The Historical Achievement Joe Biden And King Charles Have In Common

President Joe Biden took office in January of 2021 after winning the 2020 race that he ran against Donald Trump, and King Charles III was coronated in May of 2023 following the passing of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. 

While these two events happened a couple of years and a whole ocean apart, when President Biden and King Charles respectively took power in their own nations, they both made history in the same unique way.

Joe Biden, who was 77 years old when he was elected and 78 when he took office, is the oldest person to ever be elected President of the United States. Meanwhile, King Charles, who was 73 on the day of his coronation, is the oldest person to ever ascend to the throne of England. And just last month, the two leaders had their first official meeting as President and King (via US Weekly).   

President Joe Biden also broke a second age-related record this past November when he turned 80, making him the only president in US history to serve while in his 80's. Before Biden, the oldest US Presidents were Donald Trump, who took office at the age of 70, and Ronald Regan, who took office at the age of 69 (via The Hill).

Before King Charles III broke the record, the oldest ascending monarch in British history was William IV, who was just shy of his 65th birthday when he took the throne in 1830 (via Sky History). Edward VII, the oldest son of the famous Queen Victoria, was 59 years old when he ascended the throne in 1901. And King George IV was 57 when he became the monarch in 1820.

Considering that people today are living longer than they did in previous centuries, it makes sense that both America and the UK would see their oldest-ever leaders at this time. In fact, both the Silent Generation (of which President Biden is a member) and the Baby Boomers (of which King Charles is a member) are expected to stick around as significant portions of the population for years to come according to current projections (via Washington Post).  

Though President Biden did not attend the coronation of King Charles III, he did fly to London this past July to meet with The King (via US Weekly). The two leaders met at Windsor Castle on July 10, where they ceremoniously inspected an honor guard that was comprised of the Prince of Wales Company of the Welsh Guards. In honor of the two men, a band played both "God Save the King" and "The Star-Spangled Banner." 

King Charles and President Biden then got to the business of making positive change in the world by taking part in a roundtable discussion regarding climate change. Other members of this discussion included John Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, and also representatives of both the philanthropic and financial worlds. 

"The president has huge respect for the king's commitment on the climate issue in particular," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters (via US Weekly). "He has been a clarion voice on this issue."