President Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York City. He grew up in a wealthy family and attended military school as a teenager. After college, he joined his father’s real estate business, learning about property development and management.
By his late 20s, Trump was working on big projects in Manhattan, building skyscrapers and hotels thanks to his father’s “small loan of a million dollars.” He became well-known for his luxury buildings and as the host of the reality show The Apprentice. At 70 years old, he entered politics and ran for president, winning the 2016 election.
Senator Bernie Sanders was born on September 8, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a working-class family and was interested in politics from a young age. After college, he worked various jobs, including as a carpenter and writer.
Sanders started his political career in his 30s and never shied away from his “socialist” title. In 1981, at age 39, he was elected mayor of Burlington, Vermont. He focused on helping working people and improving the community, which began his long career in public service.
Former President Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia, raised by his mother and grandparents. After college, he worked as a community organizer in Chicago, helping neighborhoods improve, until he decided to get his law degree.
In 1990, Obama made history as the first Black president of Harvard Law Review, where he was known to bring people together. After getting his degree, taught law at the University of Chicago. He entered politics at 35, winning a seat in the Illinois State Senate in 1996. His focus on healthcare and education started gaining him national attention.
Former President Joe Biden was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a working-class family and was famously bullied for his severe stutter. After graduating from law school in 1968, he went to work at a corporate law firm before becoming a public defender because corporate cases weren’t fulfilling.
Biden entered politics at 29, winning a U.S. Senate seat in 1972. He was one of the youngest senators ever elected, having to wait until his 30th birthday to take his seat. Before that, he served on a county council, focusing on community issues.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California. She grew up in Berkeley and Montreal, influenced by her parents' activism. After graduating from Howard University and UC Hastings, she became a deputy district attorney in Alameda County in 1990.
In her early career, Harris focused on law enforcement and public safety. At 38, she was elected San Francisco District Attorney in 2003, becoming the first woman and first Black person in the role. In 2010, at 46, she became California’s Attorney General, gaining national attention.
Governor Gavin Newsom was born on October 10, 1967, in San Francisco, California. He grew up in a middle class family with a father who was a state appeals court judge. This inspired him to get his political science degree from Santa Clara University in 1989.
Despite his background in politics, he instead went into the wine business, opening up his own shop which he expanded into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. This earned him recognition and connections that allowed him to successfully transition into politics. He was appointed to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors in 1997 before becoming the city’s youngest mayor in 2003.
Despite holding the second-highest office as a Republican, Former Vice President Mike Pence didn’t start out with that political ideology. Pence was born on June 7, 1959, in Columbus, Indiana, where he was so influenced by JFK that he volunteered for the Bartholomew County Democratic Party in high school.
College was where his views changed as he made a “commitment to Christ.” After graduating from Indiana University School of Law in 1986, he worked as an attorney and later hosted a conservative radio talk show called The Mike Pence Show in the 1990s. Pence lost two bids for Congress in 1988 and 1990, only successfully entering politics in 2000 after winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Vice President JD Vance was a bestselling author before he was ever in politics. Born August 2, 1984, in Middletown, Ohio, he grew up in poverty with a mother addicted to drugs. He joined the Marines right out of high school.
After serving five years in the military, Vance went to college and law school. He published his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy in 2016 while working in venture capital. His success launched his political career and he decided to run for the U.S. Senate in 2022.
Senator Elizabeth Warren was born on June 22, 1949, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She grew up in a modest family and started working as a waitress at 13 to help out. After college, she became a law professor, focusing on bankruptcy and consumer protection.
Warren taught at prestigious schools like Harvard Law. She entered politics in 2008, when she was appointed to oversee the financial bailout. In 2012, at age 63, she was elected to the U.S. Senate, championing middle-class families.
Born February 20, 1942, in Sheffield, Alabama, Senator Mitch McConnell was always destined for politics. By 1956, he was sitting in front of the TV to watch political conventions and proudly wearing an “I Like Ike” pin.
After overcoming polio as a child, McConnell went on to graduate law school in 1967 and work as a lawyer and an aide to Senator Marlow Cook. He entered politics at 35, winning the position of Jefferson County Judge/Executive in 1977, where he managed local government operations. Six years later he was elected to the U.S. Senate himself.
Fomer U.S. Senator Mitt Romeny as born on March 12, 1947, in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in a well-known family; his father, George Romney, was Michigan’s governor. Mitt married Ann Davies in 1969 while attending Brigham Young University. After graduating, he earned both an MBA and a law degree from Harvard in 1975.
He worked at Bain & Company, eventually co-founding Bain Capital, a major investment firm. Romney entered politics at 47, running for the U.S. Senate in 1994 but losing to Ted Kennedy. In 2002, at age 55, he became governor of Massachusetts, where he focused on balancing the state budget and creating a landmark healthcare reform law.
Senator Cory Booker was born on April 27, 1969, in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Harrington Park, New Jersey. His parents were among IBM’s first Black executives. After graduating from Stanford, he earned a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford and later got a law degree from Yale.
Before becoming famous, Booker worked as a lawyer and lived in a low-income Newark neighborhood to help the community. He entered politics at 29, winning a seat on the Newark City Council in 1998. At 37, he became Newark’s mayor in 2006, focusing on reducing crime and improving education.
Fomer President George W. Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut, and grew up in Midland, Texas. His father, George H.W. Bush, later became the 41st President of the United States. After graduating from Yale in 1968, George served as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard and earned an MBA from Harvard in 1975.
Even with a father in politics, Bush worked in the oil industry and co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team. He entered politics himself at 40, running for Congress in 1978 but losing. In 1994, at age 48, he became governor of Texas. Six years later, he followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming the 43rd President of the United States.
Fomer President Bill Clinton was born on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas. Raised by his mother and stepfather, he excelled in school and was inspired to enter politics after meeting President John F. Kennedy as a teenager. He later attended Georgetown University, earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, and graduated from Yale Law School in 1973.
Clinton taught law at the University of Arkansas and worked as an attorney. He entered politics at 28, running for Congress in 1974 but losing. At 30, he was elected Arkansas Attorney General, and at 32, he became the state’s youngest governor in 1978, focusing on education and economic development.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was born on October 26, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Park Ridge, a suburb. She was a bright student and active in school activities. After graduating from Wellesley College, she attended Yale Law School, where she met Bill Clinton, whom she married in 1975.
Before becoming famous, Hillary worked as a lawyer and advocate for children’s rights. She entered politics at 27, working on legal and policy issues for Congress. Later, as First Lady of Arkansas and the United States, she focused on healthcare and education. In 2000, at age 53, she was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming a prominent political leader.
Senator Ted Cruz was born on December 22, 1970, in Calgary, Canada, to a Cuban father and an American mother. He grew up in Texas and excelled in school. After graduating from Princeton and Harvard Law School, worked as a law clerk for Chief Justice Rehnquistand.
Cruz was a domestic policy advisor for George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campign, where he met his wife, Heidi. At 30, he became Texas Solicitor General, arguing cases before the Supreme Court. In 2012, at age 41, he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Senator Lindsey Graham was born on July 9, 1955, in Central, South Carolina. He was a first generation college student at the University of South Carolina. During his time there, both of his parents passed away, and he became the legal guardian of his younger sister.
After graduating with his law degree in 1981, he joined the U.S. Air Force as a military lawyer and later the South Carolina Air National Guard. He entered politics in 1992, winning a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives.
Senator Chuck Schumer was born on November 23, 1950, in Brooklyn, New York. A top student, he graduated as valedictorian from high school and later attended Harvard, earning both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree by 1974.
Despite passing the bar, he turned to politics rather than a legal career. At just 23, he was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1974. In 1980, at age 29, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, replacing Representative Elizabeth Holtzman (pictured).
Representative Nancy Pelosi was born on March 26, 1940, in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father was the city’s mayor, and she grew up in a politically active family. She graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., in 1962 and worked as a congressional intern for a Maryland senator.
Pelosi raised her five children and volunteered for the Democratic party before she officially entered politics herself in 1977 as the chair for the northern section of the California Democratic Party, later becoming the chair for the state. In 1987, she was elected to Congress. Pelosi made history in 2007 as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was born on May 28, 1971, in Miami, Florida, to Cuban immigrant parents. He grew up in a working-class family and earned a football scholarship to Tarkio College before transferring to the University of Florida, where he graduated in 1993. He later earned a law degree from the University of Miami in 1996.
After school, Rubio worked as a lawyer and served as a city commissioner’s aide. He entered politics at 28, winning a seat in the Florida House of Representatives in 1999. By 35, he became the Speaker of the Florida House, focusing on tax reform and education.
