According to the account provided, Joseph R. Biden Jr., 81, died peacefully at his Wilmington, Delaware, home of apparent natural causes, ending a public career spanning more than five decades.

His legacy centers on resilience, empathy, and connection with everyday Americans. Starting as Delaware’s senator in 1973, he served as Barack Obama’s vice president and won the presidency in 2020. As president (2021–2025), he led COVID recovery and advanced major infrastructure and climate initiatives.

Tributes poured in across the spectrum; Barack Obama praised his faith and kindness, and the sitting president ordered flags at half-staff. Biden’s politics were shaped by profound personal losses—his first wife and infant daughter in 1972, and his son Beau in 2015—and by his devotion to Dr. Jill Biden, their children, and grandchildren.

A national memorial in Washington, D.C., will precede a private burial in Delaware, expected to draw world leaders and thousands of mourners. In his final Christmas address, he urged Americans to hold loved ones close, believe in the nation’s capacity for good, and “never, ever give up on hope.”