Using her huge Senate re-election victory as a platform - and flying in the face of the fact that no woman has ever been nominated by a major party for President of the United States - Mrs. Clinton announced an Exploratory Committee for the 2008 Presidential Election. (20 January, 2007 - 2 years to the day of the Inauguration of the next President.)
Far and away the prohibitive favourite throughout much of 2007, a rare slip-up at a debate in late October led to her losing her lead in some polls by the end of the year.
Her dreams of winning the Presidency began to fade rapidly when she finished 3rd (behind Obama and John Edwards) in the Iowa Caucus on 3 January, 2008. Despite a narrow win in the New Hampshire Primary - and Edwards dropping out in late January - her campaign's inability to wrap up the Democratic Nomination by "Super Tuesday" (5 Feb.), combined with internal discord among campaign staff and some unfortunate / untimely comments by her husband, led to her fighting on from March (winning Ohio), through April (winning Pennsylvania) and May (a narrow win in Indiana) before ending her campaign - and endorsing Obama - on 7 June.
Mrs. Clinton gave a passionate speech for Obama at The Democratic National Convention in Denver later in the summer and campaigned frequently for him following the Convention and through the fall, helping to secure his victory on 4 November.
Within weeks of the election, Mrs. Clinton discussed the possibility with the President-elect of being appointed by the incoming Administration as Secretary of State. Reports on 21 November indicated that she had accepted the position, and - on 1st December - Obama made the formal announcement of her nomination.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to approve Mrs. Clinton's confirmation on 15 January, 2009 - after 2 days of hearings that were followed by a 94-2 vote by the full Senate (21 January) in favour of her appointment as Secretary of State.
Mrs. Clinton took the Oath of Office as Secretary of State and resigned from the Senate on the same day, becoming the first former First Lady to serve in the Cabinet of The United States.
In addition to worldwide travel and adulation, Mrs. Clinton is the author of 2 best sellers - "It Takes a Village..." and her autobiography, "Living History". As First Lady, her weekly column - "Talking It Over" - discussed her experiences and those of women, children and families she met in the course of her global voyages.
Truly a beacon light to people everywhere, Hillary Clinton personifies the triumph of good will, clarity and determination in furthering the evolution of the greatest interests of the world.