History of Jill Biden in Timeline
Jill Biden is an American educator and the former First Lady of the United States (2021-2025), married to President Joe Biden. Previously, she served as the Second Lady from 2009 to 2017 during her husband's vice presidency. Notably, she has continued her career as an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College since 2009, even while holding the position of First Lady, demonstrating her commitment to education.
June 3, 1951: Jill Biden's Birth
On June 3, 1951, Jill Tracy Jacobs, later known as Jill Biden, was born. She would later become an American educator and the First Lady of the United States.
1961: Family Move to Willow Grove
In 1961, Jill Jacobs' family moved to Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Her father became the president and CEO of InterCounty Savings and Loan in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia.
1969: High School Graduation
In 1969, Jill Jacobs graduated from Upper Moreland High School.
February 1970: Marriage to Bill Stevenson
In February 1970, Jill Jacobs married Bill Stevenson and took the name Jill Stevenson.
1974: Separation from Bill Stevenson
In 1974, Jill Stevenson and her husband, Bill Stevenson, drifted apart and separated.
March 1975: Meeting Joe Biden
In March 1975, Jill met Senator Joe Biden on a blind date set up by his brother Frank.
May 1975: Divorce Granted
In May 1975, Jill's divorce from Bill Stevenson was finalized.
1975: Graduation and Teaching Career
In 1975, Jill Biden graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Delaware and began her career as a substitute teacher in Wilmington, later teaching English full-time at St. Mark's High School.
June 17, 1977: Marriage to Joe Biden
On June 17, 1977, Jill Jacobs married Joe Biden at the Chapel at the United Nations in New York City.
1977: Marriage to Joe Biden
In 1977, Jill Biden married Joe Biden, becoming stepmother to his sons, Beau and Hunter.
June 8, 1981: Birth of Ashley Blazer Biden
On June 8, 1981, Jill and Joe Biden's daughter, Ashley Blazer Biden, was born.
1981: Birth of Daughter Ashley
In 1981, Jill and Joe Biden had a daughter named Ashley Biden.
1987: Master's Degree from Villanova University
In 1987, Jill Biden received a Master of Arts in English from Villanova University.
1988: Biden's 1988 Presidential Campaign
In 1988, during her husband's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Jill Biden stated she would continue teaching emotionally disabled children even if she became First Lady.
1991: Comments on Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination
Jill Biden said "it's time to move on" concerning her husband's role in 1991 regarding Anita Hill and the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination.
1993: Instructor at Delaware Technical & Community College
From 1993, Jill Biden worked as an instructor in English at the Stanton campus of Delaware Technical & Community College.
1993: Founded Biden Breast Health Initiative
In 1993, Jill Biden founded the Biden Breast Health Initiative, a nonprofit organization that provides free breast health awareness programs.
2004: Opposed Joe Biden's Presidential Run
In 2004, Jill Biden initially opposed her husband's presidential run, but after George W. Bush's reelection in 2004, she urged him to run again.
January 2007: Doctorate in Education
In January 2007, at age 55, Jill Biden received a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in educational leadership from the University of Delaware.
2007: Co-founded Book Buddies
In 2007, Jill Biden helped found Book Buddies, an organization providing books for low-income children.
2008: End of Instructorship at Delaware Technical & Community College
In 2008, Jill Biden ended her role as an instructor in English at the Stanton campus of Delaware Technical & Community College.
2008: Campaigning for Vice Presidency
In 2008, after her husband was selected as Barack Obama's running mate, Jill Biden began campaigning for the vice presidency, continuing to teach at Delaware Technical & Community College.
2008: Campaigning for Joe Biden's Presidential Nomination
In 2008, during Joe Biden's unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic presidential nominee, Jill Biden continued to teach and joined him for campaigning on weekends.
January 2009: Moved to Number One Observatory Circle and Continued Teaching
In January 2009, after the election of the Obama–Biden ticket, Jill Biden moved into Number One Observatory Circle, and began teaching English courses as an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).
May 2009: Initiative for Community Colleges
In May 2009, Obama announced that Jill Biden would be in charge of an initiative to raise awareness about the value of community colleges.
2009: Full-Time Faculty Member at NOVA
In 2009, Jill Biden received a two-year appointment as a full-time faculty member at NOVA.
January 2010: Commencement Speech at University of Delaware
In January 2010, Jill Biden gave the commencement speech at the University of Delaware's winter commencement.
August 2010: Appearance on Army Wives
In August 2010, Jill Biden appeared as herself in an episode of Lifetime's "Army Wives" TV-show as part of her campaign to raise awareness of military families.
April 2011: Founded Joining Forces
In April 2011, Jill Biden and Michelle Obama founded Joining Forces, a national initiative to showcase the needs of U.S. military families.
September 2011: Support for USAID's FWD Campaign
In September 2011, Jill Biden lent her support to USAID's FWD campaign, a push for awareness surrounding the famine, war, and drought affecting more than 13 million people in the Horn of Africa.
2011: Permanent Position as Associate Professor at NOVA
In 2011, Jill Biden was given a permanent position as an associate professor at NOVA.
February 2012: "Community College to Career" bus tour
In February 2012, Jill Biden staged a "Community College to Career" bus tour with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. The tour aimed to showcase alliances between community colleges and local and regional businesses.
June 2012: Publishes children's book and daughter's wedding
In June 2012, Jill Biden published a children's book, Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops, based around her stepson Beau's deployment. Also in June 2012, the Bidens' daughter Ashley married Howard Krein.
November 6, 2012: Re-election of Obama and her husband
On November 6, 2012, Barack Obama and her husband Joe Biden were re-elected, marking the start of Jill Biden's second term as Second Lady.
2012: Modest role in 2012 U.S. presidential election
In 2012, during the U.S. presidential election, Jill Biden played a modest role, continuing her teaching schedule and making few solo campaign appearances, despite being considered valuable to the Obama campaign for connecting with military families, teachers, and women.
January 2013: Begins second term as Second Lady
In January 2013, Jill Biden began her second term as Second Lady, continuing to support military personnel and visiting the Center for the Intrepid rehabilitation facility for amputees.
2014: Campaigns for Democrats
During the 2014 U.S. midterm Congressional elections, Jill Biden campaigned for several Democrats, including Mark Udall in Colorado and Michelle Nunn in Georgia.
May 2015: Death of Beau Biden
In May 2015, Jill Biden's stepson, Beau Biden, passed away from brain cancer, which she described as a totally shattering loss that profoundly changed her life.
October 21, 2015: Husband announces he will not run for president
On October 21, 2015, Jill Biden was present at her husband's side when he announced in the Rose Garden that he would not run for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in the 2016 election.
2015: Teaching at NOVA
During the Fall 2015 semester, Jill Biden continued to teach at NOVA, handling a full load of five classes.
March 2016: Welcomes astronaut Scott Kelly back to Earth
In March 2016, Jill Biden headed the official party that welcomed American astronaut Scott Kelly back to Earth from his almost full year in space.
2016: Disappointment over husband's decision not to run for president
In 2016, Jill Biden felt disappointed by her husband's decision not to run for president, believing he was highly qualified for the position.
February 2017: Launches Biden Foundation and named board chair of Save the Children
In February 2017, Jill Biden and her husband launched the Biden Foundation to pursue causes such as preventing violence against women, his moonshot initiative, community colleges, and military families. That same month, she was named board chair of Save the Children.
May 2017: Keynote address at Milwaukee Area Technical College
In May 2017, Jill Biden was selected to give the keynote address at a commencement for Milwaukee Area Technical College.
June 2017: Purchase of vacation home
In June 2017, Jill Biden and her husband bought a $2.7 million vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
July 2017: Keynote address at California teachers summit
In July 2017, Jill Biden gave the keynote address at a California teachers summit, emphasizing the importance of communities supporting their teachers.
2017: End of Second Lady Term
In 2017, Jill Biden's term as Second Lady of the United States concluded.
May 2018: Commencement address at Bishop State Community College
In May 2018, Jill Biden gave a commencement address at Bishop State Community College in Alabama, encouraging graduates to pursue their goals.
February 2019: Speaks to Newport News Apprentice School graduating class
In February 2019, Jill Biden spoke to the graduating class of the Newport News Apprentice School, acknowledging their complicated life situations and responsibilities and emphasizing their mastery of a craft.
March 2019: Enthusiastically in favor of husband running for president
In March 2019, it was reported that Jill Biden was "enthusiastically" in favor of her husband running in the 2020 United States presidential election, making her a key participant in his decision-making process.
April 25, 2019: Official announcement of Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign
On April 25, 2019, the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign was officially announced.
May 2019: Publication of memoir
In May 2019, Jill Biden's memoir, Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself, was published, focusing on family aspects rather than politics. She did book signings to promote the book.
2019: Increased income and charitable giving
By 2019, Jill Biden and her husband reported about $15 million in income since leaving the vice presidency, including $700,000 in speaking engagements for herself. The couple also substantially increased their charitable giving during this period.
2019: Continued teaching and campaign appearances
During 2019, Jill Biden continued to teach at NOVA and made campaign appearances without her husband, including in early contest states like Iowa and New Hampshire, emphasizing electability and urging voters to prioritize beating Trump.
2019: Finding faith again
In 2019, Jill Biden started to find faith again after losing it following her stepson's death in 2015, as a result of campaign trail interactions with people.
June 2020: Publication of children's book
In June 2020, Jill Biden published the children's book Joey: The Story of Joe Biden, which portrayed him as brave and adventurous as a child.
July 2020: Speaks out about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
In July 2020, Jill Biden spoke out about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, emphasizing the need for a clear, science-based strategy and criticizing U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
September 2020: Wore Stuart Weitzman's black boots with the word "vote" written on them
In September 2020, Jill Biden wore Stuart Weitzman's black boots with the word "vote" written on them. The boots she wore was sold out immediately and page views for the boots spiked five-fold the next day.
November 2020: Appointment of Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor
In mid-November 2020, Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón was announced as Jill Biden's chief of staff as First Lady, and Anthony Bernal was announced as her senior advisor.
December 2020: Controversy over "Dr." title
In December 2020, an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal urged Jill Biden to drop the "Dr." from her preferred form of address, sparking a widespread backlash.
2020: Listening tour for Cancer Moonshot 2020
During 2016, Jill Biden was present with her husband on a listening tour for Cancer Moonshot 2020, an effort he was leading.
2020: Active role in presidential campaign and leave of absence from NOVA
In 2020, Jill Biden played a more active role in her husband's presidential campaign, taking a leave of absence from NOVA and training in online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She expressed her intention to resume teaching even if her husband was elected.
2020: Involvement in vice-presidential selection process and Democratic National Convention speech
In 2020, Jill Biden was heavily involved in the vice-presidential selection process that resulted in Kamala Harris being chosen. She spoke at the Democratic National Convention from her former high school classroom, drawing parallels between family suffering and the plight of the country.
2020: Jill Biden Might Just Be Joe Biden's Greatest Political Asset
In 2020, a Town and Country magazine headline declared that "Jill Biden Might Just Be Joe Biden's Greatest Political Asset".
2020: Decision-making process for presidential election
Jill Biden was a key participant in her husband's decision-making process regarding the possibility of him running in the 2020 United States presidential election.
January 20, 2021: Husband takes office as president; Jill Biden becomes First Lady
On January 20, 2021, Jill Biden's husband was elected president and took office, making her the First Lady of the United States. She is the oldest first lady to assume the role and the first Italian American first lady.
February 13, 2021: Scrunchie photo went viral
On February 13, 2021, Jill Biden posted a photo on Twitter of her shopping for cupcakes in Washington, D.C. while wearing a scrunchie, which went viral.
March 2021: Spokesperson stated the first lady's press team would not comment on her clothes
In March 2021, Jill Biden's spokesperson stated that the first lady's press team would not comment on her clothes.
June 2021: Attended 47th G7 Summit in the United Kingdom
In June 2021, Joe and Jill Biden visited Cornwall in the United Kingdom to attend the 47th G7 summit. Jill Biden and the Duchess of Cambridge visited primary school students and participated in a roundtable discussion focusing on early childhood education and penned an op-ed that was published by CNN.
July 2021: First Solo Trip Abroad as First Lady
In July 2021, Jill Biden visited Tokyo in her first solo trip abroad as the first lady. There, she met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Emperor Naruhito, visited American athletes at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, and attended the Olympics opening ceremony.
September 2021: Return to In-Person Teaching at NOVA
In September 2021, Jill Biden returned to in-person teaching at NOVA, exemplifying the Biden administration's desire to get students and teachers back to physical schools after remote learning during the pandemic.
September 2021: Joining Forces Interagency Policy Committee Launched
In September 2021, the Office of the First Lady joined the U.S. National Security Council in launching the Joining Forces Interagency Policy Committee to secure proposals across the federal government to support military families.
October 2021: Campaigning for Terry McAuliffe
In October 2021, Jill Biden visited Virginia to deliver "last-minute stump" speeches for the Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe, in his race against Glenn Youngkin.
October 2021: Ranked seventh most popular first lady
In October 2021, Jill Biden was ranked the seventh most popular first lady out of twelve recent first ladies from an online survey poll by Zogby Analytics.
October 2021: Visited Vatican City and Rome
In October 2021, the Bidens visited Vatican City, where they met Pope Francis to discuss world poverty and climate change. In the same month, they visited Rome to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit.
November 2021: Joining Forces Launches Hidden Helpers Coalition
In November 2021, the Joining Forces program joined the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project in launching the Hidden Helpers Coalition. This initiative aims to create supportive programming for children of wounded, ill, or injured service members or veterans.
2021: Jill Biden Becomes First Lady
In 2021, Jill Biden became the First Lady of the United States upon her husband, Joe Biden, becoming President.
February 2022: Acknowledgment of Dropped Free Community College Tuition Item
In February 2022, Jill Biden publicly acknowledged at the Community College National Legislative Summit that the free community college tuition item had been dropped from the Build Back Better bill, expressing her disappointment.
May 2022: Visit to Ukraine and Neighboring Countries
In May 2022, Jill Biden made a trip to Romania and Slovakia, visiting with Ukrainian refugees. She made an unannounced trip across the Slovakia–Ukraine border to Uzhhorod, Ukraine, where she met with displaced Ukrainian schoolchildren and Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska. It was the first visit to a war zone by a U.S. first lady without her husband since Laura Bush went to Afghanistan in 2008.
July 2022: Latino Stereotyping Incident at UnidosUS Conference
At the July 2022 conference of Latino advocacy organization UnidosUS, Jill Biden claimed Latino Americans were as "unique" as tacos and mispronounced the word "bodegas." This caused widespread condemnation, and Jill Biden apologized.
July 2022: CNN Poll Revealed Favorability Decline
During the first year and a half of being first lady, a CNN poll revealed that Jill Biden's favorability ratings had declined; in July 2022 the CNN poll showed Jill Biden with a 34% favorability rating and a 29% unfavorability rating.
July 2022: Expressed Frustration with Administration's Challenges
In July 2022, Jill Biden expressed frustration with the challenges her husband has faced as his administration has sought to address a range of issues.
August 2022: Jill Biden Contracts COVID-19
In August 2022, despite being fully vaccinated and boosted, Jill Biden contracted COVID-19 and went into isolation protocols.
October 2022: Visited 40 U.S. States as First Lady
By October 2022, Jill Biden had visited 40 U.S. states as first lady, outpacing the number of states that her husband visited during his presidency.
January 2023: Jill Biden Undergoes Mohs Surgery
In January 2023, Jill Biden underwent Mohs surgery to remove two basal-cell carcinoma lesions from her face and chest.
February 2023: First Lady's Visit to Africa
In February 2023, Jill Biden made her initial visit to Africa as first lady, traveling to Namibia and Kenya. In Windhoek, she delivered a speech on democracy and women's empowerment. While in Kenya's Kajiado County, she witnessed the effects of the ongoing 2020–2023 Horn of Africa Drought.
March 2023: Women's History Month Event
In March 2023, Jill Biden hosted a Women's History Month event, calling on men to step up and fight to protect women's rights. She also co-hosted the International Women of Courage Award ceremony.
April 2023: Invitation to Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers to the White House
In April 2023, Jill Biden extended both the losing Iowa Hawkeyes and the winning LSU Tigers an invitation to the White House, which is traditionally only extended to the winners.
April 2023: Joe Biden 2024 presidential campaign was announced
The Joe Biden 2024 presidential campaign was announced in April 2023. Jill Biden was strongly in favor of him running for re-election.
May 2023: Traveled more than the Vice President or Second Gentleman
By May 2023, Jill Biden had traveled more than her husband, the Vice President, or the Second Gentleman.
May 2023: Attended Coronation of Charles III
In May 2023, Jill Biden and her step-granddaughter, Finnegan, represented the American government at the coronation of Charles III and Camilla, making her the first first lady to ever attend a British coronation.
May 2023: LSU Visit to White House
In May 2023, the LSU Tigers visited the White House, and Angel Reese and Jill Biden shared a hug.
June 2023: Attended Wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan
In June 2023, Jill Biden and her daughter Ashley attended the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif. In the same month, she visited Egypt, Morocco and Portugal to highlight her advocacy for youth empowerment and arts.
July 2023: Visited Paris to Mark US Return to UNESCO
In July 2023, Jill Biden visited Paris to give a speech to mark the official return of the United States to UNESCO.
September 2023: Jill Biden Contracts COVID-19 Again
In September 2023, Jill Biden contracted COVID-19 again.
October 2023: Girls Leading Change Celebration
In October 2023, Jill Biden, along with the White House Gender Policy Council, hosted the first-ever “Girls Leading Change” celebration to recognize the impact young women are having on their communities.
November 2023: Meeting with Maria Shriver
In November 2023, Jill Biden revealed that the Initiative on Women's Health Research grew out after a meeting with Maria Shriver, a women's health advocate and former California first lady.
February 2024: Shielding husband from appearances
By February 2024, Jill Biden often sought to shield her husband from excessively long appearances or making impromptu remarks due to concerns about his age and frailties.
February 2024: White House Initiative on Women's Health Research Announced
In February 2024, Jill Biden announced the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, a $100 million federal funding for research and development into women's health.
April 2024: Urging President Biden on Gaza War
In April 2024, it was reported that Jill Biden had been urging President Biden to call for an end to the Gaza war due to the high civilian death toll.
July 2024: Led American delegation at 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris
In July 2024, Jill Biden led the American delegation at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. She also visited American athletes at an Olympic training center in Paris.
July 21, 2024: Announcement of Joe Biden's withdrawal from 2024 Presidential Election
On July 21, 2024, the withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 United States presidential election was announced. Jill Biden had advocated for a sudden statement on a weekend to preserve his dignity. She subsequently thanked her husband's supporters and urged them to work for Kamala Harris.
October 2024: Led American delegation to inauguration of Claudia Sheinbaum
In October 2024, Jill Biden led the American delegation to the inauguration of Claudia Sheinbaum as president of Mexico.
October 2024: Unveiling the Upgrade of the White House Public Tour
In October 2024, Jill Biden unveiled the upgrade of the White House public tour. The new tour featured digital elements, historical context and insights into the lives of previous presidents and their families.
December 2024: Conducted final foreign trip as First Lady
In December 2024, Jill Biden conducted her final foreign trip as First Lady, visiting Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and France. In Italy, she visited US military personnel in Catania. In the United Arab Emirates, she toured the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and attended the Milken Institute's Middle East and Africa Summit. In Qatar, Biden visited the Qatar Foundation and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar. After visiting Qatar, Biden and her daughter Ashley attended the reopening ceremony of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
January 2025: End of Term Favorability Rating
As Jill Biden's term as First Lady came to an end in January 2025, a CNN poll showed her with a 33% favorability rating and a 31% unfavorability rating with 35% unsure how they feel about her.
2025: End of First Lady Term
In 2025, Jill Biden's term as First Lady of the United States concluded.
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