| Years |
Age |
Events |
| 1953 |
0 |
Born on June 10 in Seneca, South Carolina—small-town kid with textile worker parents. |
| 1950s-60s |
10 |
Grows up in Robbins, NC—dad Wallace and mom Bobbie hustle in the mill and post office. |
| 1971 |
18 |
Graduates from North Moore High School—first in his fam to aim for college. |
| 1974 |
21 |
Snags a bachelor’s in textile management from NC State University—textiles run in the blood! |
| 1977 |
24 |
Graduates with a law degree from UNC Chapel Hill; marries Elizabeth Anania on July 30—met her at law school. |
| 1978 |
25 |
Starts lawyering in Nashville, Tennessee—first gig out of school. |
| 1979 |
26 |
Son Wade born—first kiddo with Elizabeth, big family moment. |
| 1981 |
28 |
Moves to Raleigh, NC, joins a law firm—starts building his rep as a trial lawyer. |
| 1982 |
29 |
Daughter Cate born—family’s growing! |
| 1985 |
32 |
Wins a $6.5M verdict for a kid with cerebral palsy—judge cuts it to $4.25M, but it’s a game-changer for NC law. |
| 1996 |
43 |
Son Wade dies at 16 in a car crash on April 4—winds flipped his Jeep; family’s wrecked. |
| 1997 |
44 |
Starts the Wade Edwards Foundation with Elizabeth—keeps Wade’s memory alive with a learning lab. |
| 1998 |
45 |
Wins a huge $25M case against a pool company—biggest personal injury award in NC history; runs for Senate and beats Lauch Faircloth. |
| 1999 |
46 |
Sworn in as US Senator from North Carolina on January 3—newbie with big dreams. |
| 2001 |
48 |
Sets up the One America Committee—his political action gig starts rolling. |
| 2003 |
50 |
Announces he’s running for President on September 16—populist vibe, all about the little guy. |
| 2004 |
51 |
Drops out of prez race after Super Tuesday on March 3; picked as John Kerry’s VP running mate on July 6; loses to Bush-Cheney on November 2. |
| 2005 |
52 |
Becomes director of UNC’s Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity—new gig post-politics. |
| 2006 |
53 |
Daughter Emma Claire born—late family addition with fertility treatments; affair with Rielle Hunter kicks off around here. |
| 2007 |
54 |
Announces another prez run on December 28—back in the game! |
| 2008 |
55 |
Daughter Frances Quinn born to Rielle Hunter on February 27; drops prez bid on January 30; admits affair with Hunter on August 8—huge scandal breaks. |
| 2010 |
57 |
Separates from Elizabeth in January; Elizabeth dies of breast cancer on December 7—tough year. |
| 2011 |
58 |
Indicted on June 3 for illegal campaign funds tied to hiding the Hunter affair—faces six charges. |
| 2012 |
59 |
Goes on trial April 23; found not guilty on one count May 31, mistrial on five others—charges dropped later. |
| 2015 |
62 |
Keeps a low profile—spotted helping Jack’s baseball team in Chapel Hill, NC. |
| 2025 |
72 |
Chilling in NC, mostly out of the public eye—71 and counting! |
