10 Fascinating Facts About Former President Joe Biden
Joe Biden, now 82, is more than just a career politician and former president. He has had a life full of highs, heartbreaks, comebacks, and quirks. If you think you know him, think again.
The longest living U.S. president was recently diagnosed with cancer. Here are some fascinating facts about the former U.S. president.
Joe Biden overcame a childhood stutter
The former president didn’t always sound confident. As a kid, he had a bad stutter that made him a target for bullies. One nun once mocked him by calling him “Mr. Bu-bu-bu-Biden” in class. That didn’t sit well with his mom, who gave the nun a piece of her mind.
Biden didn’t give up. He practiced reading Irish poetry aloud in front of the mirror.
He was a high school football star
Before politics, Joe Biden was a football star at Archmere Academy in Delaware. He played wide receiver and pulled in 10 touchdowns during his senior year. His team didn’t lose a single game that season.
Biden says those Friday nights shaped his confidence. The sport gave him an identity when he needed it most.
He got sworn into the Senate at a hospital
Joe Biden’s life changed forever in 1972. Just weeks after winning his Senate race, his wife and baby daughter died in a car crash. His two sons were badly hurt.
Joe / IG / When Joe Biden was sworn into the Senate back in 1972, he was in a hospital following a deadly car accident.
He didn’t quit. Instead, he took the oath of office at the hospital, sitting beside his injured sons. For years, he rode the Amtrak train back and forth from D.C. to Delaware just to tuck them in. Hence, the nickname “Amtrak Joe.”
Biden and Obama had weekly lunch dates
Joe Biden wasn’t just Barack Obama’s Vice President. They became real friends. Every week, they’d sit down for lunch and talk about everything—politics, family, sports.
Obama once said picking Biden was his “best decision.” In 2017, he gave Biden the Medal of Freedom with distinction, the highest civilian honor.
He ran for president 4 times
Joe Biden didn’t land the presidency on his first try.. His 1987 campaign crashed after a plagiarism scandal. He tried again in 2008 but dropped out early. Then he became Obama’s VP and waited.
In 2020, he finally won. But after a shaky debate in 2024, he dropped out of the race and passed the torch.
Joe Biden is now the oldest living U.S. president
After Jimmy Carter passed in 2024, Joe Biden became the oldest living president at age 82. For a while, he also held the title of oldest president ever sworn in—until Trump topped him by age at inauguration.
Biden jokes about his age but knows it is a thing people watch.
He is a big-time pet person
The Biden family loves animals. Over the years, they have had three German Shepherds, Champ, Major, and Commander, and a cat named Willow. Champ passed in 2021.
Major and Commander had to be rehomed after some biting trouble.
He loves cars and hides ice cream
Joe Biden still owns the same 1967 Corvette Stingray his dad gave him as a wedding gift. He calls himself a “gear-head” and lights up whenever he talks about cars.
He is also wild about ice cream, especially Breyers. So much so, he hides tubs of it in the freezer so his wife doesn’t find them.
His Catholic faith runs deep
Joe Biden is only the second Catholic president in U.S. history, after John F. Kennedy. Faith isn’t just a label for him. He carries his late son Beau’s rosary every day and talks often about prayer and loss.
Joe / IG / One of the favorite hymns of Biden is “On Eagle’s Wings.” He quotes it at memorials and speeches.
Religion is personal for him, not performative.
His favorite movie says a lot about him
Joe Biden’s favorite film is “Chariots of Fire.” He connects with the story of a runner who chooses faith over fame, refusing to race on a Sunday.
That sense of sticking to your values speaks to Biden’s core.