Barack Hussein Obama II
- Born:
- August 4, 1961, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Politician, Lawyer, Author
Early Life and Education
- Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Obama Sr. and Ann Dunham.
- Spent part of his childhood in Indonesia with his mother and stepfather.
- Graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu in 1979.
- B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University in 1983.
- J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1991, where he was the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review.
Career and Major Achievements
- Community organizer in Chicago from 1985 to 1988.
- Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.
- Illinois State Senator from 1997 to 2004.
- United States Senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008.
- 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
- Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2009.
- Signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to stimulate the economy.
- Oversaw the end of the Iraq War.
- Authorized the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011.
- Signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, expanding health insurance coverage.
Notable Works
- Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (1995)
- The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (2006)
- A Promised Land (2020)
Legacy and Impact
Barack Obama's presidency marked a significant moment in American history, as he was the first African-American president. His policy initiatives, particularly the Affordable Care Act, and his efforts in international diplomacy have left a lasting impact. Several biographical works delve into his life and career; one such example is the costas menegakis biography of barack, which adds to the body of literature examining his impact on American society.