Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday.

  • WHAT: President-elect Donald Trump and VP-elect Mike Pence swearing-in 
  • WHERE: West front of the US Capitol building
  • WHEN: Friday, Jan. 20. Ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m., swearing-in at noon
  • WATCH: Watch the swearing-in live on our TV station Jan. 20, or watch us on our live stream (authentication required). Stay tuned for live updates throughout the day
  • COMPLETE COVERAGE: Schedule of events, photos, quiz, how to attend

Trump's path to the White House was long and winding, and it began long before his packed-out stadium rallies during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump, a real estate developer, was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York. He will be 70 years old when he takes the oath of office, making him the oldest person to take the presidential oath.

He's the fourth of five children of Frederick C. and Mary MacLeod Trump. Trump's father was a builder and real estate developer who specialized in construction and operating middle-income apartments in Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn.

At age 13, Trump attended the New York Military Academy. His parents hoped the discipline of the school would channel Trump's energy in a positive manner.

Trump eventually graduated from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 with a degree in economics.

Trump eventually followed his father into a career in real estate development. In 1971, he was given control of the family company, which he later named the Trump Organization.

Growing the family business wasn't all Trump was focused on, either. As early as 1999, he entertained the idea of getting into politics when he announced the formation of an exploratory committee to decide whether to seek the Reform Party's nomination in the 2000 presidential race.

A poor showing in the California primary caused Trump to withdraw his candidacy.

Trump considered running for president again in 2012, but his association with the "birther" movement likely caused his political reputation to take another hit.

Everything changed on June 16, 2015, when Trump made his White House ambitions official when he announced he was running for president.

"So, ladies and gentleman, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again," Trump said at his announcement event. At the time, he was the 12th high-profile republican to enter the 2016 race.

What followed was months of sellout rallies across the country under the campaign slogan "Make America Great Again," and a record-setting showing in the Republican primaries.

Trump eventually was named the presumptive Republican nominee and officially accepted the nomination July 21, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio.

"I'm with you, I will fight for you, and I will win for you," he said at his acceptance speech.