A life of triumph and tragedy: The personal journey of Joe Biden

Life has been exceptionally painful for Joe Biden. Years ago, his wife and daughter died in a car accident. A few years ago, his son lost a battle with a serious illness. Meanwhile, his only surviving son currently has serious legal issues.

Joe Biden made history as the 46th president of the United States. However, the life of the 81-year-old has not always been colourful. Years ago, the American politician experienced several family tragedies that were exceptionally painful. One such tragedy was the accident in which his first wife, Neilia Hunter, died. The couple married in 1966, and their relationship bore three children.

In 1972, Joe Biden began a serious political career, winning the Senate elections. The then nearly 30-year-old politician fulfilled his great dream, but his happiness did not last long. Six weeks after the political victory, on December 18, 1972, his wife had a car accident. In the vehicle, which was struck by a truck, were also the children of the then-senator. The sons were hospitalized, but Biden's wife and daughter died on the spot.

I was in Washington, hiring new staff, when I got a call from the paramedics. A fairly young woman answered the phone. She was terribly nervous. "You need to come home. There has been an accident. A truck hit your wife and three children when they went shopping," she said - Joe Biden recalled during one of the speeches.

A few years later, Joe Biden took another blow from fate. His eldest son from his first marriage fell seriously ill. Unfortunately, Beau Biden died at the end of May 2015 from brain cancer. The politician's firstborn was 46 years old at the time. He left behind his wife, Hallie, and two orphaned children.

Joe Biden never hid that his son's death was a great tragedy for him. Beau was his driving force for political action. According to the President, his son's military service in Iraq, where Beau was exposed to toxic burn pits, could have contributed to his death.

When Beau was dying, he made me promise that I would not withdraw from political activity. He knew I would take care of the family but was worried that I would retreat into a shell and shut out the outside world. It took me a long time to realize what my current driving force is. To wake up every day and say to myself: I hope he's proud of me - confessed Joe Biden in an interview for CNN.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about Hunter Biden. The President's son has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years. Some time ago, there was a lot of noise about his charges related to illegal possession of a weapon. A few weeks ago, Joe Biden officially announced that he would not use the pardon power if his son were convicted.

ALSO WATCH: Joe Biden paid tribute to his deceased son: "Beau was the apple of his eye"