Who Was the Oldest President?

Joe Biden
Joe Biden became the oldest president elected to the White House in 2020.
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Sources

  1. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
    The National Archives provides the official transcript of the U.S. Constitution, which would confirm there is no age limit for the presidency beyond the minimum requirement.
  2. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/joseph-r-biden-jr/
    The official White House biography of President Biden provides authoritative information about his age at election, background, and political career.
  3. https://www.senate.gov/senators/FeaturedBios/Featured_Bio_Biden.htm
    The U.S. Senate's official biography of Biden details his Senate career and early political history, supporting claims about his time in Congress.
  4. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/01/28/biden-stands-out-for-his-record-number-of-vetoes-in-first-100-days/
    Pew Research Center provides nonpartisan data and analysis about President Biden's early actions in office, including executive orders.
  5. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joe-Biden
    Encyclopedia Britannica offers a comprehensive, well-sourced biography covering Biden's personal life, education, and political career.

Key Points

  • The U.S. Constitution has no age limit for the presidency, allowing presidents to serve at any age.
  • Joe Biden became the oldest president elected at age 78 in November 2020.
  • Biden's early life included education at Delaware University and Syracuse University Law School, followed by a legal career.
  • Biden faced personal tragedy with the death of his first wife and daughter in a car accident in 1972.
  • He served as a U.S. Senator from Delaware from 1973 to 2009, focusing on foreign relations and crime laws.
  • Biden ran for president in 1987 and 2007 but was unsuccessful until becoming Barack Obama's vice president in 2008.
  • As vice president, Biden played key roles in foreign policy and economic negotiations.
  • Biden's son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015, impacting his political ambitions.
  • Biden announced his 2020 presidential campaign amid controversies and a competitive race against Donald Trump.
  • After winning the election, Biden signed numerous executive orders and focused on COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
  • Biden's presidency has faced challenges, including migrant surges and questions about his age and energy levels.

Summary

Joe Biden became the oldest U.S. president when elected at age 78 in 2020, overcoming personal tragedies and political setbacks throughout his career. His long tenure in public service included roles as a senator and vice president before finally achieving his presidential ambitions. Despite his age, Biden has pursued key policies like COVID-19 vaccination efforts and education reforms, though questions remain about the challenges of advanced age in leadership.

According to the constitution, there is no age limit as a requirement for the president. This means that the United States President can be as old as they like.

Who was the oldest president?

The oldest president is Joe Biden, who was elected to the presidency at 78 years of age.

Read on to learn more about President Biden and how he was elected the oldest president.

How Old Is Joe Biden?

Joe Biden was elected president of the United States in November 2020 at the age of 78. In the process, he became the oldest president to be elected to the nation’s highest office. 

New York Times
Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

President Biden hails from a working-class family in Pennsylvania – the child of hard-working parents. The family moved to Delaware, where Joe received a solid education.

Joe Biden’s Education

He attended Delaware University, where he studied history and political science while enjoying playing football in his free time. He met his future first wife, Neilia Hunter, and enrolled in Syracuse University Law School on graduating from Delaware in 1965 and married in 1966. 

Following his graduation in 1968, he returned to Delaware to practice as a lawyer.

Biden 2020 flag
Joe Biden practiced law after graduating from University in 1968.

In those days, Biden had abundant energy and ran a tireless United States Senate campaign organized mainly by his family members.

Personal Tragedy

In December 1972, tragedy struck when his wife and daughter were killed in a terrible car accident, and both his sons were seriously injured.

The Senator

Joe Biden’s family encouraged him to continue his campaign, and he was elected to represent the people of Delaware in the Senate.

United States Congress
Joe Biden was just 29 when he was elected to the United States Senate.

From 1973 to 2009, Biden represented the First State as a Senator. He served as chairman of The Foreign Relations Committee, promoting peace and stability in the Balkans. He spoke out against George W Bush‘s handling of the Iraq war.

Biden also proposed tougher crime laws. He established himself as a Democratic lawmaker, and in 1987 he decided to run for the US presidency.

Reports soon surfaced that he had plagiarized a speech and was forced to drop out of the race.

The Oldest President’s Ambitions

Joe Biden had not given up on becoming president, and the years passed as he worked away in the Senate. In 2007, 20 years after his first attempt to become president, he decided to run again.

Unfortunately, he was overshadowed by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and his campaign was somewhat underwhelming.

Barack Obama
Barack Obama chose Biden as his running mate for his 2008 presidential run.

Months later, Obama secured the Democratic nomination following a hard-fought campaign. Biden was useful to Obama because of his working-class roots, and Obama chose Joe Biden as his running mate.

Biden’s role was to communicate the economic recovery message in crucial states like Pennsylvania, Biden’s birth hometown.

Joe Biden’s Policies

Joe Biden was particularly good at formulating foreign policy. On January 20th, 2009, Obama was sworn in as president, with Joe Biden as his deputy. Biden’s role was primarily behind the scenes, and he used his past contacts to secure the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

In 2012 Joe Biden showed his expertise in financial negotiations by increasing taxes and spending cuts to avoid the GFC crisis. In 2013 the fiscal cliff bill passed the Senate after some months of negotiation. He then turned his skills to gun control reducing violence across the country, drafting 19 actions the president could take on gun control.

Personal Life of Joe Biden

Biden remarried in 1977 to Jill Biden, and they had one daughter. Biden suffered another personal tragedy when his 46-year-old son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. This second terrible loss put any presidential plans to rest as he dealt with his grief.

Jill Biden
First Lady, Jill Biden.

After Joe Was Vice-President

In January 2017, President Obama presented Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest honor. He also named him the best Vice President America had ever had as he honored his lifetime of service to the country. Most people would consider that a high point to retire, but not Joe Biden. 

He left office but did not remain silent on the sidelines, occasionally speaking out against Donald Trump and saying he hadn’t ruled out running for president in 2020. He was still grieving the death of his son but was fixated on a member of his party running against President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, the Democrats weren’t ready to let Biden give up, and a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll in June suggested that Biden might be able to win the party’s nomination, topping the poll at 32%.

Planning the Presidential Campaign at Joe Biden’s Age

In the lead-up to the campaign, a Nevada State Assemblywoman, Lucy Flores, accused Joe Biden of inappropriately kissing her. This was followed up with another female complainant. 

Finally, in April 2019, Biden announced that he planned to run for president in 2020. The impeachment of President Trump went ahead, but Trump was acquitted.

Biden election poster
Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States after his election victory.

The first Presidential debate was in September 2020 and became heated. Biden became flustered but did manage to get some salient points across.

Covid caused extreme disruption to the final debate, and in the third debate, microphones were muted, enabling Mr Biden to get some points across with President Trump temporarily silent. 

The election was very close, and on November 7th, 2020, Biden was declared the 46th President of the USA after winning Pennsylvania.

Victory For The Oldest President

Joe Biden had finally been successful in his bid for the White House. He signed a flurry of executive orders during his first few days in office. He was also vocal in calling for the entire country to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Vaccine vial
Biden was a vocal proponent of the Covid 19 vaccine.

He has promised to establish publicly funded pre-schools and a family medical leave program. A record surge of migrants has caused Biden to renege on his promise to raise the cap on refugees.

He doesn’t appear at press conferences very often, and one would wonder if prospective presidents should have a cutout age. At a certain stage of life, many lose their energy, and some lose their clarity of thought. If you can’t make clear decisions as president, you really can’t run the country.

Many people would like to be able to predict what lies ahead for the USA under President Biden.

Who Was the Oldest President? Quiz

What is the age requirement for the President of the United States according to the constitution?
What personal tragedy did Joe Biden suffer in 2015?
Who is the oldest president elected in the United States?
What major issue did Joe Biden focus on during his first few days in office as president?
Where did Joe Biden attend university?
What position did Joe Biden hold from 1973 to 2009?
What tragic event occurred in Joe Biden's life in December 1972?
What honor did President Obama present to Joe Biden in January 2017?
How old was Joe Biden when he was elected president in 2020?
Who did Joe Biden serve as Vice President under?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an age limit for becoming the President of the United States?

No, according to the constitution, there is no age limit as a requirement for the president. The United States President can be as old as they like.

Who is the oldest president in U.S. history?

The oldest president is Joe Biden, who was elected to the presidency at 78 years of age.

What was Joe Biden's educational background?

Joe Biden attended Delaware University, where he studied history and political science. He later enrolled in Syracuse University Law School, graduating in 1968, and then practiced law in Delaware.

What personal tragedies has Joe Biden faced?

Joe Biden faced significant personal tragedies, including the death of his first wife and daughter in a car accident in 1972, and the death of his son Beau from brain cancer in 2015.

What were some of Joe Biden's key policies as Vice President under Barack Obama?

As Vice President, Joe Biden played a key role in foreign policy, including securing the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. He also worked on financial negotiations to avoid the GFC crisis, and drafted actions for gun control to reduce violence across the country.

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2 Responses

  1. I will be opting out of anything from your site. After reading this post it is obvious you don’t value the Constitution at all. Anyone who does would not write such a sanitized history of Creepy Ching Joe Biden. He is the antithesis of a public servant. He is a racist: you didn’t mention any of his many racist rants. He has used his office for personal gain; you don’t mention any of the many times has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. His foreign policy record is atrocious; as Gates said, he has been wrong on every foreign policy matter for 20+ years. His only foreign policy success is getting money from our enemies to undermine our country. It is a disgrace for you to associate the Constitution with your organization.

    1. Thank you for your comment. As a policy, we try and stay as unbiased as possible and report the facts. Obviously with a topic which is primarily focused on politics, there is a very thin line. We invite comments (such as yours) in order to correct any mistakes or biases that may have been inadvertently made. As you will see from browsing the site, we approve comments from all over the political spectrum.
      In this particular case, I think that your comment is not a valid criticism. This article is not focused on Biden and his whole life story. It is focused on who the oldest president of the US has been. We have then tried to represent that information in connection to how it has affected Biden’s career.
      There is another article specifically on Joe Biden in general that you may also want to take a look at where your criticism is perhaps more valid.

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