Hillary Rodham Clinton began her 1996 book, It Takes a Village, with the above quote that she called "one of my favorites"-- a tribute to loyalty and synergism.

An advocate for women and children's issues, Ms. Clinton was born Hillary Diane Rodham on this day in 1947. The daughter of a curtain salesman from Park Ridge, Illinois, Clinton credited her parents for fostering her independent spirit and passion for politics and books.

"Both my parents were so encouraging...telling me that I could do whatever I wanted," she said. "There was never any distinction made between boys and girls." Clinton has said that she believes that everyone, not just parents, have a responsibility for the well-being of children.

She was bespectacled when she met Bill Clinton at Yale while spending an extra year specializing in law about children. As First Lady, she weathered the storms and stuck by her beleaguered husband, like a snowflake.

"Like most Americans," she said. "I also have relied on my religious faith to get me through life's challenges, losses, and setbacks."

Elected to the Senate from New York in 2000, she established a record of advocacy for children, human rights, health care, and historic landmarks. Her own future in politics looks hopeful now that she is running for President.

"I want to be judged on my own merits," she declared in a 1999 interview. "Now for the first time I am making my own decisions. I can feel the difference."

Stick together and see what happens.