[by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]¸ü¶àÌýÁ¦Çë·ÃÎÊ51VOA.COM [00:00.04]After losing the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama in 2008, [00:06.80]Hillary Clinton said, "Although we were not able [00:11.08]to shatter that highest and hardest glass ceiling this time, [00:16.64]thanks to you it has 18 million cracks in it." [00:21.56]Eight years later, Clinton received the Democratic Party's nomination [00:27.92]at their convention in Philadelphia. T [00:31.80]he former first lady, senator and secretary of state [00:37.12]is now looking to shatter the ultimate glass ceiling [00:43.00]to become president of the United States. [00:47.60]Her main opposition is businessman Donald Trump, [00:51.60]a first-time candidate for political office. [00:56.08]Trump won over 16 other candidates to win the Republican nomination. [01:04.48]The general election will be held on November 8 this year. [01:10.44]Hillary Rodham Clinton was expected to win the Democratic nomination easily [01:17.56]when she announced her candidacy on April 12, 2015. [01:23.24]Many well-known Democrats, including Vice President Joe Biden, chose not to run against Clinton. [01:32.92]Clinton, however, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge. [01:38.28]The senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, [01:42.32]attracted many supporters during the Democratic primaries. [01:48.16]Tens of thousands turned out to hear Sanders' messages of income inequality, [01:56.36]making college tuition free and regulating big businesses. [02:03.36]At the same time, Clinton had to answer questions from Congress about her role [02:09.80]as secretary of state during the attack in Benghazi. [02:16.84]Four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador, were killed in the 2012 attack in Libya. [02:25.84]The committee who examined the case said the U.S. government [02:31.80]did not provide enough security to protect the diplomatic post. [02:38.28]But it did not hold Clinton responsible for the failure. [02:44.23]However, during the hearing about Benghazi, [02:48.44]it was found that Clinton had used a private email server [02:54.56]to conduct official business as secretary of state. [02:59.60]Clinton, like many other government officials, [03:03.64]was required to use a government server for work communication. [03:09.91]Faced with a series of investigations, including one from the FBI, [03:16.20]Clinton said using the private server was a mistake. [03:21.20]The FBI found no evidence that Clinton [03:25.60]intentionally used the private server to send or receive classified documents. [03:32.64]But the FBI director criticized Clinton for being "extremely careless" in handling the information. [03:43.20]Clinton was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago. [03:51.00]Her father, Hugh Rodham, was a successful owner of a small business selling drapes. [03:58.60]Her mother, Dorothy, was abandoned as a child and sent to live with relatives. [04:06.44]Clinton frequently says her mother's experience as a child [04:11.60]inspired her to "fight for the needs of children everywhere." [04:17.32]After high school, Clinton attended Wellesley College, [04:22.24]an all-women's school in Massachusetts. [04:25.80]Then she went to Yale Law School in Connecticut, [04:29.52]where she met her future husband, Bill. [04:33.12]The two classmates moved to the southern state of Arkansas and got married in 1975. [04:41.64]Their child, a daughter named Chelsea, was born in 1980. [04:48.72]Bill Clinton was elected attorney general [04:52.28]and eventually became governor of Arkansas. [04:56.44]As the state's first lady, Hillary Clinton served on several committees [05:02.36]on education, children and families. [05:06.44]She also worked as a partner for the private Rose Law Firm. [05:12.36]During Bill Clinton's campaign for president in 1992, [05:17.76]critics questioned his wife's decision [05:20.80]to continue working while serving as the first lady of Arkansas. [05:27.48]Hillary Clinton replied, "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, [05:35.36]but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession, [05:39.96]which I entered before my husband was in public life." [05:44.44]As first lady of the United States, [05:47.44]Clinton remained active in politics. [05:51.28]She is well known for leading a failed effort to establish universal health care. [05:58.56]A similar program was later established under President Obama. [06:04.28]In 1998, Bill Clinton faced impeachment [06:10.00]for charges related to a sex scandal with a White House intern. [06:15.88]But the U.S. Senate did not convict him. [06:20.68]Bill Clinton remained in office. [06:24.00]Hillary Clinton wrote in her autobiography, Living History, [06:29.48]that she was "heartbroken" over her husband's actions [06:33.52]and considered leaving the marriage. [06:37.20]She added, "The most difficult decisions I have made in my life [06:42.88]were to stay married to Bill and to run for the Senate from New York...." [06:49.36]In 2000, Clinton became the first woman [06:54.16]to be elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of New York. [06:59.96]Six years later, Clinton launched her own campaign for the presidency. [07:06.76]That time she lost the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama, a junior senator. [07:15.80]Clinton then joined the Obama administration as his secretary of state. [07:22.92]In her career, Clinton has addressed many issues, [07:28.00]including rebuilding New York after the September 11 terrorist attacks, [07:35.68]negotiating with Iran, and providing better health care benefits to people who serve the public. [07:45.24]But she is best known for improving the lives of children and women. [07:52.76]In 1995, she declared at a U.N. World Conference of women, [07:59.52]"human rights are women's rights." [08:03.20]Earlier this year, after clinching the Democratic nomination in her second run for the presidency, [08:11.40]Clinton reflected on her mother, Dorothy Rodham, during a victory speech in Brooklyn. [08:19.48]"I wish she could see what a wonderful mother Chelsea has become [08:25.08]and could meet our beautiful granddaughter, Charlotte, [08:29.00]and, of course, I wish she could see her daughter become the Democratic Party's nominee."