Primavera (detail), Sandro Botticelli. 

Circa 1482, tempera on panel.

First marriage had to overcome fiancees parent’s unhappiness with their daughter marrying a Roman Catholic (which they did)

His wife and baby daughter died, and both sons were injured in a crash just weeks after he was elected senator - an election in which he was the underdog, and his campaign was mostly managed by his family with little funding (1972)

Wanted to resign in order to care for his sons

For his boys’ sake he commuted an hour and a half each morning and evening to Washington DC  so he could see them everyday

Hosted barbecues and christmas dinner annually for Amtrak crews

Amtrak crews would sometimes hold the last train for a few minutes so he could catch it

Never works on December 18th, the day his wife and daughter died

after his first election as state senator for Delaware he was re-elected 6 times - usually with around 60% of the vote

May 1999 he set the mark for the youngest senator to cast 10,000 votes

Ranked as one of the least wealthy members of the senate

Was banned in 2008 from receiving Holy Communion by the bishop of his original hometown, Scranton, because of his support for abortion rights

Was caught on microphone telling Obama that signing the ACA was “a big fucking deal” during live broadcasts

Obama’s daughter Sasha and Biden’s granddaughter Maisy attended the same school together, which helped form the obama-biden friendship

Biden’s friendships on the senate floor were often instrumental in passing major legislation

In 2015 he reduced his schedule to spend more time with his son Beau, who was fighting and later died from brain cancer  

One of only 4 recipients to receive the presidential medal of freedom with distinction

Jill Biden, his wife, is only of only 2 second ladies to continue her day job