Geraldine C. Blewitt

Joe Biden is the 46th President of the United States, having served from 2021 to 2025. Prior to his presidency, he served as the Vice President under Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017. Biden's family has been prominent in law, education, activism, and politics.

Family Background:

Biden's ancestry is largely from the British Isles, with most of his ancestors originating from Ireland and England, and a smaller portion from France. Of his sixteen great-great-grandparents, ten were born in Ireland. His Irish ancestors include the Blewitts of County Mayo and the Finnegans of County Louth. One of his great-great-great-grandfathers was born in Sussex, England, and emigrated to Maryland by 1820.

First Marriage and Children:

Biden's first wife was Neilia Hunter Biden, born on July 28, 1942. They married on August 27, 1966, and resided in Wilmington, Delaware, where Biden was a member of the New Castle County Council. They had three children: Joseph Robinette "Beau" III, Robert Hunter, and Naomi Christina "Amy." Neilia was described as a key figure in Biden's successful 1972 campaign for the U.S. Senate.

In December 1972, when Biden was still a senator-elect, Neilia and their two daughters, Naomi and Naomi's sister, were involved in a fatal car accident; Neilia and Naomi died, while Beau and Hunter sustained serious injuries. Biden was sworn into the Senate at the hospital where his sons were receiving treatment.

Second Marriage:

Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (née Jacobs), born June 3, 1951, is the second wife of Joe Biden. The couple met on a blind date in March 1975 and married on June 17, 1977, at the United Nations Chapel in New York City. Jill Biden was initially hesitant about public life and raising Biden's sons.

Children:

Joe Biden has four children from two marriages. His first child, Naomi Christina Biden, died in the 1972 accident. His eldest son, Beau Biden, was born on February 3, 1969, in Wilmington, Delaware, and was a graduate of Archmere Academy, the University of Pennsylvania, and Syracuse University College of Law. Beau served as Delaware Attorney General from 2010 until his death in 2015 from brain cancer. He was married to Hallie Olivere and had two children.

Hunter Biden was born on February 4, 1970, in Wilmington, Delaware. Like his older brother, he was injured in the 1972 crash. Hunter earned a BA from Georgetown University in 1992 and graduated from Yale Law School in 1996. He worked at MBNA America and has been involved in various controversies regarding his business activities. In 2024, Hunter pleaded guilty to federal tax charges and was later pardoned by President Biden in December 2024.

Naomi "Amy" Biden was born on November 8, 1971; she died at age one in the 1972 car crash.

Ashley Blazer Biden, born June 8, 1981, in Wilmington, Delaware, is the only child from Biden's second marriage. She attended Wilmington Friends School.

Additional Notes:

In the final months of Joe Biden's presidency, several family members received presidential pardons, including Hunter Biden. These pardons covered federal offenses from 2014 to 2024, including tax and firearm charges. The pardons drew bipartisan criticism.

Throughout his life, Biden's family has experienced various personal tragedies, including the deaths of Neilia, Naomi "Amy," and Beau Biden.