Donald Trump at 80: Iconic photos tracking his life from Queens to the White House

Donald Trump at 80: Iconic photos tracking his life from Queens to the White House

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From a childhood in Queens to the main stage of world politics, Donald Trump has lived a rich life

US President Donald Trump is gearing up to celebrate his 80th birthday today with a UFC mixed martial arts event at the White House.

Trump has lived a remarkable life over the past eight decades. The world first knew him as the son of a real estate tycoon who was paving a path of his own, then as a global business mogul and TV star. Today, he is arguably the most famous political face on the planet.

Here, we look back at his journey with a gallery of rare childhood photos, glimpses into his business mogul era, and the iconic photos that defined his historic rise to the presidency.

Early life and family in Queens (1940s–1970s)

Donald Trump pictured when he was 4 years oldDonald J Trump/InstagramTrump as a child (left) with his familyDonald J Trump/Instagram

The Manhattan real estate mogul and pop culture era

Trump boarding his yacht "The Trump Princess" in New York with his first wife, Ivana, in 1998APTrump, now a famous mogul, appeared in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in 1992Donald Trump dips his second wife Marla Maples after the couple married in a private ceremony, 1993Bib Strong/AFP/Getty ImagesDonald Trump and his third wife, Melania, at VH1's Divas Live concert at the Beacon Theater in New York, 1999GettyDonald Trump and wife Melania pictured with the infamous Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2000Getty ImagesTrump hosted the reality television series The Apprentice from 2004 to 2015Rex FeaturesTrump poses with the first Donald Trump 12-inch talking doll in 2004. The doll's phrases, which were recorded by Trump, include "You're Fired", from the television show The ApprenticeGetty ImagesTrump holds a replica of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as his wife Melania holds their son Barron in Los Angeles, 2007ReutersTrump and his children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric, write their name in cement after making hand prints to inaugurate their father's new building, the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, 2008Amanda Rivkin/AFP/Getty ImagesDonald Trump and Melania Trump sitting front row at the Michael Kors Fall 2010 Fashion Show in February 2010Getty

The road to presidency

Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump speaks to supporters and the media at Trump Tower in Manhattan following his victory in the Indiana primary on May 03, 2016 in New York CityGettyTrump eating KFC on his private jet, 2016Trump was named Time Person of the Year for the first time in 2016 after winning the presidential election‏@TIME

The first presidency and legal battle years

Trump and his wife Melania Trump are greeted by outgoing President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, upon arriving at the White House on January 20, 2017. Later in the morning President-elect Trump would be sworn in as the nation's 45th president, marking what would be his first termGetty ImagesDonald Trump with British Prime Minister Theresa May who was the first world leader to meet with the new presidentChristopher FurlongTrump with Queen Elizabeth II PA ArchiveTrump became the only US president to visit North KoreaGettyPresident Donald Trump holds a copy of The Washington Post as he speaks in the East Room of the White House one day after the U.S. Senate acquitted on two articles of impeachment, ion February 6, 2020GettyDonald Trump departs Trump Tower two days after FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach home, in New York City, New York, U.S., August 10, 2022REUTERSTrump ran for a second presidential term against Joe Biden during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. He eventually lost and did not attend Biden’s inauguration ceremonyAPTrump was photographed for a police mug shot after his arrest in 2023 on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election result FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE/ATrump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court, 2023, where he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business recordsGetty

Return to the White House and 80th birthday

Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July 2024, when a gunman's bullet grazed his ear during a campaign rally for another presidential term in PennsylvaniaAPDays after the assassination attempt, Trump accepted his party's nomination to run for president again on the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024.AFP via Getty ImagesTrump stands alongside his family after he accepted his party's nominationAFP via Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the Liberty Ball during the 60th Presidential Inauguration after winning his second term as presidentAPTrump immediately unveiled new tariffs after becoming president againAPUS President Donald Trump hosted the King in Washington this year (Samir Hussein/PA)PA Wire The White House preparations for Trump’s 80th birthday celebrations, coinciding with America’s soon-to-be 250th birthdayGetty