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An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints.

Anniversary names[link]

• Birthdays (v.) are the most common type of anniversary, where the birth date of a person is commemorated annually. The actual celebration is sometimes moved for practical reasons, as in the case of an official birthday.
• Wedding anniversaries are also often celebrated on the same day of the year as the wedding occurred.
• Death anniversary.

The Latin phrase dies natalis (literally "birth day") has become a common term, adopted in many languages, especially in intellectual and institutional circles, for the anniversary of the founding ("legal or statutory birth") of an institution, such as an alma mater (college or other school). Even in ancient Rome, we know of the [dies] Aquilae natalis ("birthday of the eagle", anniversary of the official founding of a legion).

Most countries around the world celebrate national anniversaries, for example the United States Bicentennial. These could be the date of independence of the nation or the adoption of a new constitution or form of government. The important dates in a sitting monarch's reign may also be commemorated, an event often referred to as a 'Jubilee'.

Anniversaries of nations are usually marked by the number of years elapsed described with Latin words or Roman numerals.

Latin-derived numerical names[link]

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Latin terms for anniversaries are mostly straight forward, particularly those relating to the first twenty years (1-20), those relating to multiples of ten years (30, 40, 60, 70 etc.), and those relating to multiples of centuries or millennia (100, 200, 300, 1000, 2000, 3000 etc.) In these instances, the anniversary generally comes from a derivative of the Latin word for the respective number of years. However, when anniversaries relate to fractions of centuries (125, 150, 175, 250 years - i.e., 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, and 2.5 centuries), the situation is not as simple.

Roman fractions were based on a duodecimal system. From 1/12 to 8/12 they were described as multiples of twelfths (uncia "twelfth"; the source of the English words inch and ounce) and from 9/12 to 11/12 they were described as multiple-twelfths less than the next whole unit - i.e., a whole unit less 3/12, 2/12 or 1/12 respectively. There were also special terms for quarter (quadrans), half (semis), and three-quarters (dodrans). Dodrans is a Latin contraction of de-quadrans which means "a whole unit less a quarter" (de means "from"; quadrans means "quarter". Thus for the example of 175 years, the term is a quarter century less than the next whole (bi)century or 175 = (-25 + 200).^[1]

In Latin it seems that this rule did not apply literally for 1½. Whereas "secundus" is Latin for "second", or "bis" for "twice" these terms are not used such as in sesqui-secundus. Instead just sesqui (or ses) is used by itself. This may be because it relates to a ratio of one - thus it means "and a half" compared to "one". (It may also be because 1/8 in Latin is sescuncia, sescunciae (from sesqui- + uncia, i.e., 1½ uncias) defined as one-and-a-half twelfths (3/2 × 1/12 = 1/8).)

Therefore care needs to be taken when determining anniversary names. Often unfortunate results occur when new anniversary names are coined by adding, subtracting or multiplying the root elements inappropriately when dealing with either whole numbers or fractions.

Anniversary symbols[link]

Many anniversaries have special names. Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home by Emily Post, published in 1922, contained suggestions for wedding anniversary gifts for 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50 and 75 years.^[11] Wedding anniversary gift suggestions for other years were added in later editions and publications; they now comprise what is referred to as the "traditional" list. Generally speaking, the longer the period, the more precious or durable the material associated with it. See wedding anniversary for a general list of the wedding anniversary symbols; however, there are variations in some national traditions.

Furthermore, there exist numerous partially overlapping, partially contradictory lists of anniversary gifts (such as wedding stones), separate from the 'traditional' names.

The concepts of a person's birthday stone and zodiac stone, by contrast, are fixed for life according to the day of the week, month or astrological sign corresponding to the recipient's birthday.

See also[link]

Holidays portal

• Wedding anniversary
• Quinquennial Neronia

References[link]

Sources and External links[link]

Look up anniversary in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Creative Anniversary Calculator
• Extensive (and often contradictory) lists of anniversary names from The Math Forum - Ask Dr. Math

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Bernice King
Bernice King at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial groundbreaking in 2006. Photo by Mark Blacknell.
Born	(1963-03-28) March 28, 1963 (age 49) Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Occupation	Currently President-Elect of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

Bernice Albertine King (born March 28, 1963) is the second daughter and youngest child of civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Coretta Scott King.^[1] Her older siblings are Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and the late Yolanda Denise King. Bernice was only five years old when her father died and is the only King child to become a minister.

Schooling & Careers[link]

She is also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority as was her mother. She is a graduate of Douglass High School in Atlanta, attended Grinnell College in Iowa and she graduated from Spelman College with a degree in psychology.

Ebony magazine named her as one of their Ten of Tomorrow future leaders of the black community.

King says she once considered suicide before God intervened. At the age of twenty-four, she decided to become a minister and in 1990 received a Master's degree in Divinity from the Candler School of Theology and a Juris Doctor in Law from Emory University School of Law. King is a member of the State Bar of Georgia.^[2]

She is a former elder at New Birth (resigned May 2011 ^[3]), a licensed attorney and member of the Georgia Bar,^[4] and works as a mediator.

In 2000, she narrated the Lincoln Portrait at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Kiel.

In 1996, King published a collection of her sermons and speeches called Hard Questions, Heart Answers which received a positive review from USA Today.

Activities[link]

SCLC[link]

With her brother Martin Luther King III, she has played an active part in reforming the Southern Christian Leadership Conference once led by their father. When she was elected President and CEO of SCLC on October 30, 2009, a position previously held by both her father and brother, she became the first woman to lead the group, but discord in the organization has prevented her taking that position.^[5] In January 2011, she stepped down as President citing disagreements with the organization's leadership.

Gay Rights[link]

In 2004, Bernice King participated in a march against same-sex marriage in Atlanta. This action was in contrast to the advocacy of her mother, Coretta Scott King and her older sister Yolanda Denise King, both long-time, outspoken supporters of gay rights.

Legacy[link]

During Atlanta's 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Day rally, King included LGBT people among the various groups she said needed to come together and fulfill her father’s legacy.^[6]

Scholarship[link]

On January 30, 2007, one year after the death of her mother Coretta Scott King, Bernice King founded the Be A King Scholarship at Spelman College (Atlanta, GA) in honor of her mother's legacy. Bernice King donated $100,000 of her personal funds, while $75,000 was donated from Home Depot and $15,000 from New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. The scholarship will be awarded to two rising seniors at Spelman college who are majoring in music, education or psychology.

Public Speaking[link]

Due to her profile and skill in public speaking, King has been asked to speak around the world.

At seventeen, she was invited to speak at the United Nations in the absence of her mother.

Prominent Individuals[link]

On January 20, 2009, she joined the CNN Situation Room with her brother, Martin Luther King III, to discuss the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

On July 7, 2009, Bernice spoke alongside her brother, Martin Luther King III, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles during a ceremony commemorating the life of Michael Jackson.

Family[link]

In 2006, King was with her mother when she died in a hospital in Mexico.

Law Suit[link]

In 2008, Bernice King and her brother, Martin Luther King III, brought suit against their brother Dexter, who brought a counter-suit against them over mismanagement of funds from the King Center. Dexter King articulated his distress at Bernice King's conservative religious views as departing from their father's legacy.[1] In October, 2009, the lawsuits were settled out of court.

Honors[link]

On December 14, 2007, at the State Bar of Georgia Headquarters, Bernice King was honored by the Georgia Alliance of African American Attorneys[2] by being presented with the "Commitment to Community" award for her work as an attorney and community leader.

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Bernice A. King's website
• PBS Newshour profile
• Christianity Today profile
• San Francisco Chronicle article on King's anti-gay marriage protest December 14 2004
• Associated Press article on gay marriage march published on MSNBC December 11 2004
• Associated Press article on Southern Christian Leadership Council rebuilding 30 July 2005

v t e Martin Luther King, Jr.   Speeches and protests Speeches "How Long, Not Long" "I Have a Dream" "I've Been to the Mountaintop" Writings Letter from Birmingham Jail "What Is Man?" Movements and protests Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955) Albany Movement (1961) Birmingham campaign (1963) March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963) Selma Voting Rights Movement (1965) Chicago Freedom Movement (1965–67) Memphis Sanitation Strike (1968) Poor People's Campaign (1968)   People Family Martin Luther King, Sr. (father) Alberta Williams King (mother) Christine King Farris (sister) Alfred Daniel Williams King (brother) Coretta Scott King (wife) Yolanda King (daughter) Martin Luther King III (son) Dexter Scott King (son) Bernice King (daughter) Alveda King (niece) Other leaders Ralph Abernathy (colleague) James Bevel (strategist / colleague) Joseph Lowery (colleague) Jesse Jackson (protégé) Benjamin Mays (mentor) Bayard Rustin (advisor) Fred Shuttlesworth (colleague) Andrew Young (colleague)   Assassination James Earl Ray William Francis Pepper Lorraine Motel (now National Civil Rights Museum) Loyd Jowers (restaurant owner) Funeral   Media Film and TV King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (documentary film) "The First Store" (The Jeffersons episode) King (TV miniseries) "The Promised Land" (New York Undercover episode) "Return of the King" (The Boondocks episode) Our Friend, Martin (animated educational film) Songs "March! For Martin Luther King" (John Fahey) "Martin Luther King's Dream" (Strawbs) "Happy Birthday" (Stevie Wonder) "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (U2) "MLK" (U2) "King Holiday" (King Dream Chorus and Holiday Crew) "Shed a Little Light" (James Taylor) "Up to the Mountain" (Patti Griffin)   Related topics Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Lee–Jackson–King Day Season for Nonviolence National Historic Site National Memorial National Civil Rights Museum Eponymous streets Authorship issues Letter to an Anti-Zionist Friend America in the King Years

KinKi Kids is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name.^[1]

History[link]

1991–1996: Pre-debut activities[link]

The duo first met each other in Hikaru Genji concert at Yokohama Arena on May 5, 1991.^[2] From then on, the two began to appear together in magazine photoshoots together though they did not have a formal name, going through several temporary names such as Johnny's Kansai Group (ジャニーズ関西組, Janīzu Kansai Kumi^?), Domoto Brothers (堂本ブラザーズ, Domoto Burazazu^?) and W Domoto (W堂本^?), before being introduced as Kanzai Boya (カンサイボーヤ^?) by the end of 1992 when they were backup dancers for SMAP.^[3][4] On the first episode of SMAP's variety show Kiss Shita? SMAP (キスした?SMAP^?), which began on April 4, 1993, SMAP leader Masahiro Nakai decided that the name was to be "KinKi Kids" when the two joined the show as regulars. Months later, Koichi and Tsuyoshi both appeared in their first drama together called Ningen Shikkaku (人間・失格, Unfit Human^?), which had a peak rating of 28.9% on its final episode.^[3][5] On December 31, 1994, KinKi Kids held their first concert at the Budokan.^[2]

In 1996, the duo once again starred together in the drama Wakaba No Koro (若葉のころ, Days of Youth^?) playing friends with very different backgrounds. Tsuyoshi played a boy with an alcoholic father who works to take care for his younger siblings while Koichi played a boy who comes from a wealthy yet unloving family.

1997–present: Debut and onwards[link]

The duo made their debut in 1997 with a double release of a single "Garasu no Shōnen" (硝子の少年^?, "Glass Boy") and an album A Album. According to Oricon, both went on to sell over one million copies,^[2][6] making the duo the second artist from Johnny's to have a debut single sell over one million after their agency senior Masahiko Kondo's debut single "Sneaker Blues" (スニーカーぶる〜す^?, "Sunika Burusu")^[7] and the first to have a debut album sell over one million.^[6] Their second single "Aisareru Yori Aishitai" (愛されるより愛したい^?, "I'd Rather Love Than Be Loved") went on to become a major hit as well, selling over half a million in its first week and over a million copies by the end of its chart run.^[6] By the end of the year, "Garasu no Shōnen" ranked 2nd on the annual Oricon charts, behind Namie Amuro's "Can You Celebrate?". From August 23 to August 24, they were appointed the main personality supporters with Noriko Katō (加藤 紀子, Katō Noriko^?) for NTV's annual telethon 24-Hour Television (24時間テレビ, 24 Jikan Terebi^?) with Tokio member Tatsuya Yamaguchi (山口 達也, Yamaguchi Tatsuya^?) as the marathon runner. Additionally, from October 18 to December 20, KinKi Kids starred in their third drama together called Bokura no Yūki: Miman Toshi (ぼくらの勇気, Our Courage: Miman City^?) with Mai Hosho (宝生 舞, Hosho Mai^?), former Johnny's Jr. Yuki Kohara and Arashi members Jun Matsumoto and Masaki Aiba.

In 1998, KinKi Kids, along with fellow Johnny's groups V6 and Tokio, came together to form a special charity-oriented duo called J-Friends,^[3] in which they collaborated with famous musicians such as Maurice White, Diane Warren, Elton John, Jon Bon Jovi and Michael Jackson.^[8][9][10] J-Friends's single "Ashita ga Kikoeru/Children's Holiday" (明日が聴こえる/Children's Holiday^?, "Can You Hear Tomorrow/Children's Holiday"), released on January 21, 1998, went on to sell over a million copies and ranked 12th on the annual Oricon charts by the end of the year. The year was successful for KinKi Kids as well. The duo's singles "Zenbu Dakishimete/Ao no Jidai" (全部だきしめて/青の時代^?, "Hold on to Everything/Blue Days") sold over a million and ranked 10th on the charts and "Jetcoaster Romance" (ジェットコースター・ロマンス^?, "Jietsutokosuta Romansu") sold over 900,000 copies and ranked 18th; their album B Album sold over 850,000 copies and over a million by the end of its chart run.^[11] Furthermore, their 1997 single "Aisareru yori Aishitai" managed to rank 8th.

In 1999, the duo's 7th single "Flower" (フラワー^?, "Furawa") ranked 10th on the annual Oricon charts for selling over a million copies, making it the duo's fourth million-selling single. The year 2000 saw the duo's first Asia tour in Taiwan and Hong Kong, which was held at Taipei 101 and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre respectively and ran from February 22 to February 27,^[12] and their second million-selling album KinKi Single Selection.^[13]

After all of KinKi Kids' 13 singles since their debut single "Garasu no Shōnen" debuted at the top of the charts, they were listed in the 2002 edition of the reference book Guinness World Records for having the record of the most number of consecutive number-one singles since their debut single.^[14] It was the first case for a musical artist in Japan to be recognized by the Guinness World Records.^[14] Irish group Westlife was listed as this record holder by the Guinness World Records before the duo's accreditation because of making five consecutive UK number-one singles since their debut as a group.^[14]

To commemorate their 10th anniversary on July 21, 2007, KinKi Kids released a best-hits album entitled 39 on July 18, 2007. The numbers three and nine are pronounced as "San Kyū" (三九^?) in Japanese and sound similar to "Thank You" in English, signifying KinKi Kids' gratitude to their fans for their support for the past 10 years. The album features the top 11 song favorites, as voted by fans as well as two individual 14-song favorites lists from Koichi and Tsuyoshi, coming to a total of 39 songs, hence the title.^[15] 39 went on to sell about 301,000 copies in its first week.^[16] In the same month, the duo was once again recognized by the Guinness World Records for their feat of achieving the most number of consecutive number-one singles by extending their own record to twenty-five number one singles since debut.^[17][18] On July 22, 2007, the duo held their 10th anniversary concert at Tokyo Dome, which drew a crowd of about 67,000 fans, making it the biggest concert ever held at the Dome. The record was previously held by Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi in 1992 when his concert drew an audience of 65,000.^[19]

On May 31, 2008, the duo announced their first summer tour in eight years. The tour started at Tokyo Dome on July 21, 2008—coinciding with their 11th anniversary—and extended the duo's record for holding the most Tokyo Dome concerts.^[20][21] They released their 28th single "Yakusoku" (約束^?, "Promise") on January 28, 2009, which debuted at the top of the Oricon charts, not only extending their Guinness record but also improving their own Oricon record for the most consecutive years with a number-one single.^[22] The duo's 29th single "Swan Song" (スワンソング^?, "Suwan Songu"), released on October 28, 2009, debuted at the top of the Oricon charts, extending their record.^[23]At the end of 2010, the duo come back with their 30th single "Family (Hitotsu ni Naru Koto)" (Family ～ひとつになること^?, "Family (To Become One") which the lyric wrote by tsuyoshi and the music composed by koichi. Their 31st single "Time" has extended their Guiness World Record again, this song is used as the theme song for popular video games series Dynasty Warriors 6. Kinki Kids started year 2012 with a new single "Kawatta Katachi no Ishi" (変わったかたちの石^?, "Odd-shaped stone").^[24]

Discography[link]

Activities[link]

For solo activities, please refer to Koichi Domoto or Tsuyoshi Domoto respectively.

Dramas[link]

• 1994: Ningen Shikkaku (TBS)
• 1996: Wakaba No Koro (TBS)
• 1997: Bokura No Yūki: Miman Toshi (NTV)
• 2003: Mukodono 2003 (Fuji TV: guests, ep 6)

Movies[link]

• 1992: 200X Nen Sho
• 1994: Shoot!

Stage[link]

• 1993: Another

Reception[link]

In a 2006 survey of people between 10 and 49 years of age in Japan, Oricon Style found the number one selling song Happy Happy Greeting (608,790 copies) to be the fourth most popular Valentine's Day song in Japan. The most popular song was Sayuri Kokushō's 1986 debut single Valentine Kiss, which sold only 317,000 copies. The other songs in the top five were (in order) Love Love Love from Dreams Come True (2,488,630 copies), Valentine's Radio from Yumi Matsutoya (1,606,780 copies), and My Funny Valentine by Miles Davis.^[25]

Awards[link]

• 2000: 26th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Theme Song: "Natsu no Ōsama" (Summer Snow)
• 2003: 35th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Theme Song: "Solitude: Shinjitsu no Sayonara" (Remote)^[26]

See also[link]

• List of best-selling music artists in Japan

References[link]

External links[link]

• Johnny's Entertainment
• Johnny's Agency site
• Domoto Kyoudai's official site
• KinKi Kids at Allmusic

Bill Clinton
42nd President of the United States
In office January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001
Vice President	Al Gore
Preceded by	George H. W. Bush
Succeeded by	George W. Bush
40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas
In office January 11, 1983 – December 12, 1992
Lieutenant	Winston Bryant Jim Tucker
Preceded by	Frank White
Succeeded by	Jim Tucker
In office January 9, 1979 – January 19, 1981
Lieutenant	Joe Purcell
Preceded by	Joe Purcell as Acting Governor
Succeeded by	Frank White
50th Attorney General of Arkansas
In office January 3, 1977 – January 9, 1979
Governor	David Pryor Joe Purcell (Acting)
Preceded by	Jim Tucker
Succeeded by	Steve Clark
Personal details
Born	William Jefferson Blythe III (1946-08-19) August 19, 1946 (age 65) Hope, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Hillary Rodham (m. 1975-present)
Children	Chelsea (b. 1980)
Alma mater	Georgetown University University College, Oxford Yale Law School
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Baptist
Signature
Website	Clinton Presidential Library

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III; August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation. Clinton has been described as a New Democrat. Many of his policies have been attributed to a centrist Third Way philosophy of governance.

Born and raised in Arkansas, Clinton became both a student leader and a skilled musician. He is an alumnus of Georgetown University where he was Phi Beta Kappa and earned a Rhodes Scholarship to attend the University of Oxford. He is married to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has served as the United States Secretary of State since 2009 and was a Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009. Both Clintons received law degrees from Yale Law School, where they met and began dating. As Governor of Arkansas, Clinton overhauled the state's education system, and served as Chair of the National Governors Association.

Clinton was elected president in 1992, defeating incumbent president George H.W. Bush. As president, Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history. He signed into law the North American Free Trade Agreement. He implemented Don't ask, don't tell, a controversial intermediate step to full gay military integration. After a failed health care reform attempt, Republicans won control of Congress in 1994, for the first time in forty years. Two years later, the re-elected Clinton became the first member of the Democratic Party since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second full term as president. He successfully passed welfare reform and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, providing health coverage for millions of children. Later, he was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice in a scandal involving a White House intern, but was acquitted by the U.S. Senate and served his complete term of office. The Congressional Budget Office reported a budget surplus between the years 1998 and 2000, the last three years of Clinton's presidency.

Clinton left office with the highest end-of-office approval rating of any U.S. president since World War II. Since then, he has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work. Based on his philanthropic worldview, Clinton created the William J. Clinton Foundation to promote and address international causes such as prevention of AIDS and global warming. In 2004, he released his autobiography My Life, and was involved in his wife's and then Barack Obama's campaigns for president in 2008. In 2009, he was named United Nations Special Envoy to Haiti, and after the 2010 earthquake he teamed with George W. Bush to form the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Since leaving office, Clinton has been rated highly in public opinion polls of U.S. presidents.

Early life and career[link]

William Jefferson Blythe III, in 1950 at age four

Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe, III, at Julia Chester Hospital in Hope, Arkansas.^[1][2] His father, William Jefferson Blythe, Jr., was a traveling salesman who died in an automobile accident three months before Bill was born.^[3] His mother Virginia Dell Cassidy (1923–1994) traveled to New Orleans to study nursing soon after he was born. She left Bill in Hope with grandparents Eldridge and Edith Cassidy, who owned and ran a small grocery store.^[2] At a time when the Southern United States was segregated racially, Bill's grandparents sold goods on credit to people of all races.^[2] In 1950, Bill's mother returned from nursing school and married Roger Clinton, Sr., who owned an automobile dealership in Hot Springs, Arkansas with his brother.^[2] The family moved to Hot Springs in 1950.

Bill Clinton boyhood home in Hope, Arkansas

Although he assumed use of his stepfather's surname, it was not until Billy (as he was known then) turned fifteen^[4] that he formally adopted the surname Clinton as a gesture toward his stepfather.^[2] Clinton says he remembers his stepfather as a gambler and an alcoholic who regularly abused his mother and half-brother, Roger Clinton, Jr., to the point where he intervened multiple times with the threat of violence to protect them.^[2][5]

In Hot Springs, Clinton attended St. John's Catholic Elementary School, Ramble Elementary School, and Hot Springs High School – where he was an active student leader, avid reader, and musician.^[2] He was in the chorus and played the tenor saxophone, winning first chair in the state band's saxophone section. He briefly considered dedicating his life to music, but as he noted in his autobiography My Life:

"Sometime in my sixteenth year, I decided I wanted to be in public life as an elected official. I loved music and thought I could be very good, but I knew I would never be John Coltrane or Stan Getz. I was interested in medicine and thought I could be a fine doctor, but I knew I would never be Michael DeBakey. But I knew I could be great in public service."^[2]

Clinton has named two influential moments in his life that contributed to his decision to become a public figure, both occurring in 1963. One was his visit as a Boys Nation senator to the White House to meet President John F. Kennedy.^[2][5] The other was listening to Martin Luther King's 1963 I Have a Dream speech, which impressed him enough that he later memorized it.^[6]

College and law school years[link]

Clinton ran for President of the Student Council while attending the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

With the aid of scholarships, Clinton attended the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., receiving a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (B.S.) degree in 1968. He spent the summer of 1967, the summer before his senior year, interning for Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright.^[2] While in college, he became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Clinton was also a member of the Order of DeMolay, a youth group affiliated with Freemasonry, but he never became a Freemason.^[7] He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi honorary band fraternity.^[8]

Upon graduation, he won a Rhodes Scholarship to University College, Oxford where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics, though because he had switched programs and had left early for Yale University, he did not receive a degree there.^[5][9] He developed an interest in rugby union, playing at Oxford^[10] and later for the Little Rock Rugby club in Arkansas. While at Oxford he also participated in Vietnam War protests and organized an October 1969 Moratorium event.^[2]

Clinton's political opponents charge that to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War during his college years, he used the political influence of a U.S. Senator, who employed him as an aide.^[11] Col. Eugene Holmes, an Army officer who was involved in Clinton's case, issued a notarized statement during the 1992 presidential campaign: "I was informed by the draft board that it was of interest to Senator Fullbright's office that Bill Clinton, a Rhodes Scholar, should be admitted to the ROTC program... I believe that he purposely deceived me, using the possibility of joining the ROTC as a ploy to work with the draft board to delay his induction and get a new draft classification."^[12][13] Although legal, Clinton's actions were criticized by conservatives and some Vietnam veterans during his presidential campaign in 1992.^[14][15][16]

After Oxford, Clinton attended Yale Law School and earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1973.^[5] In a Yale library in 1971 he met fellow law student Hillary Rodham, who was a year ahead of him.^[17] They began dating and soon were inseparable. After only about a month, Clinton proposed to Rodham and postponed his plans to be a coordinator for the McGovern campaign for the 1972 United States presidential election in order to move in with her in California.^[18] They later married on October 11, 1975, and their only child, Chelsea, was born on February 27, 1980.^[17]

Clinton did eventually move to Texas with Rodham to take a job leading McGovern's effort there in 1972. He spent considerable time in Dallas, at the campaign's local headquarters on Lemmon Avenue, where he had an office. There, Clinton worked with future two-term mayor of Dallas, Ron Kirk, future governor of Texas, Ann Richards, and then unknown television director (and future filmmaker), Steven Spielberg.

Political career 1978–1992[link]

Governor of Arkansas[link]

After graduating from Yale Law School, Clinton returned to Arkansas and became a law professor at the University of Arkansas. A year later, he ran for the House of Representatives in 1974. The incumbent, Republican John Paul Hammerschmidt, defeated Clinton in the general election by a 52% to 48% margin. With only minor opposition in the primary and no opposition at all in the general election,^[19] Clinton was elected Arkansas Attorney General in 1976.^[5]

Clinton, as the newly elected Governor of Arkansas, meeting with President Jimmy Carter in 1978

Clinton was elected Governor of Arkansas in 1978, having defeated the Republican candidate Lynn Lowe, a farmer from Texarkana. He became the youngest governor in the country at 32. Due to his youthful appearance, Clinton was often called the "Boy Governor", a referent that continues to be used to refer to him during his gubernatorial era on occasion.^[20][21][22] He worked on educational reform and Arkansas's roads, with wife Hillary leading a successful committee on urban health care reform. However, his term included an unpopular motor vehicle tax and citizens' anger over the escape of Cuban refugees (from the Mariel boatlift) detained in Fort Chaffee in 1980. Monroe Schwarzlose of Kingsland in Cleveland County, polled 31% of the vote against Clinton in the Democratic gubernatorial primary of 1980. Some suggested Schwarzlose's unexpected voter turnout foreshadowed Clinton's defeat in the general election that year by Republican challenger Frank D. White. As Clinton once joked, he was the youngest ex-governor in the nation's history.^[5]

Clinton joined friend Bruce Lindsey's Little Rock law firm of Wright, Lindsey and Jennings.^[23] In 1982, he was again elected governor and kept this job for ten years.^[19] He helped Arkansas transform its economy and significantly improve the state's educational system. He became a leading figure among the New Democrats.^[24][25] The New Democrats, organized as the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), were a branch of the Democratic Party that called for welfare reform and smaller government, a policy supported by both Democrats and Republicans. He gave the Democratic response to President Reagan's 1985 State of the Union Address and served as Chair of the National Governors Association from 1986 to 1987, bringing him to an audience beyond Arkansas.^[5] Clinton made economic growth, job creation and educational improvement high priorities. For senior citizens, he removed the sales tax from medications and increased the home property-tax exemption.^[24]

In the early 1980s, Clinton made reform of the Arkansas education system a top priority. The Arkansas Education Standards Committee, chaired by Clinton's wife, attorney and Legal Services Corporation chair Hillary Rodham Clinton, succeeded in reforming the education system, transforming it from the worst in the nation into one of the best. Many have considered this the greatest achievement of the Clinton governorship. Clinton and the committee were responsible for state educational improvement programs, notably more spending for schools, rising opportunities for gifted children, an increase in vocational education, raising of teachers' salaries, inclusion of a wider variety of courses, and compulsory teacher testing for aspiring educators.^[5][24] He defeated four Republican candidates for governor: Lowe (1978), White (1982 and 1986), and businessmen Woody Freeman of Jonesboro, (1984) and Sheffield Nelson of Little Rock (1990).^[19]

The Clintons' personal and business affairs during the 1980s included transactions that became the basis of the Whitewater investigation that dogged his later presidential administration.^[26] After extensive investigation over several years, no indictments were made against the Clintons related to the years in Arkansas.^[5][27]

According to some sources, Clinton was in his early years a death penalty opponent who switched positions.^[28][29] During Clinton's term, Arkansas performed its first executions since 1964 (the death penalty had been re-enacted on March 23, 1973).^[30] As Governor, he oversaw four executions: one by electric chair and three by lethal injection. Later, as president, Clinton was the first President to pardon a death-row inmate since the federal death penalty was reintroduced in 1988.^[31]

Democratic presidential primaries of 1988[link]

Governor and Mrs. Clinton attend the Dinner Honoring the Nation's Governors in the White House with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, 1987.

In 1987, there was media speculation Clinton would enter the race after then-New York Governor Mario Cuomo declined to run and Democratic front-runner Gary Hart withdrew owing to revelations of marital infidelity. Clinton decided to remain as Arkansas governor (following consideration for the potential candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton for governor, initially favored – but ultimately vetoed – by the First Lady).^[32] For the nomination, Clinton endorsed Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. He gave the nationally televised opening night address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, which at 33 minutes was criticized for being too long.^[33] Presenting himself as a moderate and a member of the New Democrat wing of the Democratic Party, he headed the moderate Democratic Leadership Council in 1990 and 1991.^[24][34]

1992 presidential campaign[link]

In the first primary contest, the Iowa caucus, Clinton finished a distant third to Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. During the campaign for the New Hampshire primary, reports of an extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers surfaced. As Clinton fell far behind former Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas in the New Hampshire polls,^[5] following Super Bowl XXVI, Clinton and his wife Hillary went on 60 Minutes to rebuff the charges. Their television appearance was a calculated risk, but Clinton regained several delegates. He finished second to Tsongas in the New Hampshire primary, but after trailing badly in the polls and coming within single digits of winning, the media viewed it as a victory. News outlets labeled him "The Comeback Kid" for earning a firm second-place finish.^[35]

Winning the big prizes of Florida and Texas and many of the Southern primaries on Super Tuesday gave Clinton a sizable delegate lead. However, former California Governor Jerry Brown was scoring victories and Clinton had yet to win a significant contest outside his native South.^[5][34] With no major Southern state remaining, Clinton targeted New York, which had many delegates. He scored a resounding victory in New York City, shedding his image as a regional candidate.^[34] Having been transformed into the consensus candidate, he secured the Democratic Party nomination, finishing with a victory in Jerry Brown's home state of California.^[5]

Clinton family in White House

During the campaign, questions of conflict of interest regarding state business and the politically powerful Rose Law Firm, at which Hillary Rodham Clinton was a partner, arose. Clinton argued the questions were moot because all transactions with the state had been deducted before determining Hillary's firm pay.^[2][36] Further concern arose when Bill Clinton announced that, with Hillary, voters would be getting two presidents "for the price of one".^[37]

While campaigning for U.S. President, the then Governor Clinton returned to Arkansas to see that Ricky Ray Rector would be executed. After killing a police officer and a civilian, Rector shot himself in the head, leading to what his lawyers said was a state where he could still talk but did not understand the idea of death. According to Arkansas state and Federal law, a seriously mentally impaired inmate cannot be executed. The courts disagreed with the allegation of grave mental impairment and allowed the execution. Clinton's return to Arkansas for the execution was framed in a The New York Times article as a possible political move to counter "soft on crime" accusations.^[28][38]

Because Bush's approval ratings were in the 80% range during the Gulf War, he was described as unbeatable. However, when Bush compromised with Democrats to try to lower Federal deficits, he reneged on his promise not to raise taxes, hurting his approval rating. Clinton repeatedly condemned Bush for making a promise he failed to keep.^[34] By election time, the economy was souring and Bush saw his approval rating plummet to just slightly over 40%.^[34][39] Finally, conservatives were previously united by anti-communism, but with the end of the Cold War, the party lacked a uniting issue. When Pat Buchanan and Pat Robertson addressed Christian themes at the Republican National Convention – with Bush criticizing Democrats for omitting God from their platform – many moderates were alienated.^[40] Clinton then pointed to his moderate, "New Democrat" record as governor of Arkansas, though some on the more liberal side of the party remained suspicious.^[41] Many Democrats who had supported Ronald Reagan and Bush in previous elections switched their support to Clinton.^[42] Clinton and his running mate, Al Gore, toured the country during the final weeks of the campaign, shoring up support and pledging a "new beginning".^[42]

Clinton won the 1992 presidential election (43.0% of the vote) against Republican incumbent George H. W. Bush (37.4% of the vote) and billionaire populist Ross Perot, who ran as an independent (18.9% of the vote) on a platform focusing on domestic issues; a significant part of Clinton's success was Bush's steep decline in public approval.^[42] Clinton's election ended twelve years of Republican rule of the White House and twenty of the previous twenty-four years. The election gave Democrats full control of the United States Congress,^[3] the first time one party controlled both the executive and legislative branches since Democrats held the 95th United States Congress during the Jimmy Carter presidency in the late 1970s.^[43]

Presidency, 1993–2001[link]

Countries visited by President Clinton during his terms in office

During his presidency, Clinton advocated for a wide variety of legislation and programs, much of which was enacted into law or was implemented by the executive branch. Some of his policies, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and welfare reform, have been attributed to a centrist Third Way philosophy of governance, while on other issues his stance was left-of-center.^[44][45] Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history.^[46][47][48] The Congressional Budget Office reported budget surpluses of $69 billion in 1998, $126 billion in 1999, and $236 billion in 2000,^[49] during the last three years of Clinton's presidency.^[50] At the end of his presidency, Clinton moved to New York and helped his wife win election to the U.S. Senate there.

First term, 1993–1997[link]

Clinton takes the oath of office during his 1993 presidential inauguration on January 20, 1993.	First inauguration of Bill Clinton (January 20, 1993) Video of the First inauguration of Bill Clinton. First inauguration of Bill Clinton (January 20, 1993) audio only version
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Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States on January 20, 1993. Shortly after taking office, Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 on February 5, which required large employers to allow employees to take unpaid leave for pregnancy or a serious medical condition. This action had bipartisan support,^[51] and proved quite popular with the public.^[52]

Budget Deficit in Billions of Dollars (1971-2001). There were budget surpluses from 1998-2001.

On February 15, 1993, Clinton made his first address to the nation, announcing his plan to raise taxes to cap the budget deficit.^[53] Two days later, in a nationally televised address to a joint session of Congress, Clinton unveiled his economic plan. The plan focused on reducing the deficit rather than on cutting taxes for the middle class, which had been high on his campaign agenda.^[54] Clinton's advisers pressured him to raise taxes on the theory that a smaller federal budget deficit would reduce bond interest rates.^[55]