Hillary Clinton journey so far- US first woman presidential nomination ever

Hillary's journey so far – US first woman presidential nomination ever

Democratic Party on Wednesday created history by nominating Hillary Clinton as its nominee for US presidential race, due in November. Clinton, a former first lady, has become the first ever female candidate to fight for the oval office. In the past, Hillary Clinton has served as secretary of state, U.S. senator from New York, first lady of the United States, first lady of Arkansas, a practicing lawyer and law professor, and an activist. And now, she stands a chance to become the first female president of the United States.

Hillary's journey so far – US first woman presidential nomination ever

Hillary Clinton was born on October 26, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois. She went on to earn her law degree from Yale University. Hillary married fellow law school graduate Bill Clinton in 1975. She served as first lady of US alongside her husband from 1993 to 2001.

Hillary's journey so far – US first woman presidential nomination ever

When Hillary Clinton was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2001, she became the first American first lady to ever win a public office seat. She later became the 67th U.S. secretary of state in 2009, serving until 2013. In 2016, she became the first woman in U.S. history to become the presidential nominee of a major political party.

Hillary's journey so far – US first woman presidential nomination ever

In early 2007, Clinton announced her plans to run for the presidency for the first time. During the 2008 Democratic primaries, she conceded the nomination when it became apparent that Barack Obama held a majority of the delegate vote. 

Hillary's journey so far – US first woman presidential nomination ever

After winning the national election, Obama appointed Clinton secretary of state. She was sworn in as part of his cabinet in January 2009 and served until 2013. During her term, Clinton used her position to make women's rights and human rights a central talking point of U.S. initiatives. She also led U.S. diplomatic efforts in connection to the Arab Spring and military intervention in Libya. Clinton became the most widely travelled secretary of state. 

Hillary's journey so far – US first woman presidential nomination ever

The State Department, under Clinton's leadership, came under investigation after a deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, killed U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others on September 11, 2012. An independent panel issued a report about the Benghazi attack, which found "systematic failures and leadership and management deficiencies" at the State Department. In 2013, Clinton accepted full responsibility for the incident and stepped down from her position.

Hillary's journey so far – US first woman presidential nomination ever

In the spring of 2015, she announced her plans to run again for the U.S. presidency. On April 12, Clinton's campaign chairperson John D. Podesta announced via email that the former secretary of state was entering the race to secure the Democratic presidential nomination for the 2016 elections. This was immediately followed by an online campaign clip, with Clinton herself announcing that she's running for president at the end of the video.

Hillary's journey so far – US first woman presidential nomination ever

After much speculation and assumptions over whether Clinton would run for the U.S. presidency, her plans were made official in the spring of 2015. 

Hillary's journey so far – US first woman presidential nomination ever

In May 2016, Clinton’s primary race faced a jolt as the State Department issued a statement regarding her ongoing email scandal, in which she exclusively used a private server while secretary of state. The department criticized her for not seeking permission to use the server and also stated it would not have approved it if she had.  

Hillary's journey so far – US first woman presidential nomination ever

However, coming out of the controversy unscathed, Hillary Clinton became the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic Party in June, 2016.  On July 27, 2016, she democratic party officially announced her as its presidential nominee.