Facts About Hilary Clinton: Life And Milestones

Hillary Clinton is primarily known for becoming the first woman presidential candidate of a major party and for her role as First Lady during the 1990s. However, there are a lot more interesting facts about her career and personal life. Let’s take a look at some amazing facts about Hillary Clinton.

Family And Childhood

photo of a young Hilary Clinton on the left and recent photo of Hilary Clinton

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton was born on October 26th, 1947 in Chicago. Her father, Hugh Ellsworth Rodham, worked as a textile wholesaler. Her mother, Dorothy Howell Rodham, was a homemaker who would later go back to school. The Rodham family lived in Park Ridge, IL, at the time of Hillary’s birth.

As a child, Hillary took part in several activities. She would help organize food drives at school. She was a member of a local Methodist youth group, a member of the Girl Scouts, and became of member of the National Honor Society in high school. She attended Maine High School, from which she graduated in 1965.

She had dreams of one day becoming an astronaut. She sent a letter to NASA when she was about eight years old but got an answer stating that women couldn’t become astronauts.

Early Political Engagement

Hilary Clinton speaking in front of a huge crowd

Did you know that Hillary Clinton was originally a Republican? She campaigned for Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater in 1964 at the age of 17. She has described her family as being Republican in one of her memoirs, and she even wrote a term paper on conservatism. Goldwater received less than 40 percent of the popular vote.

She didn’t become a registered Democrat until four years later in 1968. She often mentions that a speech Martin Luther King Jr gave in Chicago was a major influence on her political views and desire to go into politics.

She graduated from Wellesley College in 1969 and went to study at the Yale Law School where she would meet Bill Clinton. She graduated in 1973 with a law degree. She started developing an interest in family law and issues that affect women and children.

During her time at Yale, Hillary Clinton held several jobs:

  • She worked on U.S. Senator Walter Mondel’s committee on migrant worker issues in 1971.
  • She worked as an intern at the law firm of Treuhaft, Walker and Burnstein in Oakland, CA.
  • She was an intern for Gerald Ford.
  • She worked on George McGovern’s presidential campaign in 1972 with Bill Clinton.
  • She took part in the Watergate inquiry in 1974.

Move To Arkansas

Hilary Clinton waving to people

Hillary Clinton met her husband Bill Clinton at Yale. She moved to Arkansas with him upon graduating in 1973 and took a teaching position at the University of Arkansas.

She married Bill in 1975 and joined the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, AR. She would later be the first woman to become a partner of this law firm.

Hillary Clinton focused on her legal career until Bill Clinton was appointed as Attorney General of Arkansas. She then started spending more time supporting causes that mattered to her, such as defending children’s and women’s rights.

She co-founded an organization known as the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families in 1977 and became the president of the board of directors. The AACF is an organization that advocates for programs and reforms that improve the lives of children in Arkansas.

Her efforts to improve the lives of children in Arkansas through educational programs, reforms to the welfare system, and access to healthcare continued as her husband became governor of Arkansas in 1979.

Bill Clinton would hold two terms as Governor of Arkansas. He was first elected in 1979 and re-elected in 1983. The couple’s only child, Chelsea, was born in 1980.

Role As First Lady

Hilary Clinton and Bill Clinton

Hillary Clinton was a well-known figure in Arkansas, but she didn’t gain national attention until her appearance on an episode of 60 Minutes in January 1992 during her husband’s presidential campaign. She candidly discussed her marital issues with Bill Clinton during this interview.

She became the First Lady in January 1993. Here are a few facts about Hillary Clinton’s role as a First Lady:

  • She was a member of the committee that drafted the Health Security Act in 1993. The act wasn’t passed, but several elements would later be used to draft the Affordable Care Act.
  • She worked on the creation of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 to improve victims’ access to resources.
  • She helped create the Save America’s Treasure fund in 1998.
  • She lobbied for the Foster Care Independence Act in 1999.
  • She is also known for creating the White House Sculpture Garden.

Role As U.S. Senator

Hillary Clinton became a senator for the state of New York in 2001. She won two consecutive elections in 2000 and 2006 for this role.

She was a member of five different committees during her two terms as a senator and sponsored 31 different pieces of legislation. A total of fourteen senate resolutions she introduced were passed.

She resigned from her senator position to become Secretary of State in 2009.

Here are a few of the significant measures she advocated for during her terms as senator but weren’t passed:

  • The creation of a budget to support the family members who act as caregivers for the elderly.
  • A bill to create a natural reserve in Puerto Rico.
  • A measure that would have increased unemployment insurance coverage.

Role As Secretary Of State

Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell and cast of tv series Madam Seccretary

Barack Obama appointed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State in 2009. This is a position she would keep until 2013.

Here are Hillary Clinton’s most significant achievements during her appointment as Secretary of State:

  • She took part in negotiating the U.N. sanctions that eventually resulted in the Iran Nuclear Deal.
  • She drew attention to women’s rights around the glove and asked several world leaders to prioritize these issues.
  • She formed partnerships with NGOs and companies that help women achieve economic independence around the globe.
  • She created the International Council on Women’s Business Leadership.
  • She worked with the Women’s Entrepreneurship in Americas and Techwomen programs to help women create businesses in the U.S.
  • She took part in the creation of the Action Plan On Women, Peace And Security. The purpose of this plan is to foster the role of girls and women in achieving peace and security.
  • She was the first Secretary of State to go to Eastern Congo. She also created a plan to help support women living in war zones.
  • She helped obtain funding for the Global Health Initiative, a program that offers reproductive health services in 40 countries.
  • She created the Office on Global Women’s Issues.

2016 Presidential Campaign

Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be nominated as the presidential candidate of a major party in 2016. She lost the general election in November 2016 with 227 electoral votes and more than 65,000,000 popular votes.

Even though Clinton won the popular vote by a 2.1 percent margin, she failed to secure enough electoral votes at the end of a polarizing campaign.

Her plans to run for president were first announced in 2007. However, she conceded the nomination in favor of Barack Obama.

Other Interesting Facts

There are plenty of other interesting facts about Hillary Clinton. Here are some of the highlights of her personal life and legal and political careers:

  • She is the oldest of three children. She was born in 1947 and has two brothers. Hugh was born in 1950 and Anthony in 1957.
  • She became the first woman to be nominated by a major party to run for president, the first women to be elected as Senator for the state of New York, and the first woman to become a partner of the Rose Law Firm.
  • She wrote a children’s book called It Takes A Village. The audio version of the book won a Grammy.
  • She appeared on several quiz shows during her high school and college years, including College Bowl and It’s Academic.
  • She didn’t change her maiden name to Clinton until 1982.
  • She was voted Arkansas Woman of the Year in 1983.
  • She was listed as one of the best business litigation attorneys in Arkansas in 1989.
  • She married Bill Clinton in 1975 after rejecting several proposals over the course of the two previous years. The couple honeymooned in Haiti.
  • Hillary Clinton invested $1,000 on the cattle futures market in 1978. This initial investment grew to $100,000 within 10 months.
  • She has over 22.9 million followers on Twitter.
  • She is the author of several papers discussing family law issues and foreign policies.
  • She also wrote many columns for publications such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, or the Wall Street Journal. Her first columns date back to the 1990s.
  • She wrote a children’s book about the pets living at the White House during the 1990s.
  • She is also the author of a coffee table book that details the renovations made to the White House during her time as a First Lady called An Invitation To The White House.
  • She wrote two memoirs, including Living History and Hard Choices.

Hillary Clinton is still working as an international ambassador for women’s rights and she hasn’t officially retired from politics. This list of facts will probably keep growing in the future!

Last update on 2024-03-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API