Bill Clinton is an American politician and public figure who inscribed his name in history as the 42nd President of the United States. He held this post from January 1993 to January 2001. The Clinton presidency was marked by successes in foreign policy, economics, and the social sphere, as well as high-profile scandals related to allegations of corruption and inappropriate relations with intern Monica Lewinsky.
Biography: childhood, adolescence, education
The full name of the 42nd American President is William Jefferson Blythe III. He was named after his father who died in a car accident shortly before his birth. Bill was born on August 19, 1946. It happened in Hope, Arkansas, where his mother's parents, Virginia Cassidy, lived. It is worth noting that for Bill's father, this marriage was the fourth, and in past families, two children were already raised - a son and a daughter.
After the tragic death of her husband, Virginia Cassidy left her young son with her parents to continue her education. She studied in Louisiana as a nurse anesthesiologist. Bill's grandparents were the owners of a grocery store. And although racial prejudices were still strong in the United States at that time, the Cassidys, neglecting them, served the "colored" population of the city. Biographers believe that the future president learned tolerance from early childhood on the example of his older relatives.
In 1950, a mother and son reunited. The reason was Virginia's remarriage to Roger Clinton. Bill's stepfather was a car dealer. In 1956, the couple had a son, Roger Jr. At the age of 15, Bill received his stepfather's surname and also became Clinton. The atmosphere in the family was far from favorable. Roger Sr. abused alcohol, was fond of gambling and raised his hand to his wife.
However, Bill did well in school, playing the saxophone in the school jazz band. In 1962, he was entrusted with representing his home state of Arkansas at the convention of the American Legion youth organization. There, during a tour of the White House, the young man had the honor to shake hands with President John F. Kennedy. From that moment on, Clinton began to think about a political career.
Despite belonging to the middle class, the family could not pay for Bill's education. He worked at several jobs, while managing to study brilliantly and receive an increased scholarship for his successes. Clinton was educated in several educational institutions:
- E. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington (1968);
- University College (Oxford) (1968-1970);
- Yale Law School - Yale Law School (1970-1973).
Political career
While studying in Washington, Clinton worked in the staff of the politician William Fulbright. He was an active participant in the youth movement against the Vietnam War. Later, political opponents would more than once reproach him for evading conscription. The next experience in politics for Clinton was the participation in the election campaign of the 1972 presidential candidate George McGovern.
After graduating from Yale University, Bill began teaching at the University of Arkansas Law School, where he worked until 1976. He first declared himself in politics in 1974, when he ran for the US Congress from the state of Arkansas. Clinton was the Democratic nominee. He lost his first election to a Republican rival.
In 1976 he became the Attorney General of Arkansas, and two years later he confidently won the gubernatorial elections. At 32, Clinton became the youngest governor in the United States. True, in 1980 he failed to be re-elected for the next term and worked for two years in a law firm.
In 1983, for the first time in state history, Clinton returned to the post of governor after defeat. He occupied it until 1992. The young politician managed to improve the welfare of the state, directed his activities towards solving problems of health care, education, ecology, employment, and taxation. In 1986-87, he served as Chairman of the National Association of US Governors, which allowed him to enter the state political arena.
Presidency
In the summer of 1992, at the convention of the Democratic Party in New York, Clinton was elected a candidate for the presidency of the United States. In November of the same year, he defeated Republican George W. Bush. In 1996, he managed to repeat his success and again take the presidency.
For eight years at the head of state, Clinton ensured economic growth, a decrease in the unemployment rate and the country's external debt. For the first time in 30 years, the US budget was executed with a surplus. Despite the fact that since 1994 the majority in Congress belonged to Republicans, the president paid much attention to reforming the social sphere, fighting crime, and consolidating environmental norms.
In foreign policy, Clinton moved towards reducing US military intervention in other countries, while retaining America's role as a mediator in resolving international conflicts. The dispute with North Korea was successfully settled, democratic rule was restored in Haiti, and the threat of an Iraqi attack on Kuwait was neutralized. In 1993, with the assistance of the United States, peace agreements were signed between Israel and Palestine, Israel and Jordan. In 1995, the Bosnian crisis ended with a peace agreement in exchange for the assistance of a NATO peacekeeping force. The NATO organization itself, meeting no more resistance from the USSR, continued its successful eastward expansion. In 1999, the United States took part in the bombing of Yugoslavia.
Of course, not all of Clinton's foreign policy steps were approved domestically, but any claims subsided against the backdrop of a stable economic situation and an increase in the well-being of the population.
At the end of his second presidential term, Clinton was caught in a sex scandal over an inappropriate relationship between the head of state and White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Rumors of the president's numerous love affairs have been around for a long time, but Clinton coolly denied any accusations. When, under the weight of irrefutable evidence, he was forced to confess to adultery, he was accused of perjury under oath and abuse of power. An impeachment procedure was launched against the president, but by a 1999 Senate decision, all charges against Clinton were dropped.
Personal life
Bill Clinton met his future wife Hillary Rodham while studying at Yale University. They married on October 11, 1975, and had their only daughter, Chelsea Victoria, on February 27, 1980.
Chelsea Clinton holds a BA in history from Stanford University and an MA in medicine from Columbia University. She is married to banker Mark Mezvinsky and has a daughter, Charlotte (2014) and a son, Aidan (2016).
Following the example of her husband, Hillary Clinton also built a rather successful political career. She served as Senator from New York State, United States Secretary of State. In 2016, she was the Democratic presidential candidate and only slightly lost to Donald Trump.
The Clintons' family life was accompanied by rumors about Bill's endless adultery and Hillary's accusations of domestic violence against her husband. However, the spouses managed to overcome all differences, preserving their marriage and supporting each other in the political arena.
Interesting Facts
- Clinton's height is 1m 88cm.
- After undergoing stenting surgery in 2010, she is on a vegan diet.
- In 2004 he was awarded the Grammy Music Award for the best conversational album "My Life".
- On November 1, 2009 in Pristina (Kosovo) on the main street, which bears the name of Bill Clinton, a monument was erected to him.
