When Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham met at Yale Law School in the early 1970s, no one could have predicted the journey the two would take together. In the decades that followed, the power couple embarked on a life in the spotlight unlike any other in American political history.

The Clintons are once again the focus of intense media scrutiny after Hillary Clinton officially announced her bid for president in mid-April. She quickly took to social media, posting a Facebook video about her decision, and jumping on her campaign bus to drive to the early primary state of Iowa. During this campaign cycle, the former secretary of state is reportedly focused on promoting a more accessible, friendly persona by meeting with small groups of people in more casual settings.

While Clinton takes her turn as the presumed Democratic front-runner for the 2016 election, this is an opportunity for Bill to provide support while remaining on the edges of the spotlight.

In the late ’70s, with Hillary at his side and building a formidable legal career of her own, Bill became governor of Arkansas. He was elected president in 1992 and, in the two terms he served as president, the couple weathered a tumultuous decade in which he faced the calls for impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky scandal, as well as the investigation into the Whitewater real estate controversy. Nonetheless, Hillary and Bill emerged intact as couple and strong enough that the former leading man stepped back to take on a supporting role as Hillary’s political career gained momentum.

In 2000, during the final year of Bill Clinton’s terms as president, the former first lady was elected to serve as a New York senator. Three years later, she published her memoir “Living History.” Hillary announced her first run for president a year after being reelected to the Senate in 2006. After a fraught battle against Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination, she endorsed the Illinois senator. He went on to appoint her as his secretary of state shortly after taking office. In 2013, Hillary resigned the position, fueling rumors that she might consider another run for the presidency.

While the country largely anticipated her second bid for president, Hillary Clinton seemed to inch toward the decision in the months leading up to her official announcement. Along the way, one life event did have the political couple suspending their political activities briefly, though — on Sept. 27 of this year, their daughter Chelsea Clinton gave birth to their first grandchild, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky.