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Joe Biden's early life: A look at how the ‘Scrappy kid from Scranton’ became prominent face of Democratic Party

Born into catholic family, Biden was eldest of four siblings; while his mother was of Irish descent, his father was oil businessman with his roots tracing back to English, French and Irish descent

For most, Scranton will always be a place that’ll remind us of the hit television series ‘Office’. However, on Tuesday, August 18, the city in Pennsylvania started trending after people learned that the Democratic Presidential nominee, Joe Biden, was born there. While many were taken by surprise, a few from Scranton seem thrilled upon realizing that Biden spent a part of his childhood in their city.

A significant number of Twitter users discovered this interesting fact about Biden after a video of Barack Obama’s farewell address in Chicago started circulating. Obama says, "To Joe Biden, the scrappy kid from Scranton who became Delaware’s favorite son: you were the 1st decision I made as a nominee & the best. Not just because you have been a great VP, but because in the bargain, I gained a brother.”

Joe Biden, whose full name is Joseph Robinette Biden Jr, was born in 1942, at St Mary's Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden and Joseph Robinette Biden. Born into a catholic family, he was the eldest of the four siblings. While his mother was of Irish descent, his father was an oil businessman, with his roots tracing back to English, French and Irish descent. Although Biden's father was a wealthy man, the family suffered severe financial setbacks during the economic decline in the 1950s, due to which the family had to move to Delaware. Joe Biden Sr later found success as a used car salesman.

Biden attended school at Archmere Academy in Claymont where he became a prominent part of the high school football team by helping a losing team win in his senior year. He was also a part of the school's baseball team. Biden is believed to have been a sharp student who was elected class president during his junior and senior years. He graduated high school in 1961. 

Biden acquired a Bachelor's degree in 1965 from the University of Delaware with a double major in history, political science, and a minor in English. He met his former wife, Neilia Hunter, in 1964 and the duo tied the knot in 1966. Hunter died in 1972 in a road accident. Biden earned a law degree in 1968 from Syracuse University College of Law. He practiced law privately while serving as the County Council from 1970 to 1972 until he participated in the 1972 US Senate election in Delaware, which he won against Republican incumbent Senator, J Caleb Boggs by 3,162 votes. He was sworn into office on January 5, 1973, by the secretary of the Senate Francis R Valeo at the Delaware Division of the Wilmington Medical Center. Biden became the sixth-youngest senator in US history at the age of 30. The fact that Biden spent a part of his childhood in Scranton has gathered a lot of attention. The place started trending on Twitter as people took to the platform to share some interesting tweets.

US House Candidate, Christina Finello, tweeted, "Congratulations @JoeBiden for the Presidential nomination. I am grateful for being on the same ticket with him. My grandparents were born in Scranton so I know exactly how hard we will fight for working families everyday in Washington."

"Our next President’s birthplace is my Scranton, PA!" read one tweet. While another added, "Joe Biden is from Scranton? Even more reason to vote for him."