Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, served from 2009 to 2017. Born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Obama's early years were marked by his parents' divorce when he was just 2 years old. Raised in part in Indonesia, he later returned to Honolulu to live with his grandparents.
Obama pursued his education at Occidental College in Los Angeles before transferring to Columbia University to study political science and international relations. He then attended Harvard Law School, where he met his future wife Michelle, with whom he has two daughters, Malia and Natasha 'Sasha.'
His political career began in 1996 when he was elected to the Illinois Senate. In 2004, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate and gained national attention with his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.
In 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for president, running on the platform of 'Change we can believe in.' He defeated Senator John McCain to become the first African American President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2009.
After a successful first term, Obama was re-elected in 2012, defeating Mitt Romney. His presidency concluded in 2017 with a farewell address delivered from Chicago.
Throughout his time in office, Obama authored several books, including 'Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance' in 1995, 'The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream' in 2006, 'Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters' in 2010, and 'A Promised Land' in 2020.
