Following is an introduction to US Republican presidential candidate John McCain:

Candidate status: Republican presidential nominee

Filed statement of candidacy November 16, 2006

Current job: US senator from Arizona

Birth date: August 29, 1936, Panama Canal Zone

Family: Married Cindy Hensley (May 17, 1980 - present); Carol Shepp (1965-1980, divorced); Children: Bridget, 1991 (adopted from Bangladesh, 1992); Jimmy, 1988; Jack, 1986; Meghan, 1984; Sidney, 1966; Adopted sons from Carol's previous marriage: Andy, 1962, and Doug, 1959.

Religion: Episcopalian

Education: US Naval Academy, B.S., 1958; National War College, 1974

Career:

1967-1973: McCain held prisoner by the North Vietnamese after his plane was shot down.

1977-1981: Director at the Navy Senate Liaison Office.

1981-1982: Vice president of Hensley & Company, the Phoenix-area Anheuser-Busch distributor owned by his father-in-law.

1983-1987: US representative from Arizona's 1st District.

1986: Won the US Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Barry Goldwater.

1990s: Worked with Democrats, including John Kerry, on normalizing relations and increasing trade with Vietnam. They also looked into allegations that US soldiers are still MIA in Vietnam; the allegations were later found false.

March 9, 2000: Dropped out of the presidential race after Super Tuesday losses, and endorsed George W. Bush.

2002: Co-sponsored a campaign finance bill called the McCain-Feingold bill. It is passed in November 2002, affecting future campaign fundraising.

2004: The New York Times reported that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry asked McCain to be his vice-presidential running mate, and that McCain refused.

Other Facts:

Awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, a Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross after his release as a POW in Vietnam.

McCain's father and grandfather were both U.S. Navy admirals. They were the first father and son to achieve that rank.

He is often described as a "maverick" for his independent and sometimes divisive stances on issues.

In 2002, he became the first sitting US senator to host "Saturday Night Live".

He is author of "Faith of My Fathers" (1999); "Worth the Fighting For: A Memoir" (2002); "Why Courage Matters" (2004); and "Character Is Destiny" (2005).

 (Agencies via Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2008)