Barack Obama (born 1961) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American to hold the presidency and had previously served as a United States senator from Illinois. [1]
Early life and education
Barack Hussein Obama II was born on 4 August 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He spent part of his childhood in Indonesia before returning to Hawaii, where he was largely raised by his maternal grandparents. He studied at Occidental College and Columbia University, and in 1991 earned a law degree from Harvard Law School, where he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. [1]
After law school he worked as a community organiser in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School. [2]
Political rise
Obama served in the Illinois State Senate from 1997 to 2004 before winning election to the United States Senate. National attention followed his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. In 2008, after a closely fought primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, he won the Democratic nomination and defeated Republican John McCain to become president. [1]
Presidency, 2009 to 2017
Taking office during the global financial crisis, Obama signed a large economic stimulus package and, in 2010, the Affordable Care Act, which expanded health-insurance coverage. His administration oversaw the end of major combat operations in Iraq, the 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden, and the negotiation of the Iran nuclear agreement and the Paris climate accord. He was re-elected in 2012, defeating Mitt Romney. [1][3]
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, early in his first term. [4]
After the presidency
Since leaving office Obama has concentrated on the Obama Foundation and on writing; his presidential memoir became an international bestseller. He remains an influential figure in American public life. [2]
