Inside Joe Biden and Wife Jill's Enduring Romance: A Full Relationship Timeline

All roads ultimately led Joe and Jill Biden to each other.

The former first couple first came across each other during a blind date in March 1975 after being set up by Joe's brother.

"I was a senior, and I had been dating guys in jeans and clogs and T-shirts. He came to the door and he had a sport coat and loafers, and I thought, 'God, this is never going to work, not in a million years.' He was nine years older than I am! But we really hit it off," Jill told Vogue. "I went upstairs and called my mother at 1:00 a.m. and said, 'Mom, I finally met a gentleman.'"

Both Joe and Jill had been married to other people before their first meeting.

Joe's late first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, died in a 1972 car crash that also killed their third child, Naomi Biden. They also shared sons Beau, who died from brain cancer in 2015, and Hunter.

Meanwhile, Jill was married to businessman William "Bill" Stevenson from 1970 to 1975.

According to the educator, she embraced Joe's sons as her own when they began dating.

"When Joe worked late, I would go over to make dinner and keep them company," she wrote in her memoir Where the Light Enters. "I would help pick them up from school sometimes, or we'd pass an evening watching TV. We started to build our own relationship separate from their dad."

Joe and Jill's relationship immediately progressed after the blind date. Still, the former senator had to proposed to his now-wife five times before she said, "Yes."

"I said, 'Not yet. Not yet. Not yet.' Because by that time, of course, I had fallen in love with the boys, and I really felt that this marriage had to work," Jill explained to Vogue in November 2016. "Because they had lost their mom, and I couldn't have them lose another mother. So, I had to be 100 percent sure."

Wedding bells finally rang for Joe and Jill at the United Nations Chapel on June 17, 1977. They celebrated their union at their wedding reception at Sign of the Dove in New York City.

They also took both Beau and Hunter on their honeymoon.

Joe and Jill welcomed their first and only child together, daughter Ashley Biden, on June 8, 1981.

That same year, Jill earned her Master of Education degree from West Chester University. She then began teaching English while pursuing a Master of Arts in English from Villanova University.

In 1987, Joe launched his first presidential campaign after announcing his bid for the 1988 Democratic nomination. Jill stood by his side on the trail, though he ultimately withdrew from the race after his effort fell short.

"As a political spouse, I've found that my stoicism often serves me well," Jill wrote in her 2019 memoir. "In 1988, when Joe's first presidential campaign started to look bleak, people were constantly looking for cracks in our team. We all felt scrutinized, but I refused to show weakness."

The following year, Joe suffered two brain aneurysms requiring surgery. He also had a pulmonary embolism while recovering from the health issue.

Joe and Jill became the U.S.' second couple after the politician was sworn in as the 47th vice president.

"After Joe was elected vice president, people started questioning whether I could keep teaching," she said. "Not Joe. He was there standing by my side saying 'Of course you should. It's who you are, Jill.'"

Joe was re-elected in 2012 alongside Barack Obama, serving two full terms.

Joe won the 2020 election against Donald Trump, becoming the 46th U.S. president. He launched his bid for a second term but withdrew from the 2024 presidential election in July 2024. He left the White House at the end of his term in January 2025.

A few months after Joe left the White House, his office confirmed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer characterized by a "Gleason score of 9," which means the condition is "aggressive."

"While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management," the office added. "The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians."

The former commander-in-chief also shared his health battle on Instagram, writing, "Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support."

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Jill commemorated her and Joe's 48th wedding anniversary.

"This is the truest thing I know: that love makes a family whole. Happy anniversary @JoeBiden 💕," she wrote in the caption.

Ahead of the couple's 49th wedding anniversary, Jill released her new book, View From the East Wing, on June 2. The memoir examined her experience in the White House after Joe's inauguration in 2021.