Sen. John McCain lived a singular life.
The "maverick" Republican twice sought the presidency and served in the Senate for more than three decades after surviving brutal captivity during the Vietnam War.
Threaded here is his story. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
The "maverick" Republican twice sought the presidency and served in the Senate for more than three decades after surviving brutal captivity during the Vietnam War.
Threaded here is his story. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
Aug. 29, 1936: John Sidney McCain III is born in the Panama Canal Zone and into a family whose military lineage includes an ancestor who served as an aide to Gen. George Washington during the Revolutionary War. wapo.st/2P5wfM2 
In 1954, following his father’s and grandfather’s path and often-stated expectations, McCain enrolls at the U.S. Naval Academy, which he later recalled as “a place I belonged at but dreaded.” wapo.st/2P5wfM2
At Annapolis, McCain rebels against the regulations and racks up so many demerits that he is at risk of expulsion. As he boasted later in life, he graduated fifth from the bottom of his 899-member class. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
Oct. 26, 1967: On a mission to attack the enemy capital, Hanoi, McCain's A-4 is shot down. He ejects and lands in a lake, where he is captured by the Vietnamese.
For more than five years, McCain is tortured in a POW prison dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton." wapo.st/2P5wfM2
For more than five years, McCain is tortured in a POW prison dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton." wapo.st/2P5wfM2
March 1973: Nearly two months after the Paris peace accords, McCain is released. He is 36 years old and emaciated. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
In 1982, McCain is elected to the U.S. House, representing Arizona. He serves two terms and then replaces Barry Goldwater in the Senate, where he serves for five full terms. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
In 1999, McCain first runs for president, against the GOP establishment, which rallies behind then-Texas governor George W. Bush. He loses in the primary after a rout in South Carolina. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
April 25, 2007: McCain announces that he will run again for president. He wins the Republican nomination and picks Sarah Palin as his running mate.
In the general election, McCain campaigns against a charismatic Illinois Democrat, then-Sen. Barack Obama. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
In the general election, McCain campaigns against a charismatic Illinois Democrat, then-Sen. Barack Obama. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
In 2008, Obama wins the nomination and McCain returns to the Senate, where he becomes a frequent critic of the Obama White House on national security and foreign relations. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
By the end of Obama’s presidency, McCain becomes the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
He runs his Senate reelection campaign as a more conventional Republican, eroding his reputation as a maverick. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
He runs his Senate reelection campaign as a more conventional Republican, eroding his reputation as a maverick. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
July 18, 2015: Then-candidate Donald Trump — who had avoided the Vietnam draft with five deferments — speaks scornfully of McCain’s military bona fides: “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” wapo.st/2P5wfM2
July 19, 2017: McCain’s office announces that he has a brain tumor. In a tweet, McCain promises to return to Capitol Hill, writing, “Unfortunately for my sparring partners in Congress, I’ll be back soon, so stand-by!” wapo.st/2P5wfM2
Nine days later: McCain returns to the Senate chamber, an incision from surgery still fresh above his left eye, and gives a thumbs down to indicate his vote against a GOP plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. wapo.st/2P5wfM2
In his final book, reflecting on his life, he wrote: “It’s been quite a ride. I’ve known great passions, seen amazing wonders, fought in a war, and helped make a peace. I made a small place for myself in the story of America and the history of my times.” wapo.st/2P5wfM2
