10 Things You Didn't Know About Cindy McCain

Compiled by the U.S. News library staff

1. Cindy Hensley, a Phoenix native, is the only child of James and Marguerite Hensley.

2. She attended Central High School and went on to receive a master's degree in special education from the University of Southern California.

3. Cindy met John McCain in 1979, while she was on vacation with her parents in Hawaii.

4. There is an 18-year age difference between Cindy and John, but they both lied about their ages when they met. John said he was younger than 42, and Cindy said she was older than 24. They didn't realize this until they went to apply for a marriage license a year after they met.

5. Cindy and John were married in Phoenix in 1980.

6. She was very close to her parents, who at one time lived across the street from the McCains.

7. They have four children: two daughters and two sons. The McCains adopted their youngest child, Bridget, in 1991 from an orphanage in Bangladesh.

8. Cindy is chairwoman of a business her father started in 1955. Hensley & Co. is one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the United States.

9. She is involved in many charities, including Operation Smile and American Voluntary Medical Team, which she founded.

10. She is a big fan of NASCAR.

Sources:
Good Housekeeping
Grand Rapids Press
Harper's Bazaar
Hoovers
New York Times
Star-Ledger