John Sidney McCain was born Aug. 29, 1936, Panama Canal Zone. McCain's father and grandfather were both four-star admirals in the U.S. Navy. McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958. A navy pilot during the Vietnam War, he was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and captured by the North Vietnamese. He was held as a prisoner of war until 1973. In 1982 he was elected to the Congress of the United States. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing what was then the first congressional district of Arizona until 1987. He ran for the US Senate in 1986 and was elected to take the place of Senator Barry Goldwater. He has served there since 1987and is currently the senior senator from Arizona. He is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and also serves on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
Though a member of the Republican Party, he has taken independent stances on many issues and is known particularly for his support of campaign finance reform. In 2000 he ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination. Party leaders mentioned him as a possible presidential candidate for 2008.
Senator McCain has seven children and four grandchildren. He and his wife, Cindy, reside in Phoenix.
