Joe Biden is about to become the United States' first President to turn 80 years old while in office when he celebrates his birthday on Sunday (November 20), Reuters reports.
However, Biden does not even register in the top 10 on the list of the world's oldest current serving leaders, which is led by the 89-year-old president of Cameroon, Paul Biya, and includes 82-year-old Queen Margrethe of Denmark.
The White House has not released plans for Biden's birthday celebration, but it is expected to remain low-key and with family, along the lines of Biden's past birthdays.
Biden's age is garnering attention because he would be 86 by the time a second four-year term ends, should he win the 2024 presidential election. His leading potential Republican opponent, Donald Trump, would be 82 when he left office if he won in 2024.
Biden's occasional verbal stumbles and tendency to meander off script during live appearances have been seized on by his Republican critics as proof he's too old for the job. His supporters say the president, who overcame a childhood stutter, has been ad-libbing in public speeches for decades.
Biden's prospects for a second term got a boost last week when the Democrats did better than expected in midterm congressional and gubernatorial elections.
Biden has said questions about his age were "totally legitimate" but that it was his intention to seek another term.
Experts on aging say they saw no signs Biden is unable to fulfill his duties.
