Barack Obama

44th President of the United States

### Siblings

Malik Obama (half-brother), Auma Obama (half-sister), Mark Obama (half-brother), David Obama (half-brother), Abo Obama (half-brother), Bernard Obama (half-brother), Maya Soetoro-Ng (half-sister)

### Alma Mater

Occidental CollegeColumbia University (BA)Harvard University (JD)

### Hair Color

Brown

**Barack Obama** served as the 44th President of the United States (2009-2017) and is the first African-American to hold that position. His story is the American story — values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing in a strong family, hard work and education as the means of getting ahead, and the conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others.

*The Presidency of Barack Obama spanned the period in United States history that encompasses the events of the Modern Era and the War on Terror era. President Barack Obama represented the Democratic political party which influenced the domestic and foreign policies of his presidency which included the Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare" and the end of the Iraq War.*

## Biography

When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, he became the first African American to hold the office. The framers of the Constitution always hoped that our leadership would not be limited to Americans of wealth or family connections. Subject to the prejudices of their time—many of them owned slaves—most would not have foreseen an African American president. Obama’s father, Barack Sr., a Kenyan economist, met his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, when both were students in Hawaii, where Barack was born on August 4, 1961. They later divorced, and Barack’s mother married a man from Indonesia, where he spent his early childhood. Before fifth grade, he returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents and attend Punahou School on scholarship.

In his memoir Dreams from My Father (1995), Obama describes the complexities of discovering his identity in adolescence. After two years at Occidental College in Los Angeles, he transferred to Columbia University, where he studied political science and international relations. Following graduation in 1983, Obama worked in New York City, then became a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, coordinating with churches to improve housing conditions and set up job-training programs in a community hit hard by steel mill closures. In 1988, he went to Harvard Law School, where he attracted national attention as the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. Returning to Chicago, he joined a small law firm specializing in civil rights.

In 1992, Obama married Michelle Robinson, a lawyer who had also excelled at Harvard Law. Their daughters, Malia and Sasha, were born in 1998 and 2001, respectively. Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, and then to the U.S. Senate in 2004. At the Democratic National Convention that summer, he delivered a much acclaimed keynote address. Some pundits instantly pronounced him a future president, but most did not expect it to happen for some time. Nevertheless, in 2008 he was elected over Arizona Senator John McCain by 365 to 173 electoral votes.

As an incoming president, Obama faced many challenges—an economic collapse, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the continuing menace of terrorism. Inaugurated before an estimated crowd of 1.8 million people, Obama proposed unprecedented federal spending to revive the economy and also hoped to renew America’s stature in the world. During his first term he signed three signature bills: an omnibus bill to stimulate the economy, legislation making health care more accessible and affordable, and legislation reforming the nation’s financial institutions. Obama also pressed for a fair pay act for women, financial reform legislation, and efforts for consumer protection. In 2009, Obama became the fourth president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 2012, he was reelected over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney by 332 to 206 electoral votes. The Middle East remained a key foreign policy challenge. Obama had overseen the killing of Osama bin Laden, but a new self-proclaimed Islamic State arose during a civil war in Syria and began inciting terrorist attacks. Obama sought to manage a hostile Iran with a treaty that hindered its development of nuclear weapons. The Obama administration also adopted a climate change agreement signed by 195 nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming.

In the last year of his second term, Obama spoke at two events that clearly moved him—the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, and the dedication of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. “Our union is not yet perfect, but we are getting closer,” he said in Selma. “And that’s why we celebrate,” he told those attending the museum opening in Washington, “mindful that our work is not yet done.”

## Personality

The character traits of President Barack Obama can be described as outgoing, open minded, intelligent, ambitious, caring, confident and diligent. It has been speculated that the Myers-Briggs personality type for Barack Obama is an ENFJ (extraversion, intuition, feeling, judgement). An outgoing, warm-hearted and diligent character with strong communication and organizational skills. Barack Obama Personality type: Idealist, supportive, confident personality who places a high value on harmonious human relations.

## Nicknames

* "Barry"
* "Deporter in Chief"
* "No Drama Obama"
* "Renegade"

*Meaning: The nickname of President Barack Obama provides an insight into how the man was viewed by the American public during his presidency. Barry was Obama's nickname by his friends during his early adulthood. The meaning of the nickname "No Drama Obama" refers to his cool, calm temperament. The term was coined by General Tony McPeak when describing his careful and faultless presidential campaign. Another  nickname is "The Teleprompter in Chief" referring to his style on televised speeches. Deporter in Chief came from critics in the immigrant-rights community, even as enforcement-first advocates accused his administration of being soft on unauthorized immigrants. Renegade was Obama Secret Service code name*

## Inaugurations

### First Inauguration

The **first inauguration of Barack Obama** as the 44th president of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The 56th inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in the city, marked the commencement of the first term of Barack Obama as president and Joe Biden as vice president. Based on combined attendance numbers, television viewership, and Internet traffic, it was one of the most-observed events ever by the global audience at the time.

"A New Birth of Freedom", a phrase from the Gettysburg Address, served as the inaugural theme to commemorate the 200-year anniversary of the birth year of President Abraham Lincoln. In his speeches to the crowds, Obama referred to ideals expressed by Lincoln about renewal, continuity, and national unity. Obama mentioned these ideals in his speech to stress the need for shared sacrifice and a new sense of responsibility to answer America's challenges at home and abroad.

Obama and others paid homage to Lincoln in the form of tributes and references during several events, starting with a commemorative train tour from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Washington, D.C., on January 17, 2009. The inaugural events held in Washington from January 18 to 21, 2009, included concerts, a national day of community service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the swearing-in ceremony, luncheon and parade, inaugural balls, and the interfaith inaugural prayer service. The presidential oath as administered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to Obama during his swearing-in ceremony on January 20 strayed slightly from the oath of office prescribed in the United States Constitution, which led to its re‑administration the next day.

### Second Inauguration

The **second inauguration of Barack Obama** as president of the United States was the 57th inauguration, marking the commencement of his second and final term, with Joe Biden as vice president. A private swearing-in ceremony took place on Sunday, January 20, 2013, in the Blue Room of the White House, followed by a public inauguration ceremony on Monday, January 21, 2013, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

The inauguration theme, "Faith in America's Future," commemorated the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and the completion of the Capitol dome in 1863. This theme emphasized the perseverance and unity of the United States, reflecting the "Forward" theme employed during the closing months of Obama's reelection campaign. Inaugural events in Washington, D.C., from January 19 to 21, 2013, featured concerts, a national day of community service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the swearing-in ceremony, a luncheon and parade, inaugural balls, and an interfaith inaugural prayer service. Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts administered the presidential oath to Obama during the swearing-in ceremonies on January 20 and 21, 2013.

In his second inauguration address, Obama proclaimed that "while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth". He called for laws to combat climate change, enactment of immigration reform and gun control. Obama stated that more progress was needed on human rights and civil rights (including racial minority rights, women's rights, and LGBT rights). He vowed to promote democracy abroad and stated that the United States must "be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice" around the world. Additionally, the president vowed to keep existing alliances strong, emphasized the economic recovery and the end of wars, and stated that "no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation". During the speech, Obama linked the Seneca Falls Convention, Selma to Montgomery marches and Stonewall riots. Approximately one million people attended the inauguration, and millions more watched from around the world.

## Famous Films

* **Avatar**
* The Avengers
* Star Wars: The Force Awakens
* Jurassic World
* The Wolf of Wall Street
* Moonlight
* Creed
* Interstellar
* Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
* Up (2009)
* Inception
* Frozen (2013)
* Inside Out
* Toy Story 3
* Iron Man 2
* Captain America: The First Avengers
* Thor
* Iron Man 3
* Thor: The Dark World
* Captain America: The Winter Solider
* Guardians of the Galaxy
* Avengers: Age of Ultron
* Ant-Man
* Captain America: Civil War
* Doctor Strange
* Men In Black 3
* The Amazing Spider-Man
* Big Hero 6
* Rise of the Planet of the Apes
* The Great Gatsby (2013)
* Wreck-it-Ralph
* The Lego Movie
* The Dark Knight Rises
* Zero Dark Thirty
* Zootopia
* Moana
* The Life of Pi
* Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
* Whiplash (2014)
* The Revenant
* The Perks of Being a Wallflower
* The Princess and the Frog
* District 9
* Star Trek (2009)
* X-Men Origins: Wolverine
* X-Men: First Class
* The Wolverine
* X-Men: Days of Future Past
* Deadpool
* X-Men: Apocalypse
* Ghostbusters (2016)
* Watchmen
* The Book of Eli
* Tangled (2010)
* Independence Day: Resurgence
* How to Train your Dragon
* Arrival (2016)
* Kick Ass
* Ponyo
* Man of Steel
* Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
* Suicide Squad
* Star Trek Into Darkness
* White House Down
* Olympus has Fallen
* The Amazing Spider-Man 2
* La La Land
* Passengers
* Deepwater Horizon
* A Christmas Carol (2009)
* Brave (2012)
* Kung Fu Panda 2
* Kung Fu Panda 3
* Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them
* The Purge (2013)
* Split (2016)

## Accomplishments and major events

*The major accomplishments and the famous, main events that occurred during the time that Barack Obama was president included the end of the 2007-2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession. The Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. The Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The end of the Iraq War. Sandy Hook school shooting. Boston Marathon Bombing. The Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling. The Chicago Cubs winning the 2016 World Series.*

**The Financial Crisis (2008 - 2013)**

Summary: The 2008 Financial Crisis had been sparked by a loss of confidence by investors in the mortgage and loan markets in the United States and had triggered recession and depression across the US and severely damaged global economies. Congress passed a series of laws aimed at Consumer Protection between 2009 and 2010. The period of severe economic downturn with low growth, bankruptcies, homelessness and rising unemployment eventually eased in 2013.

**The Iraq War (2003 - 2011)**

Summary: The Iraq War (2003 - 2011) fought between Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, and a coalition of forces led by the United States and the British began when Iraq broke the peace terms of the Gulf War (1990 – 1991), failing to comply with UN weapons inspectors and relinquish weapons of mass destruction. The Iraq War resulted in the execution of Saddam Hussein and the overthrow of his regime.

**The Afghanistan War (2001 - 2021)**

Summary: The Afghanistan War (2001 - 2021) in which the United States of America invaded Afghanistan was triggered by the September 11 attacks. On October 7, 2001 the United States and Britain began to bomb terrorist targets, such as the Al-Qaeda camps and the military forces of the Taliban. The war continued throughout Obama's presidency.

**Sonia Sotomayor Supreme Court nomination**

Summary: On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama announced his selection of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, to replace retiring Justice David Souter. Sotomayor's nomination was submitted to the United States Senate on June 1, 2009, when the 111th Congress reconvened after its Memorial Day recess. Sotomayor was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 6, 2009 by a 68–31 vote, and was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts on August 8, 2009, becoming the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court.

When nominated, Sotomayor was a sitting judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, a position to which she had been appointed by Bill Clinton in 1998. Earlier, she served on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, appointed by George H. W. Bush in 1992.

**Avatar (2009)**

Summary: Avatar (marketed as ***James Cameron's Avatar***) is a 2009 epic science fiction film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron and starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver. It is the first installment in the *Avatar* film series. It is set in the mid-22nd century, when humans are colonizing Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system, in order to mine the valuable mineral unobtanium. The expansion of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of a local tribe of Na'vi, a humanoid species indigenous to Pandora. The title of the film refers to a genetically engineered Na'vi body operated from the brain of a remotely located human that is used to interact with the natives of Pandora.

*Avatar* premiered on December 10, 2009, in London and was released in the United States on December 18, 2009, to positive reviews. Critics highly praised its groundbreaking visual effects, though the story was considered to be predictable. During its theatrical run, the film broke several box office records, including becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. In July 2019, this position was overtaken by *Avengers: Endgame*, but with subsequent re-releases, beginning with China in March 2021, it returned to becoming the highest-grossing film since then. Adjusted for inflation, *Avatar* is the second-highest-grossing movie of all time, only behind *Gone with the Wind*, with a total of a little more than $3.5 billion. It also became the first film to gross more than $2 billion and the best-selling video title of 2010 in the United States. *Avatar* was nominated for nine awards at the 82nd Academy Awards, winning three, and received numerous other accolades. The success of the film also led to electronics manufacturers releasing 3D televisions and caused 3D films to increase in popularity. Its success led to the *Avatar* franchise, which includes the sequels *Avatar: The Way of Water* (2022), *Avatar 3* (2025), *Avatar 4* (2029), and *Avatar 5* (2031).

**The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)**

Summary: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) was passed on March 23, 2010. The ACA's major provisions came into force in 2014. By 2016, the uninsured share of the population had roughly halved, with estimates ranging from 20 to 24 million additional people covered. The law also enacted a host of delivery system reforms intended to constrain healthcare costs and improve quality. After it went into effect, increases in overall healthcare spending slowed, including premiums for employer-based insurance plans.

**Elena Kagan Supreme Court nomination**

Summary: On May 10, 2010, President Barack Obama announced his selection of Elena Kagan for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. Kagan's nomination was confirmed by a 63–37 vote of the United States Senate on August 5, 2010. When nominated, Kagan was Solicitor General of the United States, a position to which Obama had appointed her in March 2009. Kagan was the first Supreme Court nominee since Sandra Day O'Connor in 1981 to *not* be a sitting circuit court judge and the most recent such nominee as of 2023. She was the first Supreme Court nominee since William Rehnquist and Lewis F. Powell Jr. in 1971 to not be a sitting judge on any court.

**Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act**

Summary: Responding to widespread calls for changes to the financial regulatory system, in June 2009, President Barack Obama introduced a proposal for a "sweeping overhaul of the United States financial regulatory system, a transformation on a scale not seen since the reforms that followed the Great Depression". Dodd–Frank reorganized the financial regulatory system, eliminating the Office of Thrift Supervision, assigning new responsibilities to existing agencies like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and creating new agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB was charged with protecting consumers against abuses related to credit cards, mortgages, and other financial products.

The act also created the Financial Stability Oversight Council and the Office of Financial Research to identify threats to the financial stability of the United States, and gave the Federal Reserve new powers to regulate systemically important institutions. To handle the liquidation of large companies, the act created the Orderly Liquidation Authority. One provision, the Volcker Rule, restricts banks from making certain kinds of speculative investments. The act also repealed the exemption from regulation for security-based swaps, requiring credit-default swaps and other transactions to be cleared through either exchanges or clearinghouses. Other provisions affect issues such as corporate governance, 1256 Contracts, and credit rating agencies.

**Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010**

Summary: The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 is a landmark United States federal statute enacted in December 2010 that established a process for ending the "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy (10 U.S.C. § 654), thus allowing gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve openly in the United States Armed Forces. It ended the policy in place since 1993 that allowed them to serve only if they kept their sexual orientation secret and the military did not learn of their sexual orientation, which was controversial.

**The Death of Osama bin Laden (2011)**

Summary: The Death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2, 2011 was announced to the nation on the same day of the raid. The announcement brought joy across the nation as many celebrated the death of the terrorist leader.

**One World Trade Center and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum**

Summary: The National September 11 Memorial & Museum dedicated to the victims 9/11 and their families was completed. The memorial was opend on September 11, 2011 and September 12 while the Museum was opened on May 15, 2014 and May 21. The One World Trade Center was completed in July 2013 and opened on November 3, 2014 during the presidency of Barack Obama.

**End of the Iraq War**

Summary: In October, 2011 President Barack Obama announced that the remaining American soldiers would leave the country and the Iraq War ended on December 18, 2011.

**The Benghazi attack**

Summary: Benghazi attack of September 11, 2012, when Islamic militants attacked the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, killing U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. Subsequent investigations showed that the attack was premeditated—although rioters and looters not originally part of the group may have joined in after the attacks began. The United States immediately increased security worldwide at diplomatic and military facilities and began investigating the Benghazi attack.

**Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting**

Summary: A mass shooting that occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and the other six were adult staff members. Earlier that day, before driving to the school, Lanza fatally shot his mother at their Newtown home. As first responders arrived at the school, Lanza died by suicide, shooting himself in the head.

The incident is the deadliest mass shooting in Connecticut history, and the deadliest mass shooting at an elementary school in U.S. history. It is also the second deadliest school shooting in the U.S, and the fourth-deadliest mass shooting overall. The shooting prompted renewed debate about gun control in the United States, including proposals to make the background-check system universal, and for new federal and state gun legislation banning the sale and manufacture of certain types of semi-automatic firearms and magazines which can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition.

**The War on Terror: The Change in Focus (2013)**

Summary: The War on Terror began in 2001 following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, targeting organizations who committed violent acts of both Domestic and International Terrorism, particularly the Taliban, Al-Qaeda members and Osama Bin Laden. In 2013, President Barack Obama announced that the US was no longer pursuing the 'War on Terror', stating that the military focus should be on specific enemies rather than a tactic.

**The Boston Marathon bombings**

Summary: The Boston Marathon bombing terrorist attack took place on April 15, 2013. Brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs, which detonated near the finish line of the race 14 seconds and 210 yards (190 m) apart. Three people were killed and hundreds injured, including 17 who lost limbs.

**The West Fertilizer Company explosion**

Summary: The West Fertilizer Company explosion occurred on April 17, 2013. The, Texas tragedy claimed 15 lives, injured 200 others and turned part of the city of of West 2,800 people into rubble.

**End of the first phase in the War in Afghanistan**

Summary: After 13 years of conflict against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban the United States of America and Britain officially ended their combat operation in the Afghanistan War on October 26, 2014. However the conflict in Afghanistan continued due to the resilience of the Taliban and the emergence of the Islamic State (IS) until 2021.

**ISIS and ISIL**

Summary: ISIS, the **"I**slamic **S**tate of **I**raq and **S**yria" and  ISIL, the "**I**slamic **S**tate in **I**raq and the **L**evant"  grew out of the radical Islamic group known as Al-Qaeda, encouraging terrorist attacks attacking hotels,  mosques, busy city streets and other civilian targets across the world. In June 2014. ISIS and ISIL merged, renaming itself the Islamic State (IS).

**The Islamic State (IS)**

Summary: In 2014 Islamic State (IS) created a caliphate and claimed absolute authority over all of the world’s Muslims. Islamic State (IS) became one of the main jihadist groups, fighting government forces in Iraq and Syria and encouraging terrorist attacks around the world.

**THE USA Freedom Act (2015)**

Summary: The USA Freedom Act was passed on June 2, 2015 as an alternative to extending the sunset provisions within the USA Patriot Act

***Obergefell v. Hodges***

Summary: The Supreme court stroked down bans against same-sex marriage as unconstitutional and guaranteed LGBT the right to marry anyone they choose on June 26, 2015.

**Merrick Garland Supreme Court nomination**

Summary: On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States to succeed Antonin Scalia, who had died one month earlier. At the time of his nomination, Garland was the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. This vacancy arose during Obama's final year as president. Hours after Scalia's death was announced, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would consider any appointment by the sitting president to be null and void. He said the next Supreme Court justice should be chosen by the next president—to be elected later that year. Senate Democrats criticized the move as being unprecedented, and responded saying that there was sufficient time to vote on a nominee before the election.

Scalia's death brought about an unusual, but not unprecedented, situation in which a Democratic president had the opportunity to nominate a Supreme Court justice while the Republicans controlled the United States Senate. Before 2016, such a situation had last arisen in 1895, when a Republican-led Senate confirmed Democrat Grover Cleveland's nomination of Rufus Wheeler Peckham to the Court in a voice vote; conversely, in 1988 a Democratic-led Senate had confirmed Republican Ronald Reagan's nomination of Anthony Kennedy and in 1991, a Senate held 57–43 by Democrats nevertheless confirmed Justice Clarence Thomas. Political commentators at the time widely recognized Scalia as one of the most conservative members of the Court, and noted that—while many considered Merrick Garland a centrist, and he had been called "essentially the model, neutral judge"—a replacement less conservative than Scalia could have shifted the Court's ideological balance for many years into the future. The confirmation of Garland would have given Democratic appointees a majority on the Supreme Court for the first time since the 1970 confirmation of Harry Blackmun.

The 11 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Republican majority refused to conduct the hearings necessary to advance the vote to the Senate at large, and Garland's nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress, 293 days after it had been submitted to the Senate. This marked the first time since the Civil War that a nominee whose nomination had not been withdrawn had failed to receive consideration for an open seat on the Court. Obama's successor, Donald Trump (a Republican), nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy on January 31, 2017, soon after taking office.

**2016 World Series**

Summary: The championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 season. The 112th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Chicago Cubs and the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians, the first meeting of those franchises in postseason history. The series was played between October 25 and November 2 (although Game 7 ended slightly after 12:00 am local time on November 3). The Indians had home-field advantage because the AL had won the 2016 All-Star Game.

This was the final World Series to have home-field advantage determined by the All-Star Game results; since 2017, home-field advantage has been awarded to the team with the better record. Many consider the 2016 World Series to be one of the best of all time, due to the underdog story behind both teams, the games being tightly contested, the series going the full distance, and game 7 going to extra innings. The Cubs defeated the Indians 4–3 to capture their first World Series championship since 1908, and their first while playing at Wrigley Field. At the series' conclusion, numerous outlets listed Game 7 as an instant classic, and the entire Series as one of the greatest of all time.

## Post Presidency

Obama's presidency ended on January 20, 2017, upon the inauguration of his successor, Donald Trump. The family moved to a house they rented in Kalorama, Washington, D.C. On March 2, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum awarded the Profile in Courage Award to Obama "for his enduring commitment to democratic ideals and elevating the standard of political courage." His first public appearance since leaving the office was a seminar at the University of Chicago on April 24, where he appealed for a new generation to participate in politics. On September 7, Obama partnered with former presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush to work with One America Appeal to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in the Gulf Coast and Texas communities. From October 31 to November 1, Obama hosted the inaugural summit of the Obama Foundation, which he intended to be the central focus of his post-presidency and part of his ambitions for his subsequent activities following his presidency to be more consequential than his time in office.

Barack and Michelle Obama signed a deal on May 22, 2018, to produce docu-series, documentaries and features for Netflix under the Obamas' newly formed production company, Higher Ground Productions. Higher Ground's first film, *American Factory*, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2020. On October 24, a pipe bomb addressed to Obama was intercepted by the Secret Service. It was one of several pipe-bombs that had been mailed out to Democratic lawmakers and officials. In 2019, Barack and Michelle Obama bought a home on Martha's Vineyard from Wyc Grousbeck. On October 29, Obama criticized "wokeness" and call-out culture at the Obama Foundation's annual summit.

Obama was reluctant to make an endorsement in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries because he wanted to position himself to unify the party, regardless of the nominee. On April 14, 2020, Obama endorsed Biden, the presumptive nominee, for president in the presidential election, stating that he has "all the qualities we need in a president right now." In May, Obama criticized President Trump for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling his response to the crisis "an absolute chaotic disaster", and stating that the consequences of the Trump presidency have been "our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before." On November 17, Obama's presidential memoir, *A Promised Land*, was released.

In February 2021, Obama and musician Bruce Springsteen started a podcast called *Renegades: Born in the USA* where the two talk about "their backgrounds, music and their 'enduring love of America.'" Later that year, Regina Hicks had signed a deal with Netflix, in a venture with his and Michelle's Higher Ground to develop comedy projects.

On March 4, 2022, Obama won an Audio Publishers Association (APA) Award in the best narration by the author category for the narration of his memoir *A Promised Land*. On April 5, Obama visited the White House for the first time since leaving office, in an event celebrating the 12th annual anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act. In June, it was announced that the Obamas and their podcast production company, Higher Ground, signed a multi-year deal with Audible. In September, Obama visited the White House to unveil his and Michelle's official White House portraits. Around the same time, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for his narration in the Netflix documentary series *Our Great National Parks*.

In 2022, Obama opposed expanding the Supreme Court beyond the present nine Justices. In March 2023, Obama traveled to Australia as a part of his speaking tour of the country. During the trip, Obama met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and visited Melbourne for the first time. Obama was reportedly paid more than $1 million for two speeches.

In October 2023, during the Israel–Hamas war, Obama warned Israel that its actions could "harden Palestinian attitudes for generations" and weaken international support for Israel; any military strategy that ignored the war's human costs "could ultimately backfire."

## Facts and trivia

* Barack Obama is the first African-American President of the United States.
* Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is the only president born outside the contiguous 48 states.
* He was born to an American mother and a Kenyan father. His mother, Ann Dunham (1942–1995), was born in Wichita, Kansas; she was mostly of English descent. Obama's father, Barack Obama Sr. (1934–1982), was a married Luo Kenyan from Nyang'oma Kogelo.
* In late August 1961, a few weeks after he was born, Barack and his mother moved to the University of Washington in Seattle, where they lived for a year. During that time, Barack's father completed his undergraduate degree in economics in Hawaii, graduating in June 1962. He left to attend graduate school on a scholarship at Harvard University, where he earned an M.A. in economics.
* Obama's parents divorced in March 1964.
* At the age of six, Obama and his mother had moved to Indonesia to join his stepfather, Lolo Soetoro. In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham.
* After graduating from high school in 1979, Obama moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College on a full scholarship. I
* In February 1981, Obama made his first public speech, calling for Occidental to participate in the disinvestment from South Africa in response to that nation's policy of apartheid.
* Later in 1981, he transferred to Columbia University in New York City as a junior, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and in English literature and lived off-campus on West 109th Street. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 and a 3.7 GPA.
* After graduating from Columbia University in 1983, Obama worked as a community organizer in Chicago, Illinois.
* In 1988, Obama enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he was the first black president of the *Harvard Law Review*. After graduating, he became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.
* In June 1989, Obama met Michelle Robinson when he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin. Robinson was assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, and she joined him at several group social functions but declined his initial requests to date. They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992.
* After suffering a miscarriage, Michelle underwent in vitro fertilization to conceive their children. The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born in 1998, followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), in 2001.
* Obama represented the 13th district in the Illinois Senate from 1997 until 2004, when he ran for the U.S. Senate.
* Obama received national attention in 2004 with his March Senate primary win, his well-received July Democratic National Convention keynote address, and his landslide November election to the Senate.
* In 2008, a year after beginning his campaign, and after a close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, he was nominated by the Democratic Party for president. Obama was elected over Republican nominee John McCain in the general election and was inaugurated alongside his running mate Joe Biden, on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, he was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a decision that drew a mixture of praise and criticism.
* The Obama daughters attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. When they moved to Washington, D.C., in January 2009, the girls started at the Sidwell Friends School.
* Obama's first term as president was marked by the first economic recession since the Great Depression.
* As president, Obama reduced Iraqi troop operations by two thirds, but added more troops to the war in Afghanistan.
* In 2011, Obama ordered the drone-strike killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen and suspected al-Qaeda operative, leading to controversy. He ordered military involvement in Libya for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1973, contributing to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. He also ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.
* After winning re-election by defeating Republican opponent Mitt Romney, Obama was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2013. During this term, he promoted inclusion for LGBT Americans.
* Obama advocated for gun control in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, indicating support for a ban on assault weapons, and issued wide-ranging executive actions concerning global warming and immigration.
* Obama left office on January 20, 2017, and continues to reside in Washington, D.C.
* During Obama's terms as president, the United States' reputation abroad, as well as the American economy, significantly improved. Scholars and historians rank him among the upper tier of American presidents.
* Since leaving office, Obama has remained active in Democratic politics, including campaigning for candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, appearing at the 2020 Democratic National Convention and campaigning for Biden during the 2020 presidential election
* Outside of politics, Obama has published three bestselling books: *Dreams from My Father* (1995)*, The Audacity of Hope* (2006) and *A Promised Land* (2020).