Weathering a devastating scandal, stepping out from her husband’s shadow,
and making political history. From law school to the presidential stage,
Hillary Clinton has spent a lifetime breaking barriers…
but it hasn’t been without controversy. Keep watching for the whole stunning story.
To truly get a sense of who Hillary Clinton is, you have to go all the way back to the beginning.
She was born Hillary Diane Rodham on October 26, 1947 to her parents, Dorothy and Hugh Rodham.
She had two younger brothers, Hugh and Tony Rodham, who were born shortly thereafter.
She and her siblings were born and raised in Park Ridge, Illinois,
and her parents established a "happy and disciplined" home, according to the White House.
Her parents "encouraged" their daughter to go after any career field she saw fit,
and establishing that mentality certainly set her up for professional success. In addition to her
parents' support, Clinton often spent time playing sports and going to church, the White House noted.
Hillary's brother, Tony, sadly passed away in 2019, as the politician confirmed on Twitter.
With supportive parents, a place in the National Honor Society, and self-motivation,
Hillary Clinton made it to Wellesley College, where she pursued a degree in political science.
Clinton was very involved in extracurriculars while in her undergraduate studies,
but her on-campus affiliations might surprise you. According to the school's alumni page on
the politician, Hillary was the president of the Young Republicans Club from 1966 to 1967. She
even scored an internship in Washington, D.C. in 1968, working for the House Republican Conference.
So what changed, politically, for the young Hillary? The undergraduate student was inspired
by the words of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., as she heard a moving speech from the Civil Rights
icon in Chicago. By 1968, she officially changed her political affiliation. Hillary
graduated from Wellesley in 1969, obtaining her political science degree with high honors.
If her performance in school wasn't impressive enough, her alma mater noted that her peers chose
her to be the "first-ever student commencement speaker." It was only uphill from there.
Hillary Clinton's time at Wellesley propelled her into the world of graduate education,
and by the fall of 1969, she was enrolled at Yale Law School.
Pursuing her legal education amid the country's most promising students,
Clinton made a name for herself as one of just 27 women who were accepted to the prestigious
institution. Hillary addressed her time at the school during the class of 2018's commencement:
"When I came to Yale I was one of 27 women out of 235 law students."
Clinton then added that it was the first time "women were admitted to the college."
During her commencement speech, Clinton also pointed out just how stunned her male classmates
were that women were not only attending Yale, but outperforming them. She went on to add that she
was "shocked" that her male counterparts were so taken aback by female success.
So many of us know what it's like to longingly stare at your crush from across the room,
never harnessing the confidence to go up and introduce ourselves. Surprisingly, a young Bill
Clinton also felt this way, and Hillary Rodham eventually grew tired of his longing from afar.
During her 2018 Yale commencement speech, Hillary recalled the day
at law school when she finally marched up to Bill to make herself known. Clinton told the class:
"We were in the Law Library one night, I was studying but I couldn't help but see [...] that
he was, again, looking at me. So [...] I got up, went over to him, and I said, 'If you're going
to keep looking at me [...] we at least ought to be introduced. I'm Hillary Rodham. Who are you?'"
"I just felt like he was the most interesting man I'd ever met and probably ever would meet."
The two started dating, and have been together since.
In the mid-1970s, Bill and Hillary were two fresh-out-of-law-school professionals who
were both faculty members at the University of Arkansas School of Law. One day in June 1975,
the young couple were on their way to the airport when they drove past a cute little
brick home for sale, located not too far from school. Per the Clinton House Museum website,
Hillary subsequently went out of town, and Bill bought the house. Dropping $17,200
for the building, he got all the details in order before his then-girlfriend came home.
When Hillary returned, Bill not only proposed but presented her with a house, too!
According to the museum's website, Bill told Hillary:
"Remember that little house you liked so much? I bought it.
You have to marry me now because I can't live there alone."
They got married shortly thereafter in the home's living room.
Hillary Rodham, of course, became Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the brilliant legal mind
continued to rise the ranks of the professional world. By the time Bill Clinton was thriving in
the local Arkansas political scene, Hillary was working as a corporate lawyer for Rose Law Firm.
Representing clients such as Walmart and Tyson Foods, Hillary continued to thrive in the
corporate legal world, with her professional fate lining up with Bill's in a unique way.
The New York Times noted that when Bill became governor of Arkansas in 1979,
Hillary was made a full partner at Rose — an extremely impressive feat.
The working couple continued to prioritize their careers, with Hillary spending long
nights in the office. By the time of Bill's 1992 bid for the White House,
Hillary's time at Rose was put under the microscope by those looking for political dirt.
By the early 1990s, Bill Clinton had become a household name. In the words of John Mulaney,
he was the first "cool politician," playing the saxophone, going on MTV,
and appealing to the young voter in a way that hadn't really been done before. As for Hillary
Clinton, she was right out there alongside her husband, but her role on the campaign
was unlike any political spouse the country had arguably seen, as detailed by Politico.
Bill reportedly had a wandering eye, and when it hit the headlines that a
singer by the name of Gennifer Flowers claimed to be Bill's longtime mistress,
the news and the campaign turned to Hillary to clear things up. The couple conducted a
now-infamous CBS interview in the wake of the allegations, with Hillary saying,
"You know, I'm not sitting here, some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette.
I'm sitting here because I love him, and I respect him,
and I honor what he's been through and what we've been through together."
"And you know, if that's not enough for people, then heck — don't vote for him."
The world of politics clearly overlooked the controversial interview and Bill Clinton's rumored
infidelity, because the young Arkansas Democrat won the 1992 presidential election. It was a big
deal, to say the very least, and Bill wasn't planning on halting the controversial brakes.
The newly-elected president made the then-shocking decision to put his wife
and the country's new first lady, Hillary Clinton, in charge of overhauling the country's healthcare
infrastructure — not a small order. While her efforts were ultimately unsuccessful and the
project tabled after a year, the move made it clear that Hillary's focus was not White House
dinner sets or designing the Christmas decorations. During the 1992 campaign,
Hillary said that her dedication was the result of both professional and personal goals:
"Most of us are doing the best we can to find whatever the right balance is.
For me, that balance is family, work, and service."
When many recall Bill Clinton's time in office,
it's safe to say that the name Monica Lewinsky comes to mind.
"I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky."
Of course, Lewinsky was the young White House intern that Bill had
an affair with while serving as president of the United States,
and his testimony surrounding his infidelity became the cornerstone of his impeachment hearing.
But wrapped up in the scandal, obviously, was Hillary Clinton, who just years prior
had said that she wasn't the kind of woman to just "stand by [her] man" without good reason.
However, Bill and Hillary did remain together and the scandal has stayed with them ever since.
Writing in her memoir, Living History, Hillary categorized Bill's infidelity and the scandal
at large as, quote, "the most devastating, shocking and hurtful experience" of her life.
The former First Lady also revealed that the couple sought counseling and guidance from friends
and spiritual leaders alike. While the couple remained married, ABC News noted that Hillary
emerged from the scandal with her political aspirations at the center of her public life,
doing her best to leave the drama behind. After her husband's time in public office
came to a close, it was Hillary Clinton's time to shine. Successfully running for the Senate,
Clinton served the great state of New York, proving to the naysayers that she had what it took
to walk the halls of political power. Although she had made it as a politician, Hillary's
time in Congress was not without controversy. The then-senator voted in support of the war in Iraq,
a controversial decision both at the time and certainly a call that didn't age well.
Later calling her vote a "mistake," some experts have estimated that the war vote cost Hillary the
2008 presidential nomination. While speaking to reporters at a campaign event in Cedar Falls,
Iowa in 2015, Clinton said this about her decision to vote for the Iraq War:
"I made it very clear that I made a mistake, plain and simple.
And I have written about it in my book, I have talked about it in the past.
What we now see is a very different and very dangerous situation."
Although she walked back the call she made at the time, then-senator Barack Obama used the issue
to skewer Hillary in the Democratic primaries in 2008, arguably paving the way for his nomination.
"Uh, you're likable enough Hillary."
Hillary Clinton continued to climb the political ladder and launched a campaign for the presidency
in 2008. It seemed as though she was a shoo-in, but then an unknown face made his way onto the
political theater's stage: Barack Obama. The young congressman became the voice of a generation,
and as an arguably once-in-a-lifetime candidate, Obama snatched the nomination away from Hillary
and built a broad coalition of supporters. Going on to win the presidency in a historic election,
Obama transformed the White House into the home of the first Black president in our nation's history.
"Yes we can."
But don't think Hillary's transformation was complete after her upset — not at
all. While Obama clinched the nomination and the presidency, he didn't forget his
former campaign opponent. The young president nominated Hillary as his secretary of state.
The former congresswoman served in the role from 2009 until 2013, before John Kerry took over
the title, with Britannica noting that Hillary's position greatly improved international relations.
When Hillary Clinton hit the presidential campaign trail once again in 2016, she had an impressive
resume. She was a former first lady of the United States, a former New York senator, and a former
secretary of state. To say that Hillary Clinton was a qualified candidate is an understatement.
But in a year in which being the political insider sorely worked against her, Clinton
had an uphill battle to face in 2016, taking on former reality star and businessman Donald Trump.
Hillary accepted the Democratic party's nomination for the presidency in a historic moment,
inciting the messages that her mother told her when she was young:
"I'm so happy this day has come. Happy for grandmothers and little girls and everyone
in between. Happy for boys and men, too — because when any barrier falls in America,
for anyone, it clears the way for everyone."
And while Hillary clinched the popular vote against then-Republican nominee Trump, she
did not secure enough electoral votes to win the White House — an upset if there ever was once.
With her wealth of experience and name recognition, it's not surprising to think
of a third presidential campaign for Hillary Clinton — but would she ever run again? Given
the trepidation surrounding President Joe Biden's intentions to run in 2024,
it's no wonder that Clinton's name has been floated around as a possibility.
But during an interview with MSNBC's Morning Joe,
the politician cleared up any confusion with a resounding "no." Clinton told the hosts:
"I am certainly going to be active in supporting women running for office
and other candidates who I think should be reelected or elected,
both women and men. [...] I will stay active in all those debates."
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