Bill Clinton - Former President
Age: 79
Country: United States Occupations:
Former President
Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he is often described as a "New Democrat" because of his centrist, "Third Way" political philosophy.
### Early Life and Career
Born William Jefferson Blythe III in Hope, Arkansas, he later adopted his stepfather's surname. He was a Rhodes Scholar and graduated from Yale Law School, where he met his future wife, Hillary Rodham. Before the presidency, he served as the Governor of Arkansas for 12 years, earning a reputation for education reform.
### Key Presidential Highlights
* Economic Prosperity: His tenure saw the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in U.S. history. He famously turned a large federal deficit into a budget surplus.
* Domestic Policy: He signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (**NAFTA**), the Brady Bill (gun control), and major welfare reform. However, his ambitious plan for universal healthcare reform failed to pass.
* Foreign Policy: He played a key role in the Dayton Accords, which ended the war in Bosnia, and was involved in the Oslo I Accord aimed at Middle East peace.
* Impeachment: In 1998, Clinton became the second U.S. president to be impeached by the House of Representatives, following charges of perjury and obstruction of justice stemming from an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. He was later acquitted by the Senate and remained in office.
### Post-Presidency
Since leaving the White House with high approval ratings, he has focused on humanitarian work through the Clinton Foundation, addressing global issues like HIV/AIDS, climate change, and disaster relief. Following the death of Jimmy Carter in 2024, he became the earliest-serving living former U.S. president.