II  (pronounced  /bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/ ; born August 4, 1961) is the  44th  and current  President of the United States . He is the first  African American  to hold the office. Obama was the  junior   United States Senator  from  Illinois  from January 2005 until November 2008, when he resigned following his