(Reuters) - Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Edwards ended his second bid for the White House in January after failing to win any of the early state nominating contests.

Following are five facts about the former North Carolina senator, who fashioned himself as a champion of workers and the poor and a critic of Republican policies he said favoured the rich and corporate America.

* The boyish-looking 54-year-old was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004, running with presidential nominee John Kerry. He was credited with bringing energy and charisma to his party's bid to unseat President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

* The son of a textile worker and the first person in his family to attend college, Edwards became a millionaire personal injury lawyer known for winning big damage awards from corporations and hospitals.

* His wife, Elizabeth, is being treated for a recurrence of cancer. They have three children. A teenage son died in a car crash in 1996.

* This year, he edged out rival Hillary Clinton to come in second in the Iowa caucuses, but placed third in subsequent races in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

* Edwards, who would later be criticized by political opponents for paying $400 (206 pounds) for a haircut, was named the sexiest U.S. politician by People magazine in 2000.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Peter Cooney)