Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton Through the Years

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Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton Through the Years

From law school to the White House! Bill Clinton met Hillary Clinton (née Rodham) while they were studying at Yale Law School and have been together ever since. “She exuded this sense of strength and self-possession that I found magnetic," the Arkansas native recounted during the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The 42nd president met his first lady while studying at the school’s library in 1971. One year later, the pair traveled to Texas together to volunteer for George McGovern’s presidential campaign. In 1973, Bill proposed to Hillary — but she turned him down, saying she “needed time.” After the twosome found a home in Arkansas, the former Secretary of State accepted his proposal, the couple exchanged vows in 1975. One year after their nuptials, Bill was elected to his first government position: Arkansas attorney general. In 1978, the politician went on to be elected as the governor of Arkansas at the age of 32. In 1980, the couple decided to expand their family, welcoming their daughter, Chelsea Clinton. Chelsea spent the first 12 years of her life in Arkansas until the Clinton family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1990 when Bill decided to run for President of the United States. Bill went on to defeat incumbent George H.W. Bush and was elected as the 42nd commander-in-chief. Hillary joined him in the White House a first lady and Chelsea became first daughter. He was re-elected for a second term in 1996. Throughout Bill’s time in office, he was met with several controversies — but Hillary stayed by his side and supported him. Ultimately, the Democrat was impeached after committing perjury during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Once their tenure at the White House came to an end, the political family moved to Chappaqua, New York, in 2001. Hillary went on to pursue her own career in politics and became a senator for New York, where she served from 2001 to 2009. After her attempt to run for president in 2008 didn’t pan out, Hillary joined the staff of the 44th President Barack Obama as Secretary of State. In 2014, the Clintons became grandparents for the first time when Chelsea gave birth to her first child, daughter Charlotte, with husband Marc Mezvinsky. Chelsea later welcomed the pair’s second child in 2016 and a third in 2019. Hillary gave running for president another go in 2016 and secured the Democratic nomination. She faced Donald Trump in the general election and ultimately lost. After the election, Hillary put her political aspirations on pause and returned home to New York. Bill and Hillary went on to pursue other ventures together, including a speaking tour. The pair also attended the late Bush’s funeral in 2018 and the inauguration of Joe Biden in 2021. Take a look back at Bill and Hillary's life through the years:

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Bill and Hillary Clinton Through the Years

From Yale Law School to the White House! Take a look back at Bill and Hillary Clinton's life through the years — including daughter Chelsea Clinton's wedding, the former First Lady's 2015 presidential campaign, and more!

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Back to the Beginning!

Bill and Hillary Clinton first met each other at Yale Law School in 1971. They married in October 1975 and welcomed daughter Chelsea in February 1980. In 2008, Hillary gushed to Tyra Banks that Bill was the first to say “I love you” in the relationship.

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First Election of Many

Hillary and Chelsea supported the Democratic candidate during his first presidential election in October 1992. The former governor of Arkansas went on to win against Republican opponent George H. W. Bush.

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Oval Office Status!

The Arkansas native was sworn in as the 42nd President of the United States with Hillary by his side in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1993.

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White House Residents

POTUS and the First Lady attended 11 inaugural balls held on the evening that Bill was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 1993. The couple were also joined by the vice president, Al Gore, and his wife Mary Elizabeth.

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Round Two!

Bill was sworn in for his second term as president of the United States on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., on Jan. 20, 1997.

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Cheering on Chelsea!

Hillary and Bill attended Chelsea's welcoming ceremony at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., on Sept. 19, 1997. One year later, she and Bill famously overcame the fallout of the president’s affair with White House employee Monica Lewinsky.

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Family Downtime!

The First Family was all smiles as they headed off to an East Hampton getaway on Aug. 28, 1999.

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Hooray for Hillary!

After 16 months of campaigning, Hillary was elected senator of New York in November 2007. She was joined by Bill and Chelsea to celebrate at the Grand Hyatt in NYC and was reelected for another six years in 2006.

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Clinton Celebration

Hillary hosted a reception and fundraiser to mark her 60th birthday at NYC’s Beacon Theatre on Oct. 25, 2007.

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A Good Run!

Hillary ran on the presidential Democratic ticket in 2008, and received support from Chelsea and Bill during the state primary in Manchester, N.H., on Jan. 8, 2008. After losing in the primaries, she went on to support Barack Obama in his presidential campaign.

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Game Changer

Hillary endorsed President Barack Obama during his run for the White House at a rally in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 20, 2008. She later served as the 67th United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013 during the Commander in Chief’s stay in office.

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Their Baby Girl!

Chelsea married her longtime boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky in Rhinebeck, N.Y., in July 2010. “The people coming are her friends and people that have been meaningful in her life, as it should be,” the mother of the bride told NBC before the nuptials. “You should assume that if [Bill] makes it down the aisle in one piece, it’s going to be a major accomplishment. He is going to be so emotional, as am I.”

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To the Next Generation!

Chelsea and her husband welcomed daughter Charlotte in September 2014 — making Hillary and Bill first-time grandparents. "We are blessed, grateful, and so happy to be the grandparents of a beautiful girl," the Clintons told Us in a statement. "We are thrilled to be with our daughter and her husband as they welcome their daughter into the world. Chelsea is well and glowing. Marc is bursting with pride. Charlotte's life is off to a good start."

Chelsea later welcomed a second child, Aidan, in 2016 and a third, Jasper, in 2019.

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Royal Treat

Hillary, Chelsea and her husband, Marc, met Prince William and Kate Middleton at a reception co-hosted by the Royal Foundation and Clinton Foundation in NYC on Dec. 8, 2014.

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Hat in the Ring!

Hillary officially announced her 2016 presidential bid in April 2015. "Becoming a grandmother has made me think deeply about the responsibility we all share as stewards of the world we inherit and will one day pass on," Hillary told Huffington Post at the time. "Rather than make me want to slow down, it has spurred me to speed up."

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A Tough Loss

After losing the presidential election to Trump, the Clintons returned to their New York home. Hillary started working on her memoir, What Happened, which featured a touching tribute to her husband. "He has been my partner in life and my greatest champion since the moment we met," the “You and Me Both” podcast host wrote in September 2017.

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Paying Respects

In December 2018, the Clintons and the Obamas attended the funeral of the late 41st president.

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Celebrating A New Leader

The Clintons attended Biden’s presidential inauguration in January 2021. The Bushes and Obamas were also in attendance.