A look at Kamala Harris’ life and career in 12 facts

Kamala Harris became the first woman in the 244-year history of the United States to be elected Vice President.

Kamala Devi Harris is a native of Oakland, California. Her ancestors are Indian on her mother’s side, and Jamaican on her father’s.

Her first name, Kamala, comes from the Indian Sanskrit language. It means “lotus flower”.

At the age of 12, Kamala, her mother and sister Maya moved to Montreal. Her mother was a breast cancer researcher at the Jewish Hospital, affiliated with McGill University.

Kamala Harris learns French at Notre-Dame des Neiges. She finishes high school at Westmount High School before returning to the United States.

In 2004, she became the first African-American woman to be appointed District Attorney of California, while working in San Francisco.

She’s passionate about cooking. She doesn’t hesitate to post photos or videos of her recipes on her Instagram account.

Kamala Harris is also passionate about music. She even shared her playlist with Spotify. It includes songs by Beyoncé, TLC, Notorious B.I.G. and Kendrick Lamar.

She’s an author too! She wrote “Smart on Crime” in 2009 and “The Truths We Hold” in 2020. In between, she wrote the children’s book “Superheroes Are Everywhere” in 2019.

Kamala Harris officiated at the first same-sex civil wedding in California history back in 2004.

In 2021, she becomes the 49th VP of the United States, winning the US election alongside Joe Biden and defeating Donald Trump and Mike Pence in the process.

In July 2024, the same Joe Biden announced that he is giving up the Democratic nomination. This left the field wide open for Kamala Harris, who will now have to face Donald Trump and the Republican machine. She could become the first woman president in American history.