Childhood and Education Journey of Bill Clinton in Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Bill Clinton. A timeline of key moments.

Bill Clinton, the 42nd U.S. President (1993-2001), is a prominent American politician and lawyer. A Democrat, he served as Arkansas's Attorney General (1977-1979) and Governor (1979-1981, 1983-1992). Clinton's presidency was defined by centrist 'Third Way' policies, establishing him as a 'New Democrat'.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1933: Enactment of the Glass-Steagall Act

In 1933, the Glass-Steagall Act was enacted, which prohibited banks from offering a full range of investment, commercial banking, and insurance services. In 1999, President Clinton repealed part of the Glass–Steagall Act.

September 4, 1943: Marriage of William Jefferson Blythe Jr. and Virginia Dell Cassidy

On September 4, 1943, William Jefferson Blythe Jr. and Virginia Dell Cassidy married, although this union was later discovered to be bigamous.

August 19, 1946: Bill Clinton's Birth

On August 19, 1946, William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe) was born. He later became the 42nd president of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001.

1950: Family Moved to Hot Springs

In 1950, Bill's mother returned from nursing school and married Roger Clinton Sr., moving the family to Hot Springs, Arkansas.

1961: Member of the Order of DeMolay

In 1961, Bill Clinton became a member of the Hot Springs Chapter of the Order of DeMolay, a youth group affiliated with Freemasonry.

1963: Influential moments

In 1963, Clinton identified two influential moments in his life, visiting the White House as a Boys Nation senator to meet President John F. Kennedy, and watching Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech on TV.

1964: Elected class president

In 1964, Bill Clinton won an election for class president.

1965: Elected class president

In 1965, Bill Clinton won an election for class president.

1967: Intern and Clerk

From 1964 to 1967, Bill Clinton worked as an intern and then a clerk in the office of Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright.

1968: Graduation from Georgetown University

In 1968, Bill Clinton graduated from Georgetown University, marking a significant milestone in his education.

1968: Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford

In 1968, Bill Clinton won a Rhodes Scholarship to University College, Oxford, initially studying philosophy, politics, and economics.

1968: Educational Draft Deferment

In 1968, during the Vietnam War, Bill Clinton received educational draft deferments while he was in England.

October 1969: Moratorium to End the War

In October 1969, while at Oxford, Bill Clinton organized a Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam event.

1969: Vietnam War discussion at pub

In the summer term of 1969, Bill Clinton and Frank Aller discussed the Vietnam War with Sara Maitland at a pub in Walton Street.

1971: Meets Hillary Rodham

In 1971, Bill Clinton met his future wife, Hillary Rodham, at the Yale Law Library.

1971: Frank Aller's suicide

In 1971, the suicide of Frank Aller, a fellow American Rhodes Scholar, had a significant impact on Bill Clinton.

1973: Graduation from Yale Law School

In 1973, Bill Clinton earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Yale Law School.

October 11, 1975: Marriage to Hillary Rodham

On October 11, 1975, Bill Clinton married Hillary Rodham in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They had met while studying at Yale University.

February 27, 1980: Birth of Chelsea Clinton

On February 27, 1980, Bill and Hillary Clinton had Chelsea Clinton, their only child.

1980: Nickname "Slick Willie" first applied

In 1980, the nickname "Slick Willie" was first applied to Clinton by journalist Paul Greenberg.

September 1983: Passage of Arkansas Education Reform

In September 1983, the Arkansas education reforms passed after Bill Clinton called a special legislative session, considered the longest in Arkansas history. This was considered the greatest achievement of his governorship.

1984: President Ronald Reagan's landslide victory

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan had a landslide victory, leading the New Democrats, including Bill Clinton, to advocate for a more centrist political stance for the Democratic Party.

1986: Gubernatorial term length change and Chair of the National Governors Association

Effective with the 1986 election, Arkansas changed its gubernatorial term of office from two to four years. From 1986 to 1987, Clinton served as chair of the National Governors Association, bringing him to an audience beyond Arkansas.

1987: Chair of the National Governors Association

From 1986 to 1987, Bill Clinton served as chair of the National Governors Association, bringing him to an audience beyond Arkansas.

1989: Iran Brings Case Against the U.S. in the International Court of Justice

In 1989, Iran brought a case against the U.S. in the International Court of Justice after the shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655 by the U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser. In February 1996, the Clinton administration agreed to pay Iran US$131.8 million in settlement to discontinue the case.

March 26, 1992: Clinton responds to AIDS question

On March 26, 1992, during a Democratic fund raiser, Robert Rafsky confronted Bill Clinton about AIDS, to which Clinton replied, "I feel your pain". This exchange led to AIDS becoming an issue in the 1992 presidential election.

1992: Nickname Bubba

From the 1992 presidential election onward, Clinton was nicknamed Bubba because of his folksy manner.

1992: Clinton Proposes Peace Envoy to Northern Ireland

In 1992, before his presidency, Bill Clinton proposed sending a peace envoy to Northern Ireland, but this was dropped to avoid tensions with the British government.

1993: Clinton Pressures European Leaders on Bosnian War

In 1993, Bill Clinton pressured Western European leaders to adopt a strong military policy against Bosnian Serbs during the Bosnian War.

1993: Battle of Mogadishu and Shift in Somalia Policy

In 1993, during the Battle of Mogadishu, two U.S. helicopters were shot down, leading to a deadly urban battle that resulted in a drop in support for American intervention in Somalia. This occurred during the Clinton administration.

1993: Joined Foundry United Methodist Church

In 1993, when Bill Clinton became president, he became a member of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. with his wife, a Methodist.

April 1994: Genocide in Rwanda and Clinton's Decision Not to Intervene

In April 1994, genocide broke out in Rwanda. Clinton, fearing a reprisal of events in Somalia, chose not to intervene, a decision he later regretted.

1994: Clinton Declares Iran a "State Sponsor of Terrorism"

In 1994, Bill Clinton declared that Iran was a "state sponsor of terrorism" and a "rogue state", marking the first time an American president used that term. The Clinton administration subsequently heavily sanctioned Iran's oil industry and banned trade between U.S. companies and the Iranian government.

1994: Clinton Pressures European Leaders on Bosnian War

In 1994, Bill Clinton pressured Western European leaders to adopt a strong military policy against Bosnian Serbs during the Bosnian War.

1994: Jimmy Carter Visit to North Korea

In 1994, Jimmy Carter made a similar visit to North Korea. This is in reference to Bill Clinton's 2009 trip to North Korea to free imprisoned journalists.

November 1995: Clinton Visits Northern Ireland

In November 1995, during a ceasefire during the Troubles, Bill Clinton became the first U.S. president to visit Northern Ireland, examining both of the two divided communities of Belfast and playing a key role in peace talks.

1995: U.S. and NATO Bomb Bosnian Serb Targets

In 1995, U.S. and NATO aircraft bombed Bosnian Serb targets to halt attacks on UN safe zones and pressure them into a peace accord. Clinton also deployed U.S. peacekeepers to Bosnia.

February 1996: Clinton Administration Agrees to Settlement with Iran

In February 1996, the Clinton administration agreed to pay Iran US$131.8 million in settlement to discontinue a case brought by Iran in 1989 against the U.S. in the International Court of Justice after the shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655.

November 1996: Assassination Attempt in the Philippines

In November 1996, President Clinton narrowly escaped a possible assassination attempt in the Philippines, involving a bridge bomb planted by al-Qaeda and masterminded by Osama bin Laden.

October 1997: Clinton Announces Use of Hearing Aids

In October 1997, Bill Clinton announced he was getting hearing aids due to hearing loss attributed to his age and time spent as a musician.

October 31, 1998: Clinton Signs Iraq Liberation Act

On October 31, 1998, Bill Clinton signed the Iraq Liberation Act, which instituted a policy of "regime change" against Iraq but did not provide for direct intervention.

1998: Clinton's State of the Union Address Warning on Saddam Hussein

In Bill Clinton's 1998 State of the Union Address, he warned Congress that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was building an arsenal of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, although there was no evidence for that claim.

1999: Attacks on Iraqi Air Defenses in No-Fly Zones

In 1999, American and British aircraft in the Iraq no-fly zones attacked hostile Iraqi air defenses 166 times.

2000: Attacks on Iraqi Air Defenses in No-Fly Zones

In 2000, American and British aircraft in the Iraq no-fly zones attacked hostile Iraqi air defenses 78 times.

2000: Nickname The Big Dog

Since 2000, Bill Clinton has been referred to as "The Big Dog".

September 2004: Quadruple Bypass Surgery

In September 2004, Bill Clinton underwent quadruple bypass surgery.

March 2005: Lung Surgery

In March 2005, Bill Clinton underwent surgery for a partially collapsed lung.

April 2007: Appearance at Boris Yeltsin's Funeral

In April 2007, Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush spoke together at the funeral of Boris Yeltsin.

August 27, 2008: Endorsement of Barack Obama at DNC

On August 27, 2008, at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Bill Clinton enthusiastically endorsed Barack Obama for president, stating that Obama was "ready to lead".

2009: North Korea Trip for Imprisoned Journalists

In 2009, Bill Clinton traveled to North Korea on behalf of two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who had been imprisoned for illegally entering the country from China. Kim Jong-il issued a pardon after meeting with Clinton.

February 11, 2010: Heart Stent Implantation

On February 11, 2010, Bill Clinton was rushed to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital in Manhattan after complaining of chest pains, and he had two coronary stents implanted in his heart.

2011: Death of Osama bin Laden

The capture of Osama bin Laden was an objective of the U.S. government during the Clinton presidency (and continued to be until bin Laden's death in 2011).

2012: Speech at Democratic National Convention

At the 2012 Democratic National Convention, Bill Clinton gave a widely praised speech nominating Barack Obama.

2012: Nickname Explainer-in-Chief

In 2012, Clinton earned the nickname "Explainer-in-Chief" for his role in campaigning for Obama and his speech at the Democratic National Convention.

2016: Support for Hillary Clinton's Presidential Campaign

During the 2016 presidential election, Bill Clinton encouraged voters to support Hillary Clinton and made appearances speaking on the campaign trail. He also served as a member of the electoral college for the state of New York and voted for the Democratic ticket of Hillary and Tim Kaine.

2020: Electoral College Vote for Biden and Harris

In 2020, Bill Clinton again served as a member of the United States Electoral College from New York, casting his vote for the Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

October 2021: Treatment for Sepsis

In October 2021, Bill Clinton was treated for sepsis at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center.

December 2022: Positive COVID-19 Test

In December 2022, Bill Clinton tested positive for COVID-19.

March 2024: Report on the 1996 Assassination Attempt

In March 2024, Reuters reported speaking with eight retired secret service agents about the top-secret assassination attempt on President Clinton in the Philippines in November 1996, which remains classified.

December 2024: Hospitalization for Fever

In December 2024, Bill Clinton was hospitalized after developing fever at the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C.

2024: Endorsement of Biden's Re-Election Campaign

In 2024, Bill Clinton was one of the first public figures to endorse Joe Biden's re-election campaign, appearing in interviews and fundraisers. He defended Biden after a debate, and after Biden withdrew, endorsed Kamala Harris.