Born: 1946, Hope, AR

Born William Jefferson Blythe IV two months after his father died, Bill Clinton later took his stepfather’s surname. Raised in Arkansas, Clinton was part of the “baby boom generation” that came of age during the Vietnam war, the civil rights and women’s liberation movements. He studied at Georgetown, Oxford and Yale Law — where he met his wife, Hillary — then went home and entered politics, eventually serving five terms as Governor. Joining the 1992 Presidential race when incumbent Bush looked unbeatable, Clinton rode an economic downturn to victory in a tight three-way race.

President Clinton won passage of NAFTA and the “Brady Bill,” but lost his bid for health care reform. Then in 1994, the Democrats lost their Congressional majority to Republicans who stressed conservative themes. Clinton heard and refocused — on the deficit, crime and welfare reform. Reelected in 1996, Clinton pushed for peace in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and the Mideast, and for racial healing at home. but he himself became a divisive figure when an investigation by the Special Prosecutor’s Office revealed his illicit relationship with a White House intern. Clinton’s denial of the impropriety led to his 1998 impeachment by the House, though the Senate failed to convict. In his final year, Clinton increased America’s parklands and supported Hillary’s winning Senate run (D.N.Y.)

Forty-Second President
Democrat

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