1. Sarah Louise Palin (nee Heath) was born Feb., 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Her family moved to Alaska when Sarah was an infant. Her father, Chuck, is a retired schoolteacher.
2. She attended Wasilla High School where she played point guard on the state champion basketball team. Her nickname was "Sarah Barracuda."
3. Palin graduated in 1987 from the University of Idaho with a degree in journalism. She worked briefly as a sports reporter in Anchorage.
4. She refers to her husband, Todd, as the "First Dude." He's worked as a commercial fisherman and as a production operator on the North Slope for BP. He enjoys snowmobiling and has won the Tesoro Iron Dog, billed as the world's longest snowmobile race, four times.
5. Palin and her husband have five children, Bristol, Piper, Track, Willow, and Trig. Trig, born in 2008, has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Her son Track joined the army in 2007.
6. Her favorite meal is moose stew.
7. She comes from a family of outdoor enthusiasts. Her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, enjoy hunting and fishing, and have both completed marathons.
8. Palin was named Miss Wasilla in 1984 and was a runner-up for Miss Alaska. In 1996 she was elected mayor of Wasilla.
9. She's a lifetime NRA member and enjoys hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.
10. Elected in 2006, she's Alaska's first female governor and the youngest governor elected in the state.
Sources:
Anchorage Daily News
Vogue
Washington Post
Almanac of American Politics
Associated Press
Washington Times
Biography Resource Center Online