George H.W. Bush biography

Just months into his first term, he responded to the dissolve of the Soviet Union and oversaw the U.S. military's removal of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega from power. Not long after, Bush responded to then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait (August 1990),

creating a national coalition and leading a military strike to drive Hussein out of the oil-rich country. Bush's handling of the invasion in Kuwait is largely viewed as his greatest presidential success.

Bush delivered a speech to the American public as the invasion began, stating, "Now the 28 countries with forces in the Gulf area have exhausted all reasonable efforts to reach a peaceful resolution. [We] have no choice but to drive Saddam from Kuwait by force. We will not fail. We are determined to knock out Saddam Hussein's nuclear bomb potential. We will also destroy his chemical weapons facilities. Much of Saddam's artillery and tanks will be destroyed. ... Our objectives are clear: Saddam Hussein's forces will leave Kuwait."

Despite his global successes, economic problems at home have been blamed for Bush's re-election bid failure in 1992.

Later Career

When his eldest son, George W. Bush, was elected president in 2000, George Bush Sr. made many public appearances, frequently to speak in support of his son. In addition to being a proud and supportive father, he has lent his support to several political causes. In 2005, he joined forces with former president Bill Clinton—the Democratic candidate who defeated him in the 1992 election—to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast region, especially Louisiana and Mississippi. The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund raised more than $100 million in donations in its first few months.

In November 2012, an 88-year-old Bush was admitted to a Houston hospital to be treated for a cough related to bronchitis. His cough reportedly improved, but he remained hospitalized because of other health setbacks. Bush developed a "persistent fever," according to an Associated Press report. In late December, he was moved into an intensive care unit and was reportedly in guarded condition. Bush has lower-body parkinsonism and has been in a wheelchair for more than a year, according to a Reuters report.

Bush spends part of the year in Houston, Texas, with his wife Barbara Bush. The couple also stays at their home in Kennebunkport, Maine. Married for nearly 70 years, George and Barbara Bush have six children: George, Robin, Jeb, Neil, Marvin and Dorothy. Their daughter, Robin, died in 1953.

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