George H. W. Bush was the 41st President of the United States and is the father of current President George W. Bush.

In celebration of his 85th birthday, the former president went tandem skydiving over his home state of Maine on June 12, 2009. With the help of a member of the U.S. Army parachute team, Bush completed the 10,500 foot drop. No rookie to skydiving, Bush's plane was shot down during World War II; he also celebrated the opening of his library at Texas A&M by skydiving. He has said he hopes to celebrate his 90th birthday with another dive.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/06/12/1963289.aspx Yahoo News: US ex-president Bush celebrates 85th with skydive (June 12, 2009_

Enlisting in the Navy on the day of his graduation from the prestigious Phillips Academy, he quickly made a name for himself, becoming the youngest pilot at the time in that branch of the armed forces. Bush earned several medals during World War II. He married Barbara Bush in 1945.

After the war, he enrolled in Yale University, where he distinguished himself in academics and basketball. After graduation, he became involved in the oil business, founding three companies.

Bush was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1966. After losing a Senate campaign in 1970, he worked in several government positions, and was appointed Director of the CIA in 1976. Just four years later, Ronald Reagan named Bush his running mate in the 1980 presidential election.

In 1988, George H. W. Bush became the 41st president of the United States. He is currently the oldest living United States president. Though the events of the early years of his term, including the end of the so-called "Evil Empire" of the Soviet Union, brought him high approval ratings, the recession that began just before the start of his term in office tarnished his image, and led to his loss to Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election.

• June 12, 1924: Born in Milton, Massachusettes

• December, 1944: Marries Barbara Pierce

• 1966: Elected to House of Representatives

• 1971: Appointed ambassador to The United Nations

• 1976: Made Director of the CIA

• 1980: Elected Ronald Reagan's Vice-President

• January 20, 1989: Inaugurated as 41st U.S. President

• September 11, 1990: Start of the First Gulf War

• January 17, 1991: Operation Desert Storm kicks off Second Gulf War

• 1993: Leaves office after losing election to Bill Clinton