 82). He established his presidential library foundation in Delaware, signed a contract with the CAA agency, and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in May 2025, for which he is undergoing treatment (hormone therapy and radiation). In May 2026 he gave his first major public endorsement since leaving office, supporting a Democratic candidate for governor in Georgia.
As a former president, Biden remains active on public issues but lives relatively out of the daily political spotlight, focusing on family (wife Jill, son Hunter, and daughter Ashley) and his memoirs.

Joe Biden remains a complex figure: a politician with decades of experience, shaped by personal tragedy, who led America through a difficult period after the pandemic and ongoing wars. Despite criticism over his age and some decisions, he is known as a family man and a Democrat committed to national unity.