Hillary Clinton: A life in pictures

On July 26, 2016, Hillary Rodham Clinton - the former attorney, first lady, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State - became the first woman in American history to head a major political party’s ticket as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

Pictured: Hillary Rodham as seen in her 1965 yearbook from Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Ill.

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan

Vice President Rodham

Hillary Rodham first ran for president in 1965 -- president of student government at her Chicago suburb school. (She lost.) She has said that one of her opponents told her she was stupid to think that a girl could be elected president. She is seen at left in a 1964 yearbook photo, when she was a junior - serving as junior class vice-president.

Hillary Rodham

Hillary Rodham during her student days at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass.

Though at a young age she was a supporter of Barry Goldwater (as were her parents), Rodham swerved to campaign for anti-war candidate Sen. Eugene McCarthy, and then worked for Republican Gov. Nelson Rockefeller at the Miami GOP Convention. She then went to Chicago for the Democratic convention.

Wellesley College

Hillary Rodham (center) attends a student rally at Wellesley College, October 8, 1968.

Wellesley College

Hillary Rodham sits on a panel of candidates for Wellesley College Government President.

Commencement Speech

As a member of the Wellesley student body speaking to the Class of 1969, Hillary Rodham publicly rebuked a Republican Senator on the platform, and earned a seven-minute standing ovation for her impassioned speech.

“For too long, those who lead us have viewed politics as the art of the possible,” Rodham said. “The challenge that faces them and us - now - is to practice politics as the art of making possible what appears to be impossible.”

Commencement Speech

Her speech made headlines, though Life Magazine noted that it was the least strident of several student speeches they had covered.

"Did you do that on purpose, pull back?" asked "Sunday Morning" correspondent Jane Pauley in 2014. "You weren't angry?"

"No. I do get angry," Clinton said. "And I get, sometimes, outraged. But I also believe it's not the best way to explain yourself and bring people together to try to change something."

Yale Law School

Hillary Rodham met Bill Clinton in 1971 while both were students at Yale Law School; they married four years later. Before that, she researched the problems of migrant workers for a Senatorial committee, and served on the staff on the House committee investigating the Watergate scandal.

Marriage

Bill and Hillary Clinton on their wedding day in Fayetteville, Ark., October 11, 1975.

Chelsea

Hillary Clinton gave birth to their daughter, Chelsea, on February 27, 1980, while First Lady of Arkansas. Her primary focus had been on children's issues, doing research at the Yale Child Study Center, and working as first staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund.

Washington, D.C.

Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary enter the White House on Feb. 27, 1979, to attend a dinner honoring the nation's governors.

"60 Minutes"

Ark. Governor Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, presented a united front on CBS' "60 Minutes," in response to allegations that the man running for president had engaged in a 12-year extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers.

"I'm not sitting here some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette," Hillary famously told Steve Kroft during the interview. "I'm sitting here because I love him and I respect him."

The Clinton-Gore Bus Tour

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Al Gore; his wife, Tipper Gore; presidential candidate Bill Clinton; and his wife, Hillary Clinton, say goodbye to supporters July 17, 1992 before boarding a bus in New York. The Democratic team began the general campaign with a cross-country bus caravan from New York to St. Louis.

Farewell to Arkansas

Hillary Rodham Clinton hugs her daughter Chelsea during a farewell address by her husband to the people of Arkansas, at an airport rally in Little Rock, January 16, 1993.

Having defeated the incumbent President George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and his family left for Charlottesville, Va., for the start of a planned bus trip to Washington, D.C., before the swearing-in of the 42nd U.S. President.

President-Elect Clinton

President-elect Bill Clinton, surrounded by his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton and Vice-President-elect Al Gore, waves to the crowd during his pre-Inauguration bus tour, January 17, 1993.

Mr. President

William Jefferson Clinton takes the oath of office from Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Rehnquist to become the 42nd President of the U.S., January 20, 1993, as his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, looks on.

Japan

First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton laughs as she is presented with a bouquet of flowers by Japanese children July 8, 1993 at the Meguro waste incineration plant in Tokyo, during the G7 Summit.

Health Care

President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton listen to Karl Kregor explain why he is afraid of losing health insurance for his family, September 16, 1993 in Washington, D.C.

The Clintons met at the White House with citizens who shared problems they have had with the current health care system.

White House Correspondents Dinner

First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton laughs as she listens to political humorist Bill Maher address the annual dinner of the Radio and Television Correspondents Association in Washington, March 15, 1995.

Mother Theresa

In this June 19, 1995 file photo, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Mother Teresa at the opening of the Mother Teresa Home for Infant Children on June 19, 1995 in Washington.

Yellowstone

President Bill Clinton, first lady Hillary Clinton, and daughter Chelsea take in a bit of wild Elk viewing near sunset while touring Yellowstone National Park on vacation on August 12, 1996.

Grammy-Winner

Hillary Rodham Clinton holds up her Grammy Award February 26, 1997, at Madison Square Garden in New York. The first lady received the award for Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album for the audio book of "It Takes a Village."

Happy Birthday

First lady Hillary Clinton laughs with her mother, Dorothy Rodham, in front of her childhood home during ceremonies celebrating her 50th birthday October 27, 1997, in Park Ridge, Ill.

The Lewinsky Affair

First Lady Hillary Clinton delivers a speech promoting education as her husband, President Bill Clinton, listens January 26, 1998, at the White House in Washington, D.C.

At the event, President Clinton - embroiled in a scandal about an alleged affair with a former White House intern - vehemently denied the accusations, saying, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky."

Remembering Nairobi Victims

President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, hold their hands over their hearts August 13, 1998, at Andrews Air Force Base during a memorial service for victims of the August 7th terrorist bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.

The Lewinsky Affair

Chelsea Clinton walks with her mother, first lady Hillary Clinton, and her father, President Bill Clinton, as they depart the White House with their dog, Buddy, on their way to a two-week vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Mass., Aug. 18, 1998.

DNC

President Bill Clinton smiles with first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, after the president delivered his speech to the Democratic National Convention August 14, 2000, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

New York Women for Hillary

First lady and Democratic Senate candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton addresses a New York Women for Hillary event in New York, October 17, 2000.

Senator-Elect

Left: First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to the crowd before husband President Bill Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea Clinton, at her victory party November 7, 2000 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

Hillary Clinton defeated Republican Rick Lazio for the Senate with more than 55 percent of the vote.

Senator Clinton

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton waits her turn to question Secretary of State Colin Powell after he testified before the Senate Budget Committee on Capitol Hill, March 14, 2001.

2001 Fair Pay Act

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), speaking outside the U.S. Capitol on June 12, 2001, called for working women to receive equal pay and to increase the penalties and enforcement of the 1963 Equal Pay Act.

In 2005 Clinton re-introduced the bill as the Paycheck Fairness Act (to address income disparities based on sex), but it was sidetracked in the Senate; Republican filibusters blocked further action.

Power Plant Emissions

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) speaks during a hearing to examine the environmental and public health impacts of power plant emissions before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee July 26, 2001 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

9/11

New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (center) leads New York's Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton and New York Governor George Pataki on a tour of the site of the World Trade Center disaster September 12, 2001 in New York.

"Lion of the Senate"

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) talks to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) during a press conference on bioterrorism November 15, 2001 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Senate Armed Services Committee

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) looks over her papers before the start of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill September 9, 2003 in Washington, D.C. The committee heard testimony from Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and others on U.S. military commitments and ongoing military operations abroad.

Presidential Debate

Illinois Senator Barack Obama listens as New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during a Democratic presidential debate October 30, 2007 at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

18 Million Cracks

“Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it.”

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton thanks her supporters during her concession speech in the race for the Democratic Party’s nomination, at the National Building Museum June 7, 2008 in Washington, D.C. Clinton won 21 state primaries and carried 1,973 delegates to the party convention, but threw her support behind Barack Obama.

Swearing-In

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is sworn in as her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and her daughter Chelsea look on during a ceremonial swearing-in at the State Department Feb. 2, 2009, in Washington.

Madam Secretary

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives at Don Muang International Airport on Nov. 18, 2012, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Clinton is the most-traveled Secretary of State in U.S. history, covering more than 950,000 miles in visits to 112 countries during her four years in in the post.

Shimon Peres

Israeli President Shimon Peres kisses Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on her cheek as he gives her a bouquet of flowers at the end of a joint press conference after their meeting in Jerusalem on March 3, 2009.

Nouri al-Maliki

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is escorted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department in Washington, on July 24, 2009.

Vladimir Putin

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin outside Moscow in Novo-Ogarevo on March 19, 2010.

Clinton-Mezvinsky Wedding

Marc Mezvinsky, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and former President Bill Clinton pose during the wedding of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky, at the Astor Courts Estate on July 31, 2010 in Rhinebeck, New York.

Nicolas Sarkozy

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is welcomed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy before a crisis summit on Libya at Elysee Palace on March 19, 2011, in Paris.

Bin Laden's Final Night

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and members of the national security team receive an update on the Navy SEALs' mission against Osama bin Laden, in the Situation Room of the White House May 1, 2011, in Washington.

Texts From Hillary

Photos by Kevin Lamarque of Reuters (far left) and Diana Walker of Time showing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton checking her BlackBerry aboard a military plane bound for Tripoli, on October 18, 2011, became featured players in the humorous website, Texts From Hillary.

Malawi

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dances with Malawian women at the Lumbadzi Milk Bulking Group on Aug. 5, 2012 in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Nelson Mandela

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with former South Africa President Nelson Mandela, 94, at his home in Qunu, South Africa, Aug. 6, 2012.

Yang Jieche

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is greeted by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jieche at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on Sept. 4, 2012.

Meryl & Hillary

Actress Meryl Streep uses her iPhone to take a selfie with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton following the State Department Dinner for the Kennedy Center Honors gala on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012 at the State Department in Washington.

Hamid Karzai

Afghan President Hamid Karzai holds a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department in Washington on January 10, 2013.

Benghazi

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the September 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, during a hearing on Capitol Hill in which she was grilled about the deadly assault in which four Americans died.

"There were a lot of confusing pieces of information flooding into us from the very first moment we heard about it," Clinton told CBS News' Jane Pauley. "We did our best to sort it out. I did my best to fully cooperate with the Congress. I respect the Congress's oversight responsibility. But there's a difference between unanswered questions and unlistened-to answers."

"Hard Choices"

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discusses her book, "Hard Choices," at the Lisner Auditorium on the campus of George Washington University, June 13, 2014 in Washington, D.C. Clinton was on a nationwide tour to promote the new memoir with media interviews and book signings, without answering questions about whether she had decided on another run for the presidency in 2016.

Supporters

Volunteers of I'm Ready for Hillary sign up supporters outside a supermarket where the former Secretary of State was signing her new book, in Arlington, Va., June 14, 2014.

Syracuse University

Hillary Clinton laughs before speaking at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications on March 23, 2015, in Syracuse N.Y.

The following month, Clinton made official her run for the Democratic nomination for president.

"The Ellen DeGeneres Show"

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton does the "Nae Nae" dance move with DJ Stephen "Twitch" Boss and television host Ellen DeGeneres during a taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in New York September 8, 2015.

"Saturday Night Live"

Hillary Clinton, as Val the bartender, commiserates with presidential candidate "Hillary Clinton" (Kate McKinnon) on "Saturday Night Live," Oct. 3, 2015.

Presidential Debate

Democratic presidential candidates Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton take part in the Democratic candidates' presidential debate in Las Vegas, October 13, 2015.

Katy Perry

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives with singer Katy Perry during a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, October 24, 2015. Clinton would narrowly defeat Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucuses, the first party contest, in February.

"Face the Nation"

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky are pictured backstage at "Face the Nation," January 10, 2016.

New Hampshire

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives for a visit to the Chez Vachon restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire February 8, 2016.

Bernie Sanders handily won the New Hampshire primary on February 9, beating Clinton 60% to 38%.

Georgia

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes selfies with supporters during a campaign stop at Atlanta City Hall in Atlanta, February 26, 2016.

In late February and early March, Clinton followed her New Hampshire loss with victories in Nevada, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Sanders, meanwhile, won an upset in Michigan, and was victorious in Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Vermont, Kansas, Nebraska and Maine.

Reagan Presidential Library

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, Caroline Kennedy and Hillary Clinton walk to the gravesite after the funeral of Nancy Reagan at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, March 11, 2016.

North Carolina

Supporters look on as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a Get Out the Vote event at the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 14, 2016.

Clinton swept the primaries on March 15, winning North Carolina, Florida, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio.

Democratic nominee

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives to speak during her California primary night rally marking a historic moment in Brooklyn, New York, June 7, 2016.

"Thanks to you we've reached a milestone," Clinton said, to deafening applause. "The first time in our nation's history that a woman will be a major party's nominee for the president of the United States."

Running Mates

On Saturday, July 23, 2016, prior to the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Hillary Clinton introduced Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her vice presidential pick.

Hillary Clinton and POTUS

On July 27, 2016, at the Democratic National Convention, President Barack Obama gave a fulsome endorsement to his party's choice for his successor - the most praise-filled remarks by an incumbent president in memory.

"You know, nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office," Mr. Obama said. "You can read about it, you can study it. But until you've sat at that desk, you don't know what it's like to manage a global crisis or send young people to war. But Hillary's been in the room, she's been part of those decisions. She knows what's at stake in the decisions our government makes, what's at stake for the working family, for the senior citizen, for the small-business owner, for the soldier, for the veteran.

"And even in the midst of crisis, she listens to people and she keeps her cool and she treats everybody with respect. And no matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits."

The Nominee

On July 28, 2016, Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic Party's nomination, becoming the first female presidential nominee on a major party ticket in American history.

"I know that at a time when so much seems to be pulling us apart, it can be hard to imagine how we'll ever pull together again," she said in her acceptance speech. "But I'm here to tell you tonight: progress is possible. I know because I've seen it in the lives of people across America who get knocked down and get right back up. And I know it from my own life.

"More than a few times, I've had to pick myself up and get back in the game. Like so much else, I got this from my mother. She never let me back down from any challenge. When I tried to hide from a neighborhood bully, she literally blocked the door. 'Go back out there,' she said. And she was right; you have to stand up to bullies.

"You have to keep working to make things better, even when the odds are long and the opposition is fierce. ... That's what we need to do together as a nation."

Clinton-Trump Debate

Patrons fill the Capitol Lounge to watch the first presidential debate between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton September 26, 2016 in Washington, D.C. All polls indicated that Clinton handily won the debate, during which she questioned Trump’s business record, temperament and fitness to serve as commander-in-chief, while also raising his past comments against women.

Philadelphia

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is joined on stage by first lady Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama, Chelsea Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, after speaking at a rally at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 - the last night of her tour through several battleground states on the eve of Election Day.

Voting

Hillary Clinton votes at Douglas G. Griffin School November 8, 2016 in Chappaqua, New York, on a day which saw, for the first time, a woman appearing on the ballot as the presidential nominee of a major political party in the United States. 

Election results

Despite heavy early voting from Hispanics and other traditional Democratic voters in Florida and elsewhere, and polling on Election Day that predicted a three-to-five percent nationwide lead over her Republican opponent, Clinton failed to carry several Midwest and Rust Belt states (including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin) that President Obama had won four years earlier. Despite winning the popular vote overall, Clinton’s failure to win enough Electoral College votes was a stunning upset that sent shockwaves around the world. 

Clinton supporters

Hillary Clinton supporters are in shock at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City on Election Night, watching her anticipated victory as the first female president-elect of the United States dissolve into a win for Donald Trump.

Those who had criticized the Republican nominee’s past remarks and behavior towards women were horrified at what the outcome said about our nation, a century after women won the right to vote. ‏@clementine_ford tweeted, “Many people are saying they’d rather vote for a tremendously unqualified, racist, sexually assaulting misogynist than an experienced woman.”

Concession Speech

“Our campaign was never about one person, or even one election. It was about the country we love and building an America that is hopeful, inclusive, and big-hearted,” Clinton said in her concession speech on Wed., November 9, 2016. “We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America, and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. …

“Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power. We don’t just respect that; we cherish it. It also enshrines the rule of law; the principle we are all equal in rights and dignity; freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values, too, and we must defend them.

“Let me add: Our constitutional democracy demands our participation, not just every four years, but all the time. So let’s do all we can to keep advancing the causes and values we all hold dear. … bringing together millions of people from every corner of our country to say with one voice that we believe that the American dream is big enough for everyone.”