Bill Clinton - Biography - IMDb
Bill Clinton
Biography
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Overview (4)
6' 1" (1.85 m)
Mini Bio (1)
Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III in Hope, Arkansas, to Virginia Dell (Cassidy) and William Jefferson Blythe, Jr., a traveling salesman. His father died in a car crash three months before Bill was born. He was raised by his grandparents for four years while his mother was in Louisiana studying nursing, in order to support herself and her son. In 1950, his mother married Roger Clinton, whose surname young Bill took; his half-brother, Roger Clinton , was born in 1956. Always interested in politics and working to help people, Clinton majored in International Affairs at Georgetown University. He graduated in 1968 and won a Rhodes Scholarship, which he used to study government at Oxford University. Clinton graduated from Yale Law School in 1973. He then taught law in Arkansas, and ran for political office. He was elected Arkansas Attorney General in 1976, then Governor in 1978. He won re-election in 1982, and served until he won the US Presidency in 1992, becoming the 42nd President of the United States, and winning re-election in 1996.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: anon-14
Spouse (1)
( 11 October  1975            -  present) (1 child)
Trade Mark (2)
Graduated from Hot Springs High School in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1964.
Listed in "People Weekly"s "Most Intriguing People" list. (December 25, 1995/January 1, 1996 issue)
Graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and received his law degree from Yale Law School, where he met his wife Hillary.
Enjoys playing golf and the saxophone.
Daughter, Chelsea Clinton , born 27 February 1980.
Impeached (the equivalent of indicted) by the U.S. House of Representatives, Dec. 1998, for "high crimes and misdemeanors" on a strictly party-line vote (all Republicans voted for it, all Democrats voted against it; since the Republicans controlled the House, the impeachment was approved). He is the second president to be impeached; the first was Andrew Johnson in 1868 ( Richard Nixon would likely have faced impeachment, but he resigned before it came to that).
Admitted to having an affair with Monica Lewinsky . [August 1998]
Named Time magazine's Co-Man of the Year (with Ken Starr ) in 1998.
Ranked 21st (out of 41) in a survey of the best U.S. presidents. Some historians also rated him last in "moral authority", largely stemming from the Monica Lewinsky scandal and numerous rumored affairs. [February 2000]
Has said that The Harmonists (1997) is the movie that moved him the most deeply, and that High Noon (1952) is his favorite movie of all time.
Became the second youngest U.S. President to leave office, after Theodore Roosevelt . (January 20th 2001).
Was the third youngest person ever to serve as president, after John F. Kennedy and Theodore Roosevelt .
Named Time magazine's "Man of the Year 1992".
Collects saxophones, both miniature and life-size.
Left the presidency with an approval rating of 65%, higher even than former President Ronald Reagan .
Pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton , thereby erasing his criminal record shortly before leaving the White House in January 2001.
On January 19, 2001, agreed to admit that he gave misleading testimony in connection with the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He was also fined $25,000 and agreed to have his Arkansas law license suspended for 5 years. In exchange, he will not face criminal charges after leaving the White House.
Is fluent in German.
Became the first sitting U.S. president to be sued. Paula Jones sued him after claiming he sexually harassed her six years previously. [1997]
Had a 12-year affair with Gennifer Flowers from 1980-1992 while he was governor of Arkansas.
After leaving the White House, he established his new office in the Harlem section of New York City.
Since leaving the White House, he has made his living mostly giving speeches before various political and business organizations, both domestically and worldwide, averaging $100,000 per speech. That doesn't compare to former President Ronald Reagan , whose first speech after he left office, to a group of wealthy Japanese businessmen, netted him $3 million. [2001]
In August 2001 he signed a book deal with publisher Alfred A. Knopf, for a $10-million advance.
Attended a national prayer service for victims of the terror attacks of the World Trade Center, at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Also in attendance were former Presidents George Bush , Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter , former Vice President Al Gore , former Senator Bob Dole and all their wives. [September 2001]
Was the first Rhodes Scholar to be elected President of the United States.
Secret Service codename was Eagle.
Inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, October 2002 (honorary induction).
Has his look-alike puppet in the French show Les guignols de l'info (1988).
The producers of 60 Minutes (1968) originally wanted to pair Clinton with right-wing talk-show host Rush Limbaugh in their (now failed) Point/Counterpoint segment, but Clinton's people nixed the idea. They also rejected former Republican Congressman Newt Gingrich , conservative author William J. Bennett , former Christian Coalition executive Ralph Reed and conservative businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes as possible adversaries in debate, before settling on former Senator/Republican Presidential candidate Bob Dole .
At the 1988 Democratic Convention, Gov. he gave the introduction for Michael Dukakis , it was the longest keynote speech in the history of American politics. Throughout the speech people were screaming for Dukakis, and wanted him off the stage, after 48 minutes, he said, "In closing..." The entire audience stood up and went crazy. Shortly thereafter, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), where he received a three-minute, 48-second introduction from Johnny Carson , it was multiple pages long, and was Carson's longest introduction for a guest. When Clinton finally came out, Carson, said, "Well, governor, I thank you for coming here tonight. And my first question is, how are you?" With that, Carson placed an hour glass timer on the desk.
Video exists showing a young Bill Clinton shaking hands with President John F. Kennedy . The video was aired on television during his 1992 presidential campaign on CBS News.
His terms in office made him the last US president of the 20th century as well as the first president of the 21st century.
Shares a birthday with Tipper Gore , wife of his former presidential running mate, Al Gore .
42nd President of The United States of America (1993-2001).
Son of Virginia Clinton Kelley (1923-1994).
Underwent emergency quadruple heart bypass surgery in September 2004 after experiencing an episode of angina. The former President had not suffered a coronary infarction, but some of his arteries were more than 90% clogged up. He later underwent corrective surgery for a partially collapsed lung in March 2005.
Considered becoming a jazz musician early in his career.
Attended the state funeral of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, along with incumbent President George W. Bush and former President George Bush . This was Clinton's first public appearance since undergoing corrective surgery at a New York hospital. (April 8th 2005)
As of 2005, is only the second United States President who has been adopted. The only previous President who was adopted was Gerald Ford .
Brother of Kappa Kappa Psi, Inc. Fraternity.
Attended the state funeral of former President Ronald Reagan at the Washington National Cathedral with former U.S. Presidents Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter , George Bush , incumbent President George W. Bush , and all their wives. (11 June 2004)
He was not adopted by Roger Clinton. He used the name "Clinton" when he started school. When he was a teenager, and his younger half-brother Roger Clinton was going to start school, Bill went to court to have his name legally changed to "Clinton". The future President wanted to have the same name as his half-brother, to avoid confusion in the Arkansas school system.
Cousin of Congressman James A. Lockhart.
Left the Presidency with a substantial budget surplus, the only president in more than 50 years to do so.
Is mentioned in the lyrics to the theme song of the cartoon series Animaniacs (1993) ("....Wakko packs away the snacks, while Bill Clinton plays the sax.").
On November 3, 1992, Clinton was elected the 42nd President of the United States by a wide margin in the Electoral College, despite receiving only 43% of the popular vote. The 1992 election was the first time since 1968 that a candidate won the White House with under 50% of the popular vote. (Neither Clinton in 1996 or George W. Bush in 2000 garnered 50% of the popular vote, though he did in 2004.) Clinton's home state of Arkansas was the only state in the entire country that gave the majority of its vote to a single candidate; the rest were won by pluralities of the vote. Clinton came in third in Utah, behind President George Bush and third party candidate Ross Perot , while Bush came in third in Maine, where the Bush family maintained a summer home in Kennebunkport.
Despite their numerous political and personal differences, he and former President George Bush , his opponent in the 1992 Presidential election, have actually become friends in recent years. The two have made several commercials together on behalf of the victims of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. As cited in "Time" magazine, former First Lady Barbara Bush even called them "The Odd Couple".
Huge fan of Elvis Presley .
In 1972, he was hired as a non-tenured professor of Law at the University of Arkansas at a starting salary of $14,706 per year.
In 1976, he was elected Attorney General for the State of Arkansas at a salary of $26,500 per year.
His allergies include chocolate, dairy products, and flour.
When he left the White House in 2001, he had legal bills in excess of $12 million as a result of campaign financing, the Monica Lewinsky trial, and Whitewater.
In 2006, he earned between $9-10 million on the lecture circuit. He gave 352 speeches, only 20% for personal income. His speaking fee, is approximately $150,000 per speech unless it is for one of the many Clinton causes or organizations, in which case he speaks for free.
In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for the year at $7 million.
Became the first serving US President to visit Northern Ireland. [November 1995]
Nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award for "Giving: How Each Of Us Can Change the World" [Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling)].
Prior to the 2008 election, he is the youngest of the four living US presidents, born 44 days after current president George W. Bush.
First president from the "Baby Boom" generation.
His ancestors settled in and established Blythesville, Arkansas.
(May 10, 2010) Made the cover of Time magazine's double issue - The 100 Most Influential People in the World - alongside Lady Gaga and Didier Drogba .
(May 10, 2010) Merited a place in Time magazine's "The 100 Most Influential People in the World" ("Heroes" category) with an homage contributed by friend Bono .
Has met actress Elena Levon at the 2009 Clinton Foundation event in Los Angeles.
Favorite films are High Noon (1952) and The Princess Bride (1987).
Was presented "Person of the Year (1993)" award by pro wrestler Mick Foley .
Is a vegan since his heart surgery, eating only fruits, vegetables, and whole grain.
The first U.S. President to be born after World War II.
The first Democratic President to serve multiple terms since Harry S. Truman .
Did not smoke cigarettes, but would occasionally smoke cigars. Has since quit smoking entirely.
His mother Virginia Clinton Kelley married Roger Clinton, an alcoholic and a wife-abuser who threatened to kill her. Bill vividly remembers being 5 years old when he witnessed his stepfather Roger firing a gun at his mother; the bullet smashed into a wall next to where Virginia was seated. As Bill grew older, he began to intercede to stop his stepfather's violence to his mother. Bill said he was deprived of a male role model while growing up, as his biological father William had died before he was born and his stepfather Roger was rarely engaged in his life. He has also said that his mother's model of a troubled and violent marriage to Roger has affected his own views on marriage and family when he was a young adult, in which he doubted his own ability to have a successful marriage.
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 by President Barack Obama .
His grandparents ran a grocery store and made a point of selling goods on credit to people of all races while there was segregation.
First grandchild, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky, was born on September 26, 2014. Parents are Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky.
His nickname "The Comeback Kid: "was generated by the press after strong second place showing in 1992 New Hampshire primary.
Personal Quotes (16)