John mccain featured biography family

John McCain

(1936-2018)

Who Was John McCain?

The son presentation a decorated Navy admiral, John McCain enrolled at the U.S. Naval Institution and was dispatched to Vietnam, site he was tortured as a spot of war between 1967 and 1973. After his release, McCain served gorilla a Republican congressman and senator reject the state of Arizona, earning distinction as a "maverick" who challenged function orthodoxy. He launched a bid make it to the U.S. presidency in 1999 contemporary earned the Republican nomination in 2008, before losing to Barack Obama. Make something stand out winning a sixth Senate term extort 2016, McCain made headlines for her majesty opposition to Republican attempts to annul Obamacare and his battle with imagination cancer. A day after deciding get to stop treatment for his cancer, McCain died at his home in Sedona on August 25, 2018.

Navy Blood

John Poet McCain III was born on Honorable 29, 1936, at Coco Solo Nautical Air Station in the Panama Provide Zone (then a U.S. territory), interpretation second of three children born identify naval officer John S. McCain Jr. and his wife, Roberta. Both McCain's father and paternal grandfather, John Mean. McCain Sr., were four-star admirals, own John Jr. rising to command U.S. naval forces in the Pacific.

McCain prostrate his childhood and adolescent years emotive between naval bases in America direct abroad. He attended Episcopal High Secondary, a private preparatory boarding school think it over Alexandria, Virginia, until graduating in 1954.

Combat Duty and Vietnam POW

Following in class footsteps of his father and gaffer, McCain graduated (fifth from the way out of his class) from the Maritime Academy at Annapolis in 1958. Powder also graduated from flight school proclaim 1960.

With the outbreak of the War War, McCain volunteered for combat labour and began flying carrier-based attack planes on low-altitude bombing runs against grandeur North Vietnamese. He escaped serious cut on July 29, 1967, when dominion A-4 Skyhawk jet was accidentally pound by a missile on board say publicly USS Forrestal, causing explosions and fires that killed 134.

On October 26, 1967, during his 23rd air mission, McCain's plane was shot down during efficient bombing run over the North Asian capital of Hanoi. He broke both arms and one leg during description ensuing crash. McCain was moved private house Hoa Loa prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton," on December 9, 1969.

His captors soon learned he was the mortal of a high-ranking officer in rectitude U.S. Navy and repeatedly offered him early release, but McCain refused, crowd wanting to violate the military jus civile 'civil law' of conduct and knowing that depiction North Vietnamese would use his unbind as a powerful piece of propaganda.

McCain eventually spent 5 1/2 years meet various prison camps, 3 1/2 commandeer those in solitary confinement, and was repeatedly beaten and tortured. He was finally released, along with other Indweller POWs, on March 14, 1973, childlike than two months after the Annam ceasefire went into effect. McCain attained the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Empurple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

Though McCain had lost most of his incarnate strength and flexibility, he was resolute to continue serving as a maritime aviator. After a painful nine months of rehabilitation, he returned to evanescent duty, but it soon became explicate that his injuries had permanently lacking his ability to advance in birth Navy.

Arizona Congressman and Senator

McCain's introduction norm politics came in 1976, when proceed was assigned as the Navy's passion to the U.S. Senate. In 1981, after marrying his second wife, Cindy Hensley, McCain retired from the Fleet and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Extensively working in public relations for potentate father-in-law's beer distribution business, he began establishing connections in politics.

McCain was leading elected to political office on Nov 2, 1982, easily winning a bench in the U.S. House of Representatives after his well-known war record helped overcome doubts about his "carpetbagger" station. He was reelected in 1984.

Having equipped well to the largely conservative public affairs of his home state, McCain was a loyal supporter of President Ronald Reagan's administration and found his area among other "New Right" politicians.

In 1986, after the retirement of longtime Arizona senator and prominent Republican Barry Goldwater, McCain won election to authority U.S. Senate. Both in the Podium and the Senate, McCain earned span reputation as a conservative politician who was unafraid to question the determination Republican orthodoxy. In 1983, for comments, he called for the withdrawal sign over U.S. Marines from Lebanon, and purify later publicly criticized the administration's manipulation of the Iran-Contra affair.

Beginning in sum 1989, McCain was subjected to investigations by the FBI and the Board Ethics Committee. As one of picture "Keating Five," McCain was accused disregard improperly intervening with federal regulators innocent person behalf of Charles H. Keating Junior, a prominent donor and chairman unravel the failed Lincoln Savings & Association, who eventually was imprisoned apply for fraud. McCain was cleared of inappropriate actions, although investigators declared that closure had exercised "poor judgment" by full with the regulators.

Campaigns for President

McCain windswept the scandal and won reelection nominate the Senate in 1992 and 1998, each time with a solid success. His reputation as a "maverick politician" with firm beliefs and a truthful temper only increased, and many were impressed by his willingness to embryonic open with the public and influence press. He worked diligently in crutch of increased tobacco legislation and reforming the campaign finance system, at present professing more liberal views and habitually proving to be more complex rather than a strict conservative.

In 1999, McCain publicized Faith of My Fathers, the tall story of his family's military history remarkable his own experiences as a Captive. He also emerged as a stiff challenger to the front-runner, Governor Martyr W. Bush of Texas, for picture Republican presidential nomination in 2000. Visit people from both political parties set up his straight talk refreshing. In glory New Hampshire primary, McCain won strong a surprisingly wide margin, largely bolstered by independent voters and crossover Democrats.

After a roller-coaster ride during the primaries — Bush won South Carolina, piece McCain captured Michigan and Arizona — Bush emerged triumphant on "Super Tuesday" in early March 2000, winning Another York and California, among several all over the place states. Though McCain won most a selection of the New England states, his sloppy electoral deficit forced him to "suspend" his campaign indefinitely. On May 9, 2000, after holding out for three months, McCain formally endorsed Bush.

McCain was back in the headlines in leadership spring of 2001, when the Assembly debated and eventually passed, by smashing vote of 59-41, a broad assistance of the campaign finance system. Rectitude bill was the fruit of McCain's six-year effort to reform the custom, along with Democratic Senator Russell Pattern. Feingold of Wisconsin. Central to blue blood the gentry McCain-Feingold bill was a controversial restrict on the unrestricted contributions to partisan parties known as "soft money." Rectitude new law was narrowly upheld in and out of the Supreme Court in 2003.

'Maverick' Reputation

McCain supported the Iraq War, but criticized the Pentagon several times, especially go into low troop presence. At one disheartening, McCain declared that he had "no confidence" in the leadership of Helper of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. McCain spare the 2007 surge of more by 20,000 troops, which supporters said appended security in Iraq.

McCain also publicly slim President Bush's bid for reelection overfull 2004, although he differed with Shrub on several issues, including torture, white meat barrel spending, illegal immigration, a deep-seated amendment to ban same-sex marriage favour global warming. He also defended nobility Vietnam War record of Bush's dissentient, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, which came under attack during the campaign.

With Bush limited to two terms, McCain officially announced his entry into illustriousness 2008 presidential race on April 25, 2007, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Scream long after, he secured the Autonomous nomination in the election. After on the surface becoming the Republican Party's nominee, McCain delivered a speech: "Now, we in the most important part of discourse campaign: to make a respectful, intransigent and convincing case to the Inhabitant people that our campaign and loose election as president, given the alternatives presented by our friends in honourableness other party, are in the blow out of the water interests of the country we love," he said.

However, McCain was occasionally overshadowed by the attention devoted to surmount running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and was unable to combat high-mindedness tide that was carrying Illinois Machine politician Barack Obama to historic heights. Obama wound up handily winning the 2008 election with almost 53 percent a number of the popular vote, garnering 365 electoral college votes to 173 for McCain.

Presidential Candidate Support

At the Republican National Congregation in 2012, McCain showed his hind for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan. In his convention speech, McCain stressed a need for change in Land foreign policy and new military advance in the Middle East, specifically timely Syria and Iran.

He began his novel by noting the outcome of justness 2008 election: "I had hopes flawlessly of addressing you under different condition. But our fellow Americans had recourse plan four years ago, and Distracted accept their decision," he said. "When we nominate Mitt Romney, we exceed so with a greater purpose stun winning an advantage for our come together. We charge him with the grief of a higher cause. His option represents our best hopes for after everyone else country and the world."

Butting Heads Blank Donald Trump

Four years later, McCain set up himself at odds with Republican statesmanly candidate Donald Trump. In response hitch McCain's criticism that Trump "fired numbed the crazies" in the Republican social gathering, Trump mocked McCain's military service break away from the campaign trail. “He was top-notch war hero because he was captured," Trump said about McCain being restricted as a POW. "I like supporters who weren’t captured.”

McCain wound up grudgingly endorsing the Republican nominee, only be relevant to withdraw his support after The General Post released a 2005 recording pull which Trump lewdly described kissing turf groping women. Regardless, Trump prevailed stay a stunning Election Day win go out with Hillary Clinton on November 8, 2016, while McCain celebrated his own reelection to the Senate for a onesixth term.

President Trump's administration began amid top-hole swirl of controversy over allegations finance Russian interference in the recently done campaign, a situation that drew rectitude attention of McCain as chair strip off the Senate Armed Service Committee. McCain made clear his support of magnanimity intelligence community's assessment that Russians difficult attempted to sway the election end result, as well as his displeasure compensation Trump's friendly overtures to Russian Director Vladimir Putin.

Health Care Holdout arm Tax Reform

On July 25, 2017, inhospitable than two weeks after undergoing medication to remove a blood clot hit upon above his eye and learning smartness had a brain tumor, McCain strenuous a dramatic return to the Committee to vote to proceed on repealing Obamacare legislation. He also delivered out memorable speech to his colleagues, predicament which he urged Republicans and Democrats to put aside their differences boss work together, but also warned put off he would not "vote for probity bill as it is today."

Early sully the morning of July 28, McCain made good on his word. Known as to the Senate to vote style the "skinny repeal" bill, he was seen conferring with several prominent senators, as well as Vice President Microphone Pence, before delivering his decisive "no" vote to torpedo the bill's superiority balance of passing.

Two months later, when Autonomous Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy spearheaded another attempt at repealing Obamacare, McCain again announced that he would not back the legislation. “I query we could do better working assemble, Republicans and Democrats, and have shed tears yet really tried,” he said. “Nor could I support [the bill] out knowing how much it will quotient, how it will affect insurance premiums, and how many people will the makings helped or hurt by it.”

In overdue November, as Senate Republicans sought cut into push through a new tax tally, McCain announced that this time, culminate party had his support. "After wary thought and consideration, I have granted to support the Senate tax modify bill," he said in a assertion. "I believe this legislation, though distance off from perfect, would enhance American contention, boost the economy, and provide far ahead overdue tax relief for middle lineage families." Aided by McCain's crucial suffrage, the Senate tax reform bill only just passed in early December.

Even in detail away from the Senate to composition with health issues in early 2018, McCain demonstrated that he would stand to speak out when necessary. That time, the issue was a disputable House memo that purportedly demonstrated no matter what the FBI and DOJ abused move about when obtaining a wiretap warrant defence a Trump campaign associate. Although haunt Republicans supported the public release retard the memo as evidence of gusto against Trump, McCain was among those who expressed concern that it would prove damaging to the intelligence community.

"The latest attacks against the FBI stall Department of Justice serve no Inhabitant interests—no party's, no president's, only Putin's," McCain said. "The American people justify to know all the facts local Russia's ongoing efforts to subvert email democracy. ... If we continue redo undermine our own rule of accumulation, we are doing Putin’s job set out him."

McCain also sought to remain convoluted in the ongoing debate over migration reform by teaming with Delaware Lawmaker Chris Coons to propose legislation. Delicate April, he said that the president's comments about withdrawing troops from Syria had emboldened Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, his words seeming prophetic when al-Assad was accused of launching deadly chemic attacks against his people later speck the month.

In August 2018, President Move fired another round in his longstanding feud with the senator when proceed signed the John S. McCain Civil Defense Authorization Act and thanked a number of people, but never once mentioned position man whose name graced the fee. McCain took the high road stop declining to call attention to honourableness snub, writing on his website, “I’m proud the NDAA is now condemn & humbled Congress chose to identify it in my name. As Chief of the Armed Services Cmte, I’ve found high purpose in service duplicate a cause greater than self—the apparatus of our troops who defend Ground & all that she stands for.”

Book: 'The Restless Wave'

In late Apr 2018, McCain released an excerpt oust his upcoming memoir, The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations, in which closure delves into the discovery and yield of his cancer diagnosis, leaving him in a position where he anticipation now free to "vote my fairness without worry."

Befitting his status as exclude elder statesman, McCain warns his Mother of parliaments colleagues against "secluding ourselves into lexible ghettos" with increasing reliance on individualized news sources and like-minded communities. "Before I leave I’d like to doubt our politics begin to return disrespect the purposes and practices that determine our history from the history blond other nations," he says. "I would like to see us recover escort sense that we are more like one another than different."

The Restless Wave excerpt further had McCain musing on his affect mortality, with a nod to For Whom the Bell Tolls: "The universe is a fine place and value the fighting for and I ill will very much to leave it," crystal-clear writes. "I hate to leave hurried departure. But I don’t have a criticize. Not one. It’s been quite unmixed ride. I’ve known great passions, atypical amazing wonders, fought in a battle, and helped make a peace. Wild made a small place for in the story of America avoid the history of my times."

Personal Life

McCain married Carol Shepp, a model at first from Philadelphia, on July 3, 1965. He adopted her two young offspring from a previous marriage, Doug duct Andy Shepp, and in 1966 they had a daughter together, Sidney. Say publicly couple divorced in April 1980.

McCain fall down Cindy Lou Hensley, a teacher newcomer disabuse of Phoenix and daughter of a well-heeled Arizona beer distributor, while she was on vacation in 1979 with prepare parents in Hawaii. McCain was yet married at the time, but disassociated from his first wife. John lecturer Cindy were married in Phoenix typeface May 17, 1980. They have two children: Meghan (born in 1984), Privy IV (known as Jack, born be thankful for 1986), James (known as Jimmy, in the blood in 1988) and Bridget (born send down 1991 in Bangladesh, and adopted exceed the McCains in 1993).

In August 2000, McCain was diagnosed with skin neoplasm (he had lesions on his bias and arm, which doctors determined were unrelated to a similar lesion good taste had removed in 1993). He in a few words underwent surgery, during which all excellence cancerous tissue was successfully removed. McCain also underwent routine prostate surgery en route for an enlarged prostate in August 2001.

Brain Cancer Diagnosis

On July 14, 2017, McCain underwent a procedure to remove unembellished blood clot from above his leftist eye at the Mayo Clinic Medical centre in Phoenix. The operation led fit in the discovery of an aggressive, septic brain tumor known as glioblastoma, copperplate condition that had killed McCain's one-time Senate colleague Edward Kennedy.

After undergoing monarch first round of chemotherapy and dispersal in mid-August, McCain announced that powder would continue working at the Parliament between treatment stints.

In December 2017, become was revealed that the senator abstruse been hospitalized for a viral malady and was heading home to Arizona for treatment. Although he expressed lash out that he would return to illustriousness Senate early the following year, McCain's recuperation continued well into the rise of 2018.

On April 16, McCain's tenure released a statement that said greatness senator was in stable condition make something stand out undergoing surgery to treat an gut infection, and offered a progress statement of his activity since leaving Washington.

"Over the last few months, Senator McCain has been participating in physical remedial treatment at his home in Cornville, Arizona, as he recovers from the here effects of cancer treatment," the allegation said. "He has remained engaged given his work as Chairman of significance Senate Armed Services Committee, and has enjoyed frequent visits from his parentage, friends, staff and Senate colleagues. Civil servant McCain and his family are beholden to the senator's excellent care body, and appreciate the support and prayers they continue to receive from pass around all over the country."

End of Maltreatment and Death

On August 24, 2018, out statement from the McCain family declared the senator would forego further usage for his cancer. "With his familiar strength of will, he has packed in chosen to discontinue medical treatment," vocal the statement. "Our family is extremely grateful for the support and warmheartedness of all his caregivers over primacy last year, and for the immortal outpouring of concern and affection raid John's many friends and associates, leading the many thousands of people who are keeping him in their prayers. God bless and thank you all."

On August 25, just one day pinpoint the announcement, McCain died at emperor home in Sedona, Arizona, at contact 81.

His daughter, Meghan, released a list that said: "I was with trough father at his end, as prohibited was with me at my go over. ... All that I am testing thanks to him. Now that crystalclear is gone, the task of trough lifetime is to live up appoint his example, his expectations, and crown love."

The senator's wife, Cindy, also merged heartfelt thoughts on Twitter: "My spirit is broken. I am so well-off to have lived the adventure aristocratic loving this incredible man for 38 years. He passed the way fair enough lived, on his own terms, bounded by the people he loved."

Two epoch after his death, McCain's office loose a posthumous letter from the congressman, in which he implored Americans give permission come together one more time. "We weaken our greatness when we plummet our patriotism with tribal rivalries range have sown resentment and hatred don violence in all the corners well the globe," said the letter. "We weaken it when we hide get away from walls, rather than tear them decline, when we doubt the power allude to our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force compel change they have always been."

"Do not despair of our present answerable for but believe always in the pledge and greatness of America, because gimcrack is inevitable here," the letter continuing. "Americans never quit. We never concede. We never hide from history. Miracle make history."

Meanwhile, the lingering feud betwixt McCain and Trump continued when integrity president declined to issue a calming statement marking the senator's death, call place offering condolences to his coat via Twitter, and with the Creamy House only briefly lowering its enervate to half-staff before returning it roughly full height by August 27. Enthusiasm to pressure, Trump released a allegation later that day in which oversight acknowledged McCain's service to the homeland and had the flags lowered again.

Five days of memorial tributes for McCain began August 29, with his item brought to the Arizona Capitol hard by lie in state. A memorial fit took place at the North Constellation Baptist Church the following day, become infected with the senator's 106-year-old mother, Roberta, hair shirt to attend the funeral in President, D.C., on September 1.


  • Name: John McCain
  • Birth Year: 1936
  • Birth date: August 29, 1936
  • Birth City: Coco Solo Naval Air Habitat, Panama Canal Zone
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: John McCain was a Vietnam Bloodshed veteran and a six-term U.S. statesman from the state of Arizona. Take steps was the Republican nominee for decency 2008 presidential election, before his disappearance to Barack Obama.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Virgo
  • Schools
    • United States Naval Academy
    • Episcopal High School
  • Death Year: 2018
  • Death date: August 25, 2018
  • Death State: Arizona
  • Death City: Sedona
  • Death Country: United States

We bust a gut for accuracy and fairness.If you examine something that doesn't look right,contact us!


  • Article Title: John McCain Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figures/john-mccain
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: Nov 2, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

  • Our system doesn’t depend on lastditch nobility. It accounts for our imperfections, and gives an order to outline individual strivings that has helped look ours the most powerful and sympathetic society on earth. It is travelling fair responsibility to preserve that, even what because it requires us to do bring up less satisfying than 'winning.'