Biden was sworn into office on January 5, 1973, by secretary of the Senate Francis R. Valeo in a small chapel at the Delaware Division of the Wilmington Medical Center.
Beau was wheeled in with his leg still in traction; Hunter, who had already been discharged, was also there, as were other members of the extended family.
Witnesses and television cameras were also present and the event received national attention.

At age 30 (the minimum age required to hold the office), Biden became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history and one of only 18 who took office before turning 31.
The car accident that killed Biden's wife and daughter left him filled with both anger and religious doubt: "I liked to walk around seedy neighborhoods at night when I thought there was a better chance of finding a fight ... I had not known I was capable of such rage ... I felt God had played a horrible trick on me."
To be at home every day for his young sons, Biden began commuting every day by Amtrak train 90 minutes each way from his home in the Wilmington suburbs to Washington, D.C., which he continued to do throughout his Senate career.
This lasted over 36 years, and earned him the nickname "Amtrak Joe".
In the accident's aftermath, he had trouble focusing on work and appeared to just go through the motions of being a senator.
In his memoirs, Biden notes that staffers were taking bets on how long he would last.
A single father for five years, he left standing orders that he be interrupted in the Senate at any time if his sons called.
In remembrance of his wife and daughter, Biden does not work on December 18, the anniversary of the accident.

In 1975, Biden met Jill Tracy Jacobs, who had grown up in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and would become a teacher in Delaware.
They met on a blind date arranged by Biden's brother, although Biden had already noticed a photograph of her in an advertisement for a park in Wilmington.
Biden credits her with renewing his interest in both politics and life.
On June 17, 1977, Biden and Jacobs were married by a Catholic priest at the Chapel at the United Nations in New York.
Jill Biden has a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware; two master's degrees, one from West Chester University and the other from Villanova University; and a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware.
They have one daughter together, Ashley Blazer (born 1981), who became a social worker and staffer at the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families.
Biden and his wife are Roman Catholics and regularly attend Mass at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware.

Biden's older son Beau became Delaware Attorney General and an Army Judge Advocate who served in Iraq.
He died at age 46 after a two-year battle with brain cancer on May 30, 2015.
His younger son, Hunter, became a Washington attorney and lobbyist.
Biden was sworn into office on January 5, 1973, by secretary of the Senate Francis R. Valeo in a small chapel at the Delaware Division of the Wilmington Medical Center. Beau was wheeled in with his leg still in traction; Hunter, who had already been discharged, was also there, as were other members of the extended family. Witnesses and television cameras were also present and the event received national attention.
At age 30 (the minimum age required to hold the office), Biden became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history and one of only 18 who took office before turning 31. The car accident that killed Biden's wife and daughter left him filled with both anger and religious doubt: "I liked to walk around seedy neighborhoods at night when I thought there was a better chance of finding a fight ... I had not known I was capable of such rage ... I felt God had played a horrible trick on me." To be at home every day for his young sons, Biden began commuting every day by Amtrak train 90 minutes each way from his home in the Wilmington suburbs to Washington, D.C., which he continued to do throughout his Senate career. This lasted over 36 years, and earned him the nickname "Amtrak Joe". In the accident's aftermath, he had trouble focusing on work and appeared to just go through the motions of being a senator. In his memoirs, Biden notes that staffers were taking bets on how long he would last. A single father for five years, he left standing orders that he be interrupted in the Senate at any time if his sons called. In remembrance of his wife and daughter, Biden does not work on December 18, the anniversary of the accident.
In 1975, Biden met Jill Tracy Jacobs, who had grown up in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and would become a teacher in Delaware. They met on a blind date arranged by Biden's brother, although Biden had already noticed a photograph of her in an advertisement for a park in Wilmington. Biden credits her with renewing his interest in both politics and life. On June 17, 1977, Biden and Jacobs were married by a Catholic priest at the Chapel at the United Nations in New York. Jill Biden has a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware; two master's degrees, one from West Chester University and the other from Villanova University; and a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware. They have one daughter together, Ashley Blazer (born 1981), who became a social worker and staffer at the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families. Biden and his wife are Roman Catholics and regularly attend Mass at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware.
Biden's older son Beau became Delaware Attorney General and an Army Judge Advocate who served in Iraq. He died at age 46 after a two-year battle with brain cancer on May 30, 2015. His younger son, Hunter, became a Washington attorney and lobbyist.
Joe Biden