47 photos of Donald Trump’s incomparable life on his 74th birthday

As a teen, the president was enrolled at the New York Military Academy where he briefly served as a captain during his senior year.

Source: Washington Post

He graduated from Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s in economics in 1968. He then started his career at his father’s real estate development company, E. Trump & Son.

As someone who loves the art of negotiation, Trump was able to negotiate New York City to provide a 40-year tax abatement for the Grand Hyatt Hotel — the first ever granted to a commercial property.

Source: The Trump Organization

An early win was when Trump offered to renovate decrepit areas in need, such as a long-closed ice-skating rink, at no profit to himself, after the city’s renovation effort went through five years of delays and more than double the original cost estimate.

Source: AP

Trump owns a fleet of luxury helicopters, and a private plane that was often a backdrop at his 2016 presidential campaign events.

Trump also enjoys tennis — he even played a round, wearing his traditional suit, against the legendary Serena Williams.

Trump had three kids with Ivana: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric.

He divorced Ivana in a public split in 1992, and married Marla Maples in 1993.

Trump and Marla had one daughter, Tiffany, in 1993.

As a self-proclaimed family man, Trump attended many public events and television shows with his family over the years.

Source: Oprah

Trump first started showing signs of interest for a possible bid for the US presidency with the formation of a presidential exploratory committee ahead of the 2000 election.

Source: Reuters

To test the political waters, the potential Reform Party presidential candidate traveled to several areas to address party leaders.

Source: AP

In 2005, Donald Trump married fashion designer and model Melania Trump.

Source: PolitiFact

The two had one son, Barron, in 2006.

As no stranger to the political process, Trump was even acquainted with members of the judicial branch. Here he is greeting Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the Daytona 500.

He also became the owner of the infamous Miss Universe beauty pageant for many years.

Some of the president’s projects, like Trump University, were mired in lawsuits that Trump lost or had to settle. Others he may have made a profit on, but declared bankruptcy, and partners he worked with accused him of not paying them.

Read more: The New York Times rates 61 of Donald Trump’s business deals, concludes 40% failed

In June 2015, Trump famously launched his presidential campaign by coming down an escalator in Trump Tower.

As the fog of the political battlefield cleared on the Republican side, Trump prepared to take on presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump made his final appeal to voters in swing-states as the contentious campaign drew to a close.

While Trump won the electoral votes needed to secure the presidency, he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly three million votes.

Source: The New York Times

Taking his oath of office on January 20, 2017, Trump officially became the 45th President of the United States.

After taking office, Trump’s administration faltered under a series of scandals and missteps. One of these was his firing of FBI director James Comey, who was leading an investigation into Russia’s meddling in the US election.

The special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to oversee the investigation. Nearly two years later, he closed the probe in May 2019 — after charging several of Trump’s associates with crimes, concluding Russia interfered in the 2016 election to benefit Trump, and outlining several instances that the president failed at obstructing justice.

Read more: Mueller outlines key Trump-Russia contacts and potential instances of obstruction of justice in final report

As a businessman who prides himself as a seasoned dealmaker, Trump has had mixed success interacting with world leaders as president. With some, he’s had sparkling relationships. With others, things have been more frosty.

As the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Trump observed the sacrifices made by US service members on Memorial Day.

At his first presidential college commencement, Trump addressed the graduating class of Liberty University. “What imprint will you leave in the sands of history?” he asked them. “What will future Americans say we did in our brief time right here on earth? Did we take risks? Did we dare to defy expectations? Did we challenge accepted wisdom and take on established systems? I think I did, but we all did and we’re all doing it.”

Source: TIME

Trump has often received criticism during his time in office, like when he threw paper towels into a crowd in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on the region.

Other times in his presidency have been more lighthearted. On the White House front lawn, Trump and the first lady preside over the Easter egg roll, one of many holiday traditions.

In some of the more lighthearted moments, Trump has entertained athletic champions at the White House with his favorite items from fast-food restaurants.

His presidency has witnessed multiple mass shootings including ones at the Las Vegas Strip, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Trump has fiercely defended the Second Amendment.

Source: Business Insider

The Trumps joined the living presidents and first ladies to attend the funeral of former President George H.W. Bush in December 2018.

Trump successfully saw Justice Brett Kavanaugh confirmed the Supreme Court despite the controversy surrounding his appointment and a heated confirmation hearing in the Senate. The president ushered in two conservative justices, the other being Neil Gorsuch.

Source: Business Insider

The president was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 18, 2019, on charges of abusing his power and obstructing Congress. The inquiry was sparked after a whistleblower filed a report over a phone call the president held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July 2019. Trump is the third president to be impeached in US history.

Source: Business Insider

Things turned out alright for the president, however, when he was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate on February 5 by a vote of 52-48. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict the president.

Source: Business Insider

The Trump Administration was tasked with handling the COVID-19 pandemic, which first reached the US in January. More than 110,000 Americans have died from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The president has received sharp criticism for his administration’s handling of the pandemic.

Source: Business Insider

The president has also received criticism for his handling of nationwide protests about racism on US police forces. At a press conference in June, Trump threatened to deploy the military to end nationwide unrest. Meanwhile, a crowd of peaceful protesters was tear-gassed outside of the White House to make way for Trump to walk to a nearby church for a photo-op.

Source: Business Insider

As Trump celebrates his 74th birthday, there are less than five months until the 2020 general election. Voters will decide whether to give him another four years in the Oval Office. The president is reportedly planning to resume his campaign rallies, which have been paused due to COVID-19.

Source: Business Insider