George W. Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut, and he grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. Bush went to Yale University, then served in the Air National Guard from 1968 to 1973. He received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1975. Afterwards, Bush went into the oil business. Bush is the son of the 41st President of the United States, George H. Bush.

Bush ran for the House of Representatives in 1978, but lost a close race. Bush continued along the non-political route and eventually bought the Texas Rangers baseball team. In 1994, 16 years after he last ran for office, Bush ran for and was elected Governor of Texas. In 1998, he was reelected for a second four-year term, but had to leave the office after just two years because he was elected the 43rd President of the United States.

As President during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, President Bush approved military strikes against terrorist targets in Afghanistan. In 2003, he declared war on Iraq after former leader Saddam Hussein refused to cooperate with weapons inspectors. At home, Bush signed the "No Child Left Behind" Act, which requires schools to measure students' progress in math and reading in grades 3 through 8 and during high school.

President Bush is married to Laura Welch Bush, a former teacher and librarian, and they have twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna. The Bush family also includes their dog Barney and their cat India.