11 things you may not know about Joe Biden

WASHINGTON DC: Democrat Joe Biden has defeated Donald Trump in the race to become the 46th US President. Joe Biden, former vice president of the United States, has been in the public eye for around half a century. Born in Pennsylvania in 1942, the 77-year-old was elected to the Senate for the first time in 1972.

He was re-elected six times after that, overall spending 36 years in the US Senate. Biden first ran for president in 1988, and then again in 2008. He served as vice president in the Obama administration, for which he is remembered not just for the work he did but also for the viral Obama-Biden bromance memes that took over the Internet at the time.

Despite having served in public life for years, Joe Biden acknowledges that it is sometimes difficult to know the person behind the public persona. Last week, he shared 11 little-known facts about himself on Instagram, writing: "I know sometimes it can feel like you watch me on TV or you see my social media posts, but you've never gotten a chance to meet me in real life. That's why I wanted to share 11 facts about me you might not know!"

Here are 11 things you may not know about Joe Biden:

1.He played on his high school football team. Biden played both wide receiver and halfback on the team. In 1960 they went undefeated.

2.He has two German shepherds, named Champ and Major.

View this post on Instagram

Folks — you’re not just voting to put me in the White House. You’re also voting for Champ and Major. Let’s put dogs back in the White House.

A post shared by Joe Biden (@joebiden) on Oct 11, 2020 at 10:45am PDT

3.A huge car enthusiast, he still has the '67 Corvette Stingray' he got from his father.

4.Joe Biden wrote and championed the Violence Against Women Act.

5.In December 1972, Biden's wife Neilia and their one-year-old daughter Amy were killed in a road accident. His sons Beau and Hunter also suffered injuries in the crash. Biden had been elected to the Senate for the first time, but rather than move to Washington DC, he decided to commute by train every day from Wilmington so he could spend more time with his sons.

6.After losing his wife and daughter in the car accident, Joe Biden was sworn into the Senate at his sons' hospital bedsides.

7.He grew up with a stutter and would recite Yeats and Emerson to work on his public speaking.

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As a young man, I was drawn to public service. I wanted to fight for hard-working Americans — folks like my neighbors in Scranton and Wilmington — who were just looking to do good by their families. Now I look around and see those same folks struggling to put food on the table, while the rich continue to get richer. I’m running for President to put these folks first. This election is Scranton vs. Park Avenue — it’s high time we chose Scranton.

A post shared by Joe Biden (@joebiden) on Oct 30, 2020 at 2:02pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

Folks — you’re not just voting to put me in the White House. You’re also voting for Champ and Major. Let’s put dogs back in the White House.

A post shared by Joe Biden (@joebiden) on Oct 11, 2020 at 10:45am PDT

8.At 29, he was one of the youngest people ever elected to the United States Senate. He met the constitutional age requirement of 30 by the time he was sworn in.

9.He is the second Catholic president in US history. John F Kennedy was the first.

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12 years ago, I was given the honor to serve you as Vice President alongside President @BarackObama. We accomplished so much, but I'm not done yet. Today, I'm asking you to put your faith in me once again — I won't let you down.

A post shared by Joe Biden (@joebiden) on Nov 2, 2020 at 9:00pm PST

View this post on Instagram

Folks — you’re not just voting to put me in the White House. You’re also voting for Champ and Major. Let’s put dogs back in the White House.

A post shared by Joe Biden (@joebiden) on Oct 11, 2020 at 10:45am PDT

10.During their eight years in the White House, Joe Biden and Barack Obama were busy, of course, but made sure to spend time together at their weekly lunches.

11.Joe Biden loves ice cream, and his favourite flavour is chocolate chip.