Bristol Palin is the daughter of Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor who was the Republican candidate for vice-president in 2008. Sarah Palin was announced as John McCain's running mate on 29 August 2008. Three days later, Palin announced through a press release that her 17-year-old daughter Bristol was pregnant. The statement said, in part, "Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family." The father was identified as Levi Johnston, a fellow high school student of Bristol's in Wasilla, Alaska. (Johnston then joined Palin's family onstage at the Republican National Convention in September.) Their child, a son named Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, was born on 28 December 2008. Johnston confirmed in March of 2009 that he and Bristol had broken off their engagement and were no longer a couple. Bristol is the second-oldest of five children in the Palin family: her older brother Track (b. 1989) joined the US Army in 2007, and her younger siblings are sisters Willow (b. 1994) and Piper (b. 2000) and brother Trig (b. 2008). (via Infoplease)