Anecdotes

Is an avid coin-collector.

His terms in office made him the last US president of the 20th century as well as the first president of the 21st century.

Video exists showing a young Bill Clinton shaking hands with President John F. Kennedy. The video was aired on television during his 1992 presidential campaign on CBS News.

His allergies include chocolate, dairy products, and flour.

Is fluent in German.

Had a 12-year affair with Gennifer Flowers from 1980-1992 while he was governor of Arkansas.

Attended a national prayer service for victims of the terror attacks of the World Trade Center, at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Also in attendance were former Presidents George Bush, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, former Vice President Al Gore, former Senator Bob Dole and all their wives. (septembre 2001)

As of 2005, is only the second United States President who has been adopted. The only previous President who was adopted was Gerald Ford.

Pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton, thereby erasing his criminal record shortly before leaving the White House in January 2001.

At the 1988 Democratic Convention, Gov. he gave the introduction for Michael Dukakis, it was the longest keynote speech in the history of American politics. Throughout the speech people were screaming for Dukakis, and wanted him off the stage, after 48 minutes, he said, "In closing..." The entire audience stood up and went crazy. Shortly thereafter, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), where he received a three-minute, 48-second introduction from Johnny Carson, it was multiple pages long, and was Carson's longest introduction for a guest. When Clinton finally came out, Carson, said, "Well, governor, I thank you for coming here tonight. And my first question is, how are you?" With that, Carson placed an hour glass timer on the desk.

Became the first serving US President to visit Northern Ireland. (novembre 1995)

Was portrayed on Saturday Night Live (1975) by Phil Hartman, Chris Farley (once), David Spade (once), Chris Elliott (once), Michael McKean, and Darrell Hammond.

Attended the state funeral of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, along with incumbent President George W. Bush and former President George Bush. This was Clinton's first public appearance since undergoing corrective surgery at a New York hospital. (April 8th 2005)

Despite their numerous political and personal differences, he and former President George Bush, his opponent in the 1992 Presidential election, have actually become friends in recent years. The two have made several commercials together on behalf of the victims of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. As cited in "Time" magazine, former First Lady Barbara Bush even called them "The Odd Couple".

Huge fan of Elvis Presley.

Impeached (the equivalent of indicted) by the U.S. House of Representatives, Dec. 1998, for "high crimes and misdemeanors" on a strictly party-line vote (all Republicans voted for it, all Democrats voted against it; since the Republicans controlled the House, the impeachment was approved). He is the second president to be impeached; the first was Andrew Johnson in 1868 (Richard Nixon would likely have faced impeachment, but he resigned before it came to that).

He was not adopted by Roger Clinton. He used the name "Clinton" when he started school. When he was a teenager, and his younger half-brother Roger Clinton was going to start school, Bill went to court to have his name legally changed to "Clinton". The future President wanted to have the same name as his half-brother, to avoid confusion in the Arkansas school system.

Enjoys playing golf and the saxophone.

Admitted to having an affair with Monica Lewinsky. It happened during his second term as President of United States. (août 1998)

Since leaving the White House, he has made his living mostly giving speeches before various political and business organizations, both domestically and worldwide, averaging $100,000 per speech. That doesn't compare to former President Ronald Reagan, whose first speech after he left office, to a group of wealthy Japanese businessmen, netted him $3 million. (2001)

Underwent emergency quadruple heart bypass surgery in September 2004 after experiencing an episode of angina. The former President had not suffered a coronary infarction, but some of his arteries were more than 90% clogged up. He later underwent corrective surgery for a partially collapsed lung in March 2005.

His mother Virginia Clinton Kelley married Roger Clinton, an alcoholic and a wife-abuser who threatened to kill her. Bill vividly remembers being 5 years old when he witnessed his stepfather Roger firing a gun at his mother; the bullet smashed into a wall next to where Virginia was seated. As Bill grew older, he began to intercede to stop his stepfather's violence to his mother. Bill said he was deprived of a male role model while growing up, as his biological father William had died before he was born and his stepfather Roger was rarely engaged in his life. He has also said that his mother's model of a troubled and violent marriage to Roger has affected his own views on marriage and family when he was a young adult, in which he doubted his own ability to have a successful marriage.

Secret Service codename was Eagle.

Is a vegan since his heart surgery, eating only fruits, vegetables, and whole grain.

Became the first sitting U.S. president to be sued. Paula Jones sued him after claiming he sexually harassed her six years previously. (1997)

In August 2001 he signed a book deal with publisher Alfred A. Knopf, for a $10-million advance.

42nd President of The United States of America (1993-2001).

Had affair with Barbra Streisand.

The first Democratic President to serve multiple terms since Harry S. Truman.

Graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and received his law degree from Yale Law School, where he met his wife Hillary.

Collects saxophones, both miniature and life-size.

Was the first Rhodes Scholar to be elected President of the United States.

His grandparents ran a grocery store and made a point of selling goods on credit to people of all races while there was segregation.

Daughter, Chelsea Clinton, born 27 February 1980.

Named Time magazine's Co-Man of the Year (with Ken Starr) in 1998.

On January 19, 2001, agreed to admit that he gave misleading testimony in connection with the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He was also fined $25,000 and agreed to have his Arkansas law license suspended for 5 years. In exchange, he will not face criminal charges after leaving the White House.

Has his look-alike puppet in the French show Les Guignols de l'info (1988).

Son of Virginia Clinton Kelley (1923-1994).

On November 3, 1992, Clinton was elected the 42nd President of the United States by a wide margin in the Electoral College, despite receiving only 43% of the popular vote. The 1992 election was the first time since 1968 that a candidate won the White House with under 50% of the popular vote. (Neither Clinton in 1996 or George W. Bush in 2000 garnered 50% of the popular vote, though he did in 2004.) Clinton's home state of Arkansas was the only state in the entire country that gave the majority of its vote to a single candidate; the rest were won by pluralities of the vote. Clinton came in third in Utah, behind President George Bush and third party candidate Ross Perot, while Bush came in third in Maine, where the Bush family maintained a summer home in Kennebunkport.

Left the presidency with an approval rating of 65%, higher even than former President Ronald Reagan.

Considered becoming a jazz musician early in his career.

In 2006, he earned between $9-10 million on the lecture circuit. He gave 352 speeches, only 20% for personal income. His speaking fee, is approximately $150,000 per speech unless it is for one of the many Clinton causes or organizations, in which case he speaks for free.

Favorite films are Le train sifflera trois fois (1952) and Princess Bride (1987).

Ranked 21st (out of 41) in a survey of the best U.S. presidents. Some historians also rated him last in "moral authority", largely stemming from the Monica Lewinsky scandal and numerous rumored affairs. (février 2000)

Has said that Comedian Harmonists (1997) is the movie that moved him the most deeply, and that Le train sifflera trois fois (1952) is his favorite movie of all time.

Became the second youngest U.S. President to leave office, after Theodore Roosevelt. (January 20th 2001).

After leaving the White House, he established his new office in the Harlem section of New York City.

Inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, October 2002 (honorary induction).

The producers of 60 Minutes (1968) originally wanted to pair Clinton with right-wing talk-show host Rush Limbaugh in their (now failed) Point/Counterpoint segment, but Clinton's people nixed the idea. They also rejected former Republican Congressman Newt Gingrich, conservative author William J. Bennett, former Christian Coalition executive Ralph Reed and conservative businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes as possible adversaries in debate, before settling on former Senator/Republican Presidential candidate Bob Dole.

Shares a birthday with Tipper Gore, wife of his former presidential running mate, Al Gore.