Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama was born in 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Raised in Indonesia during his early years by his mom after his parents split, Barack (often called “Barry”), found himself back in Hawaii at the age of 10. He was raised from then on by his grandparents. In 1983, he graduated from Columbia University with a degree in political science, later moving to Chicago where he became a community organizer and worked with low income residents. He entered Harvard Law School in 1988 and went on to become the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review. It was at a law firm in Chicago where he also met his wife, Michelle Obama, whom he married in 1992.

The Illinois senator released his autobiography, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, in 1995, and has spoken out about issues including improving health care and working with law enforcement to require all interrogations to be videotaped. In February 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He made history on November 4, 2008 when he became the first African-American to become president-elect. Obama was reelected in November 2012. After being sworn in for a second term, Obama promoted policies related to gun control and inclusiveness for the LGBT community. He has two daughters, Malia and Sasha .