Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe in Hope, Arkansas. His father died before he was born, and after his mother married Roger Clinton, Bill had his last name legally changed to Clinton. He graduated from Georgetown University in 1968, then won a Rhodes Scholarship, which allowed him to study at Oxford University in England for two years. Upon his return to the United States, Clinton enrolled in Yale Law School and graduated in 1973. He then practiced law and taught at the Arkansas School of Law. In 1975 he married Hillary Rodham, and the next year he was elected attorney general of Arkansas. In 1978 he was elected governor of Arkansas, becoming the youngest governor in the United States. He was defeated when he sought re-election in 1982 but two years later won election as governor again. He served until 1992 when he defeated Republican George Bush and independent Ross Perot in the presidential election. Important events in his first term included the 1993 passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, an unsuccessful attempt to overhaul the nation’s health-care system, and a commitment of U.S. forces to Bosnia. In 1996 Clinton defeated Republican Bob Dole. Although Clinton maintained high job-approval ratings, his second term was marred by scandal. In December 1998 the House of Representatives impeached Clinton for lying under oath during a civil trial about an improper relationship he had had with a young White House intern. The Senate acquitted Clinton of the charges against him in February 1999, and he remained in office.
