Early Life and Education of Hillary Clinton: A Complete Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Hillary Clinton. From birth to education, explore key events.

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is an American politician, lawyer, and diplomat. She served as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, a U.S. Senator representing New York, and First Lady during Bill Clinton's presidency. As a member of the Democratic Party, she secured the party's nomination in the 2016 presidential election, making history as the first woman to win a presidential nomination from a major U.S. party and the only woman to win the popular vote in a U.S. presidential election. Notably, she is the only former First Lady to have run for elected office.

Sections (6)

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

October 26, 1947: Hillary Clinton's Birth

On October 26, 1947, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, née Rodham, was born.

1960: Canvassing Chicago's South Side

In 1960, at age 13, Hillary Rodham helped canvass Chicago's South Side after the very close U.S. presidential election.

1961: Letter to NASA

Around 1961, inspired by U.S. efforts during the Space Race, Hillary Rodham sent a letter to NASA asking what she could do to become an astronaut, only to be informed that women were not being accepted into the program.

1962: Meeting Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1962, Hillary Rodham saw and briefly met civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. when he gave a speech in Chicago's Orchestra Hall, while with her Methodist youth minister, Donald Jones.

1964: Campaigning for Barry Goldwater

In 1964, Hillary Rodham volunteered to campaign for Republican candidate Barry Goldwater in the election.

1965: Enrollment at Wellesley College

In 1965, Hillary Rodham enrolled at Wellesley College, where she majored in political science.

1965: High School Graduation

In 1965, Hillary Rodham graduated from Maine South High School in the top five percent of her class.

1968: Republican National Convention

In 1968, Hillary Rodham attended the Republican National Convention in Miami Beach but left the Republican Party for good, upset by the way Richard Nixon's campaign portrayed Rockefeller.

1968: President of the Wellesley College Government Association

In early 1968, Hillary Rodham was elected president of the Wellesley College Government Association.

1969: Graduation from Wellesley and Commencement Speech

In 1969, Hillary Rodham graduated from Wellesley College with a Bachelor of Arts and delivered a commencement speech, becoming the first student in Wellesley College history to speak at the event. Her speech garnered significant attention and was featured in Life magazine.

1969: Graduation from Wellesley College

In 1969, Hillary Rodham graduated from Wellesley College.

1969: End of term as president of Wellesley College Government Association

In early 1969, Hillary Rodham completed her term as the president of the Wellesley College Government Association.

1970: Work at Marian Wright Edelman's Washington Research Project

In the summer of 1970, Hillary Rodham was awarded a grant to work at Marian Wright Edelman's Washington Research Project, where she was assigned to Senator Walter Mondale's Subcommittee on Migratory Labor.

1971: Dating Bill Clinton

In the spring of 1971, Hillary Rodham began dating fellow law student Bill Clinton.

1972: Campaigning for George McGovern

In the summer of 1972, Hillary Rodham and Bill Clinton campaigned in Texas for unsuccessful 1972 Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern.

1973: Graduation from Yale Law School

In 1973, Hillary Rodham graduated from Yale Law School.

1973: Juris Doctor Degree from Yale

In 1973, Hillary Rodham received a Juris Doctor degree from Yale, having stayed on an extra year to be with Bill Clinton.

1973: Yale Review of Law and Social Action

In 1973, Hillary Rodham was on the editorial board of the Yale Review of Law and Social Action.

August 1974: Moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas

In August 1974, Hillary Rodham moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas to become one of two female faculty members at the University of Arkansas School of Law. She chose to follow Bill Clinton to Arkansas rather than staying in Washington.

August 1974: Resignation of President Richard Nixon

In August 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned, an event Hillary Rodham contributed to as a member of the impeachment inquiry staff during the Watergate scandal.

1974: Bill Clinton lost Arkansas congressional race

In 1974, Bill Clinton lost an Arkansas congressional race to incumbent Republican John Paul Hammerschmidt.

October 11, 1975: Marriage to Bill Clinton

On October 11, 1975, Hillary Rodham married Bill Clinton in a Methodist ceremony in their living room in Fayetteville. Hillary decided to retain her maiden name, a decision that upset both mothers.

1975: Marriage to Bill Clinton

In 1975, Hillary Rodham married Bill Clinton.

November 1976: Bill Clinton elected Arkansas attorney general

In November 1976, Bill Clinton was elected as the Arkansas attorney general, leading Hillary and Bill to move to Little Rock, the state capital.

January 1979: Became First Lady of Arkansas

In January 1979, Hillary Rodham became the First Lady of Arkansas following her husband's election as governor.

1979: First Woman Partner at Rose Law Firm

In 1979, Hillary Clinton became the first woman partner at Little Rock's Rose Law Firm.

February 27, 1980: Birth of Chelsea Clinton

On February 27, 1980, Hillary Rodham Clinton gave birth to Chelsea, her and Bill Clinton's only child.

1981: End of First Lady term in Arkansas

In 1981, Hillary Clinton's first term as the First Lady of Arkansas ended.

1982: Bill Clinton returned to governorship of Arkansas

In 1982, Bill Clinton returned to the governorship of Arkansas after winning the election. During the campaign, Hillary began to use the name "Hillary Clinton" to assuage the concerns of Arkansas voters.

1983: Start of Second Term as First Lady of Arkansas

In 1983, Hillary Clinton began her second term as the First Lady of Arkansas, a role she held until 1992.

1992: End of Second Term as First Lady of Arkansas

In 1992, Hillary Clinton finished serving her term as the First Lady of Arkansas.

January 1993: Became First Lady of the United States

In January 1993, Hillary Rodham Clinton became the First Lady of the United States when Bill Clinton took office as president.

1993: First Lady

In 1993, Hillary Clinton became the First Lady of the United States as the wife of Bill Clinton, serving in this role until 2001.

1993: Blind Trust Established

In 1993, when Bill Clinton became president, a blind trust was established.

September 1995: Speech Before the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing

In September 1995, Hillary Clinton delivered a speech at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, forcefully denouncing practices that abused women worldwide, including within the People's Republic of China. During the speech, she famously declared that "it is no longer acceptable to discuss women's rights as separate from human rights".

1995: Start of "Talking It Over" Newspaper Column

In 1995, Hillary Clinton began publishing a weekly syndicated newspaper column titled "Talking It Over".

January 1996: Book Tour for "It Takes a Village"

In January 1996, Hillary Clinton embarked on a ten-city book tour and made numerous television appearances to promote her new book, "It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us". She was frequently questioned about her involvement in the Whitewater and Travelgate controversies during these appearances.

It Takes a Village, and Other Lessons Children Teach Us

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1998: Publication of "Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets"

In 1998, Hillary Clinton published the book "Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets" while she was First Lady.

Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets

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September 1999: Purchase of Home in Chappaqua, New York

In September 1999, after deciding to run for Senate, the Clintons purchased a home in Chappaqua, New York.

November 2000: White House Bicentennial State Dinner

In November 2000, Hillary Clinton hosted a state dinner honoring the bicentennial of the White House.

2000: End of "Talking It Over" Newspaper Column

In 2000, Hillary Clinton concluded her weekly syndicated newspaper column titled "Talking It Over", which she had started in 1995. The column focused on her experiences and those of women, children and families she met during her travels around the world.

2000: Publication of "An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History"

In 2000, Hillary Clinton published "An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History" during her time as First Lady.

An Invitation To The White House : At Home With History

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2000: Election to the U.S. Senate

In 2000, Hillary Clinton was first elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first female senator from New York.

2000: Clinton's Earnings

Since 2000, Bill and Hillary Clinton earned over $100 million.

January 3, 2001: Sworn in as U.S. Senator

On January 3, 2001, Hillary Clinton was sworn in as a U.S. Senator for New York. As George W. Bush was still 17 days away from being inaugurated as president, from January 3–20, she simultaneously held the titles of First Lady and Senator – a first in U.S. history.

2001: Afterword to "Beatrice's Goat"

In 2001, Hillary Clinton wrote an afterword to the children's book "Beatrice's Goat".

Beatrice's Goat

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2003: Reflection on College Years

In 2003, Hillary Clinton would write that her views concerning the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War were changing in her early college years.

June 2004: Unveiling of White House Portrait

In June 2004, Hillary Clinton's official White House portrait, painted by Simmie Knox, was unveiled in a ceremony at the White House.

February 2005: Visit to Iraq

In February 2005, Hillary Clinton visited Iraq and observed that the insurgency had failed to disrupt the democratic elections and that parts of the country were functioning well.

April 2007: Clintons Liquidate Blind Trust

In April 2007, the Clintons liquidated their blind trust to avoid potential ethical conflicts as Hillary Clinton began her presidential race.

2007: Clintons' Earnings

Between 2007 and 2014, the Clintons earned almost $141 million, paid some $56 million in federal and state taxes, and donated about $15 million to charity.

2009: UN Special Envoy to Haiti

In 2009, Hillary Clinton's husband was named the UN Special Envoy to Haiti following a tropical storm season that caused $1 billion in damages.

December 2012: Hospitalization for Blood Clot

In December 2012, Hillary Clinton was hospitalized for a few days for treatment of a blood clot in her right transverse venous sinus, which was discovered during a follow-up examination for a concussion she had sustained nearly three weeks earlier. The clot was treated with anticoagulant medication.

2013: Joins Clinton Foundation

In 2013, Hillary Clinton left the State Department and returned to private life. She and her daughter Chelsea joined Bill Clinton as named members of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, focusing on early childhood development and girls' education initiatives.

April 12, 2015: Announces Presidential Candidacy

On April 12, 2015, Hillary Clinton formally announced her candidacy for the presidency in the 2016 election.

April 2015: Resigns from Clinton Foundation Board

In April 2015, Hillary Clinton resigned from the board of the Clinton Foundation to begin her presidential campaign.

2016: Presidential Nominee

In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the Democratic Party's nominee in the presidential election, becoming the first woman to win a presidential nomination by a major U.S. political party and the only woman to win the popular vote for U.S. president.

2016: Maintained a Low Profile

In the months following her defeat in the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton maintained a low profile.

January 20, 2017: Attends Inauguration of Donald Trump

On January 20, 2017, Hillary Clinton attended the inauguration of Donald Trump.

March 17, 2017: St. Patrick's Day Speech

On March 17, 2017, Hillary Clinton delivered a St. Patrick's Day speech in Scranton, Pennsylvania, indicating her readiness to re-enter politics.

May 2017: Forms Onward Together

In May 2017, Hillary Clinton announced the formation of Onward Together, a new political action committee dedicated to advancing a progressive vision.

January 2, 2020: Appointment as Chancellor at Queen's University Belfast

On January 2, 2020, Hillary Clinton was announced as the Chancellor at Queen's University Belfast, becoming the 11th and first female chancellor, filling the position vacant since 2018.

January 2023: Joins Columbia University as professor

In January 2023, Columbia University announced that Hillary Clinton would join the university as professor of practice at the School of International and Public Affairs and as a presidential fellow at Columbia World Projects.