True or false: Bill Clinton's father died in an automobile accident when Bill was seven years old.

The life of the 42nd U.S. President was marked by tragedy before it even began. While it's true his biological father died in an automobile accident, the timing was far more poignant. William Jefferson Blythe Jr., a traveling salesman, was killed on May 17, 1946, after being thrown from his car while traveling from Chicago back to his pregnant wife in Hope, Arkansas. His son, the future president, would be born exactly three months later, never having had the chance to meet the man for whom he was named.

Born William Jefferson Blythe III, the future president was initially raised by his mother, Virginia, and her parents. Virginia later remarried Roger Clinton Sr., and the family moved to Hot Springs. As a teenager, Bill made the decision to formally adopt his stepfather’s surname. This was partly a gesture of affection for the man who raised him, despite their difficult relationship, and partly a desire to share the same last name as his younger half-brother. This early loss and complex family life are often cited as key influences on his resilient and empathetic political persona