November 20
Joe Biden Born in Scranton
Summary
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His family later moved to Delaware, where Biden attended the University of Delaware before earning a law degree from Syracuse University. After brief work in law and local government, he won election to the U.S. Senate in 1972 at age twenty-nine and served from 1973 until 2009. Biden became particularly associated with the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations committees. He served as vice president under Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017 and won the presidency in 2020. As the forty-sixth president from 2021 to 2025, Biden's administration dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, infrastructure investment, climate and industrial policy, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and conflicts in the Middle East. He sought reelection in 2024 but ended his candidacy during the campaign and left office in January 2025.
Why It Matters
Biden's public career spanned more than five decades and included long service in the Senate, two terms as vice president, and one term as president. His administration enacted major infrastructure, manufacturing, climate, and health-related legislation while confronting international crises and post-pandemic economic disruption. His decision to end his 2024 reelection campaign also became an unusual event in modern presidential politics.
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Sources
- BIDEN, Joseph Robinette (Joe), Jr., Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed 2026-08-25.
- Joe Biden: Life Before the Presidency, Miller Center, University of Virginia. Accessed 2026-08-25.