Beau Biden
A dedicated public servant and soldier who carved his own path as Delaware's Attorney General, fiercely protective of children and justice.
1969–2015 (age 46)·American politician and lawyer·Birthday: February 3·Generation X
Biography
Beau Biden lived a life defined by public service and profound resilience. His childhood was marred by tragedy when his mother and sister died in a car accident, an event that forged a tight-knit bond with his brother and father. He followed his father's path into law and politics, but on his own terms, serving in the Delaware Army National Guard and deploying to Iraq as a JAG officer. As Delaware's Attorney General, he was a hands-on prosecutor who established the state's first Child Predator Task Force, focusing intently on protecting the most vulnerable. His tenure was marked by a quiet, determined competence that earned bipartisan respect. His death from brain cancer at 46 cut short a career many believed was destined for higher office, leaving a legacy of duty and character that extended far beyond his famous name.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Beau was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Beau Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Beau's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2015Died at 46
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Served as the 44th Attorney General of Delaware from 2007 to 2015.
- Founded the Delaware Child Predator Task Force, which successfully prosecuted numerous child exploitation cases.
- Served as a Major in the Delaware Army National Guard's Judge Advocate General Corps and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq.
Did You Know?
He survived the same 1972 car crash that killed his mother and infant sister, suffering serious but non-fatal injuries.
Biden administered the oath of office to his father, Joe Biden, for both his Vice Presidential and Senatorial roles.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Syracuse University College of Law.
“My dad taught me that everybody, no matter what their station in life, is entitled to be treated with dignity.”
