Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (/ˌrɒbɪˈnɛt ˈbaɪdən/; born November 20, 1942) is an American politician and the 46th and current president of the United States since 2021. Biden was also the 47th vice president of the United States from 2009 through 2017 during the Barack Obama presidency. He is a member of the Democratic Party and is from Wilmington, Delaware. Before becoming vice president, Biden was a U.S. Senator from Delaware from 1973 to 2009. He had served in the Senate longer than any other President or Vice President.
He tried to become the Democratic candidate for president in 1988 and 2008 but did not win. During the 2008 election, then-Senator Barack Obama picked him to be his running mate. He is a Roman Catholic. Biden has received several awards. He has five honorary doctorates, including one from his alma mater and one from where he has taught law. He has also earned the "Best of Congress Award", an award from the Pakistani government, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction.
After finishing his second term as vice president, Biden began working at the University of Pennsylvania. On April 25, 2019, Biden launched his presidential campaign for the 2020 election. On April 8, 2020, Biden became the presumptive nominee for the Democratic nomination after Bernie Sanders ended his campaign. On November 7, he defeated former President Donald Trump and became the president-elect of the United States. He became president on January 20, 2021, after he became inaugurated. He is the oldest person to become president and the first from the state of Delaware. He is also the second Catholic president to hold the office after John F. Kennedy.