Bill Clinton's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Bill Clinton.

Bill Clinton served as the 42nd U.S. President from 1993 to 2001. A Democrat, he previously served as Arkansas's Attorney General and Governor. His political ideology, known as "Clintonism", centered on a centrist "Third Way" approach. This philosophy significantly shaped his presidency and influenced the Democratic Party for decades.

Sections (7)

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

1968: Rhodes Scholarship

In 1968, Bill Clinton won a Rhodes Scholarship to University College, Oxford.

1969: Budget Surplus

During the last three years of Clinton's presidency and in 1969, the Congressional Budget Office reported a budget surplus.

September 1983: Education Reform Passage

In September 1983, the Arkansas education reforms passed after Clinton called a special legislative session, marking what many consider the greatest achievement of his governorship. The reforms included increased school spending, vocational education, higher teachers' salaries, and compulsory teacher competency exams.

1992: Election as President

In 1992, Bill Clinton was elected president of the United States, defeating George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot.

1992: Time's "Man of the Year"

In 1992, Bill Clinton was selected as Time's "Man of the Year".

1992: Clinton Wins 1992 Presidential Election

In 1992, Bill Clinton won the presidential election against George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot, ending twelve years of Republican rule and giving Democrats full control of Congress.

September 1993: Oslo Accords

In September 1993, secret negotiations mediated by President Clinton between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat led to a historic declaration of peace, called the Oslo Accords, which were signed at the White House on September 13.

1993: Family and Medical Leave Act Signed

In 1993, Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act, requiring large employers to allow employees to take unpaid leave for pregnancy or a serious medical condition. This action had bipartisan support.

1994: Israel–Jordan peace treaty

In 1994, the Israel–Jordan peace treaty was signed, following the Oslo Accords in 1993, as a result of secret negotiations mediated by President Clinton.

1994: Honorary Degree from Oxford

In 1994, while he was president, Bill Clinton received an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree and a fellowship from the University of Oxford.

1996: Re-election as President

In 1996, Bill Clinton won re-election as President, defeating Bob Dole and Ross Perot.

1998: Time's "Man of the Year"

In 1998, Bill Clinton was again selected as Time's "Man of the Year", along with Ken Starr.

February 12, 1999: Senate acquitted Clinton of impeachment charges

On February 12, 1999, the Senate acquitted Bill Clinton of both impeachment charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

December 1999: Gallup's List of Most Widely Admired People

From a poll conducted in December 1999, Bill Clinton was among eighteen included in Gallup's List of Most Widely Admired People of the 20th Century.

March 2000: Independent Counsel determined there was no credible evidence of any crime

In March 2000, Independent Counsel Robert Ray determined there was no credible evidence of any crime regarding the White House FBI files controversy.

2001: NAACP President's Award

In 2001, Bill Clinton received the NAACP President's Award.

2001: Medal for Distinguished Public Service

In 2001, Bill Clinton was presented with the Medal for Distinguished Public Service. In 2001, The Clinton Presidential Center was also opened in Little Rock, Arkansas.

2002: Gallup poll on Clinton's job approval

In 2002, a Gallup poll showed that fewer Americans approved of the job Clinton did as president compared to a 2006 poll which showed a 10-point increase.

2003: Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children

In 2003, Bill Clinton, along with Mikhail Gorbachev and Sophia Loren, received the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for "Wolf Tracks and Peter and the Wolf".

June 2004: Unveiling of White House portrait

In June 2004, Bill Clinton's official White House portrait, commissioned by the White House Historical Association, was unveiled. It was painted by Simmie Knox.

2005: Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album

In 2005, the audiobook edition of Bill Clinton's autobiography, "My Life", read by Clinton himself, won the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album, as well as the Audie Award as the Audiobook of the Year.

My Life

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May 2006: CNN poll comparing Clinton's and Bush's job performance

In May 2006, a CNN poll compared Clinton's job performance with that of his successor, George W. Bush, and found that a strong majority of respondents said Clinton outperformed Bush in six different areas questioned.

June 2006: Gallup poll on Clinton's job approval

In June 2006, a Gallup poll found that 61 percent of Americans approved of the job Clinton did as president, a 10-point increase from the 2002 poll.

2007: Grammy Nomination for Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World

In 2007, Bill Clinton received a Grammy nomination for his audiobook, "Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World".

Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World

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2007: Gallup poll on greatest U.S. presidents

In 2007, Gallup polls showed that Clinton was regarded by 13 percent of Americans as the greatest president in U.S. history.

2010: Gallup survey on Clinton's job approval

In 2010, a Gallup survey showed that 69 percent of respondents approved of the job Clinton did as president, including 47 percent of Republicans and 68 percent of independents. His spike in popularity was attributed to Americans comparing him to then-incumbent Democratic president Barack Obama.

2011: Gallup poll on greatest U.S. presidents

In 2011, Gallup polls showed that Clinton was regarded by 13 percent of Americans as the greatest president in U.S. history.

2011: Awarded National Order of Honour and Merit

In 2011, Haitian president Michel Martelly awarded Bill Clinton with the National Order of Honour and Merit to the rank of Grand Cross "for his various initiatives in Haiti and especially his high contribution to the reconstruction of the country after the earthquake of January 12, 2010".

2012: Grammy Nomination for Back to Work

In 2012, Bill Clinton received another Grammy nomination for his audiobook, "Back to Work".

Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy

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November 20, 2013: Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

On November 20, 2013, President Obama awarded Bill Clinton the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

2014: Quinnipiac University poll on best presidents since World War II

In 2014, a Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll showed that 18 percent of respondents regarded Clinton as the best president since World War II, making him the third most popular among postwar presidents, behind John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

2015: Ranking by the American Political Science Association scholars

In 2015, a poll by The Washington Post asked 162 scholars of the American Political Science Association to rank all the U.S. presidents in order of greatness. Clinton ranked eighth overall, with a rating of 70 percent.