Born:  October 26, 1947

Died:  --

 

Famous For:  Married to President Bill Clinton; now a respected U.S. Senator from New York and running for President in the 2008 election.

 

Key Accomplishments:  Top Yale Law School graduate and successful law career. After 8 years as the nation's First Lady, she was the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate and the first woman elected statewide in New York.

 

Significant Quote:  "I'm in...And I'm in to win." (announcing her candidacy for President)

 

Fun Quote: "The challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible."

 

 

See Also Links: 

 

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton was born in Chicago on October 26, 1947. Her father, Hugh Ellsworth Rodham, operated a small business in the textile industry. Her mother, Dorothy Emma Howell Rodham, was a homemaker. The oldest of three children, she also has two younger brothers, Hugh and Tony. Hillary is now married to Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States and former governor of Arkansas. The two have been married since 1975 and have one daughter, Chelsea, who was born in 1980.

 

After graduating from Wellesley College and Yale Law School, Hillary spent many years in public service on behalf of children and families before being elected as the junior United States Senator from New York. In November 2000, the Democrat, who is a former First Lady of the United States and a former First Lady of Arkansas, became the first First Lady elected to public office and the first female senator to represent New York. She was re-elected in 2006. As senator, she sits on the Committee on Armed Services; the Committee on Environment and Public Works; the Special Committee on Aging; and the Health, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

 

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City, Hillary worked with her colleagues to secure the funds the city needed to rebuild. She also fought to provide compensation to victims' families, grants for devastated businesses and health care to the front line workers at Ground Zero. She continues to work for legislation and resources that improve homeland security for New York and other communities.

 

In 2004, the Department of Defense invited Hillary to serve as the only Senate member of the Transformation Advisory Group to the Joint Forces Command. She has visited troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as troops at Fort Drum in New York and at Walter Reed Miliary Hospital.

 

Hillary is a strong proponent of health care reform and continues her work for children and families by leading efforts to ensure the safety of prescription drugs for children. She also worked to strengthen the Children's Health Insurance Program, which increased health coverage for children in low income working families.

 

The Senator is also dedicated to making sure all Americans have the right to vote in fair, easily accessible and credible elections. To ensure every vote would be counted, Hillary introduced the Count Every Vote Act of 2005, which provides a verified paper ballot for every electronic vote cast.

 

On January 20, 2007, Hillary announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee for the United States presidential election of 2008.

 

Hillary is also a noted author, having penned such best sellers as her autobiography, Living History; It Takes a Village: and Other Lessons Children Teach Us; Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets; and An Invitation to the White House.