Early Life and Education
– Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
– His mother, Ann Dunham, was of English, Welsh, German, Swiss, and Irish descent.
– His father, Barack Obama Sr., was a Luo Kenyan from Nyangoma Kogelo.
– Obama’s parents met at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
– After his parents divorced, Obama’s father returned to Kenya and Obama was raised by his mother.
– Attended Punahou School in Honolulu on a scholarship
– Lived with his mother and half-sister in Hawaii while his mother pursued her graduate studies
– Returned to Honolulu after his mother and half-sister moved back to Indonesia
– Graduated from high school in 1979
– Enrolled at Occidental College on a full scholarship
– Transferred to Columbia University in 1981
– Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983
– Worked at Business International Corporation as a financial researcher and writer
– Worked as a project coordinator for the New York Public Interest Research Group
– Enrolled at Harvard Law School in 1988
– Worked as a community organizer in Chicago from 1985 to 1988
– Traveled to Europe and Kenya in 1988
– Selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review
– Published a memoir called ‘Dreams from My Father’
– Graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991
– Accepted a position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School in 1991
– Taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years
– Directed Illinois’s Project Vote voter registration campaign in 1992
– Named to Crain’s Chicago Business list of 40 under Forty powers to be
– Graduated from University of Chicago Law School with a Juris Doctor degree
Political Career
– Obama served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
– He was the first African-American president in U.S. history.
– Prior to becoming president, Obama was a U.S. senator representing Illinois.
– He also served as an Illinois state senator and worked as a civil rights lawyer.
– Obama was nominated by the Democratic Party for president in 2008.
– Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race
– He created a campaign committee and began raising funds
– Obama lined up political media consultant David Axelrod
– He formally announced his candidacy in January 2003
– Obama won the March 2004 primary election in an unexpected landslide
– Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005
– He introduced the Lugar-Obama initiative to expand the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction concept
– Obama sponsored the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006
– He cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act
– Obama sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act and legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism
– Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States on February 10, 2007
– He emphasized issues of ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and reforming the health care system
– Obama gained a steady lead in pledged delegates during the Democratic Party presidential primaries
– On June 2, 2008, he received enough votes to clinch the nomination
– Obama selected Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate
– Obama delivered his acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High stadium
– His campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in small donations
– Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election
– He engaged in three presidential debates with John McCain
– On November 4, 2008, Obama won the presidency with 365 electoral votes
– Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, and Veterans Affairs
– He introduced the corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act
– Obama sponsored an amendment to add safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges
– He made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa
– Obama resigned his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.
Achievements as President
– Obama addressed the global financial crisis with a major stimulus package.
– He passed legislation to reform healthcare and financial regulations.
– Obama appointed Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
– He ordered the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
– Obama negotiated a nuclear agreement with Iran and normalized relations with Cuba.
– In his second term, he took steps to combat climate change and limit carbon emissions.
– Obama implemented the Affordable Care Act and negotiated international agreements.
– He promoted inclusion for LGBT Americans and supported same-sex marriage.
Second Term and Post-Presidency
– Obama was re-elected for a second term in 2012.
– After leaving office, Obama remained active in Democratic politics and published bestselling books.
– Obama’s presidency ranks in the middle to upper tier of American presidents.
– He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
– Obama’s presidential library in Chicago began construction in 2021.
– He continues to reside in Washington, D.C. and remains involved in politics.
– Obama’s books, including ‘Dreams from My Father’ and ‘A Promised Land,’ have been highly acclaimed.
Legacy and Recognition
– Obama’s net worth was estimated at $1.3 million in 2007.
– His 2009 tax return showed a household income of $5.5 million.
– Obama donated 14 percent of his 2010 income to non-profit organizations.
– His financial disclosure in 2012 suggested a net worth of up to $10 million.
– Obama carries items that remind him of the different people he has metSources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama
