Early Life and Education of Barack Obama: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Barack Obama. A timeline of key moments.

Barack Obama, the 44th U.S. President (2009-2017), was the first African American to hold the office. A Democrat, he previously served as a U.S. Senator for Illinois (2005-2008) and an Illinois State Senator (1997-2004). His presidency was marked by significant policy changes and challenges both domestically and internationally.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1934: Barack Obama Sr.'s Birth

In 1934, Barack Obama Sr. was born.

1942: Ann Dunham's Birth

In 1942, Ann Dunham, Barack Obama's mother, was born in Wichita, Kansas.

1960: Parents Meet

In 1960, Barack Obama's parents met in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

February 2, 1961: Marriage of Obama's Parents

On February 2, 1961, Barack Obama's parents, Ann Dunham and Barack Obama Sr., were married in Wailuku, Hawaii, six months before Obama was born.

August 4, 1961: Barack Obama's Birth

On August 4, 1961, Barack Hussein Obama II was born at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, Hawaii.

August 1961: Move to Seattle

In late August 1961, Barack and his mother moved to the University of Washington in Seattle.

June 1962: Father's Graduation

In June 1962, Barack Obama's father completed his undergraduate degree in economics in Hawaii.

1963: Meeting Lolo Soetoro

In 1963, Ann Dunham met Lolo Soetoro at the University of Hawaiʻi.

March 1964: Parents' Divorce

In March 1964, Barack Obama's parents divorced.

March 15, 1965: Marriage to Lolo Soetoro

On March 15, 1965, Ann Dunham married Lolo Soetoro on Molokai.

1966: Lolo's Return to Indonesia

In 1966, Lolo Soetoro returned to Indonesia after visa extensions.

1967: Move to Indonesia

In 1967, Ann Dunham and Barack Obama moved to Indonesia to join Lolo Soetoro.

1970: Move to Menteng District

From 1970, the family lived in a wealthier neighborhood in the Menteng district of Central Jakarta.

1971: Father's Visit

In 1971, Barack Obama's father visited him in Hawaii for Christmas.

1971: Return to Honolulu

In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents.

1972: Mother and Sister Live in Hawaii

From 1972 to 1975, Obama lived with his mother and half-sister, Maya Soetoro, in Hawaii.

1973: United Nations Security Council Resolution

In 2011, Obama ordered the military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

1975: Mother and Sister Return to Indonesia

In 1975, Obama's mother and half-sister returned to Indonesia.

1979: Move to Los Angeles

After graduating from high school in 1979, Obama moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College.

1979: High School Graduation

In 1979, Barack Obama graduated from high school from Punahou School.

1980: Visit to Kenya

In 1980, Barack Obama visited Kenya.

February 1981: First Public Speech

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.

1982: Barack Obama Sr.'s Death

Barack Obama Sr. died in 1982.

1982: Father's Death

In 1982, Barack Obama's father was killed in an automobile accident in Kenya.

1983: Graduation from Columbia University

In 1983, Barack Obama graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

1988: Enrollment in Harvard Law School

In 1988, Barack Obama enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he later became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.

1991: Visiting Law and Government Fellow

In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School.

1991: Graduation from Harvard Law

In 1991, Obama graduated from Harvard Law with a Juris Doctor magna cum laude.

1992: Teaching at the University of Chicago Law School

In 1992, Barack Obama began teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.

1992: Mother Earns PhD

In 1992, Obama's mother earned a PhD degree.

1995: Ann Dunham's Death

Ann Dunham died in 1995

1996: Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School

In 1996, Obama became a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.

2004: End of Teaching at the University of Chicago Law School

In 2004, Obama concluded his teaching position at the University of Chicago Law School.

2006: Interview Highlighting Family Diversity

In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family.

February 10, 2007: Obama Announces Presidential Candidacy

On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois, emphasizing issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and reforming the health care system.

August 2007: Obama addresses questions about being 'black enough'

In August 2007, expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told a meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."

October 2007: Obama remarks on his youthful image

In an October 2007 campaign speech, Obama acknowledged his youthful image, remarking: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."

2007: Discovery of Ancestral Roots in Ireland

In 2007, it was discovered that Ann Dunham's great-great-grandfather Falmouth Kearney emigrated from Moneygall, Ireland, to the U.S. in 1850.

June 2, 2008: Obama Clinches Democratic Nomination

On June 2, 2008, Barack Obama received enough votes to clinch the Democratic nomination for President.

June 19, 2008: Obama Turns Down Public Financing

On June 19, 2008, Barack Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976.

August 23, 2008: Obama Selects Joe Biden as Running Mate

On August 23, 2008, Barack Obama announced his selection of Delaware senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate.

October 2008: Presidential Debates

In October 2008, Barack Obama and John McCain engaged in three presidential debates.

November 2, 2008: Death of Madelyn Dunham

On November 2, 2008, Madelyn Dunham, Obama's maternal grandmother, died two days before his election to the presidency.

January 20, 2009: Obama's Inauguration

On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. In his first few days in office, he issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq and ordered the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

February 2009: Polls showed strong support for Obama in Western Europe and the U.S.

In February 2009, a poll conducted in Western Europe and the U.S. by Harris Interactive rated Barack Obama as the most respected world leader and the most powerful.

May 2009: Obama rated as the most popular world leader

In May 2009, a Harris poll rated Barack Obama as the most popular world leader and the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of the economic downturn.

May 26, 2009: Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court

On May 26, 2009, Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring associate justice David Souter on the Supreme Court.

August 6, 2009: Sonia Sotomayor Confirmed

On August 6, 2009, Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice, becoming the first Supreme Court Justice of Hispanic descent.

May 10, 2010: Nomination of Elena Kagan to Supreme Court

On May 10, 2010, Barack Obama nominated Elena Kagan to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court.

August 5, 2010: Elena Kagan Confirmed

On August 5, 2010, Elena Kagan was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three for the first time in American history.

April 4, 2011: Obama Announces Reelection Campaign

On April 4, 2011, Barack Obama filed election papers and announced his reelection campaign for 2012 in a video titled "It Begins with Us" posted on his website.

May 2011: Meeting with Irish Cousins

In May 2011, Barack Obama met with his Irish cousins in Moneygall, Ireland.

2011: Military Intervention in Libya

In 2011, Obama ordered the military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

April 3, 2012: Obama Secures Democratic Nomination

On April 3, 2012, Barack Obama secured the 2778 convention delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination for the 2012 presidential election.

May 9, 2012: Obama Affirms Support for Same-Sex Marriage

On May 9, 2012, Barack Obama, shortly after the official launch of his campaign for re-election as president, publicly affirmed his personal support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.

July 2012: Ancestry.com Discovery

In July 2012, Ancestry.com found a strong likelihood that Ann Dunham was descended from John Punch, an enslaved African man who lived in the Colony of Virginia during the seventeenth century.

November 6, 2012: Obama Re-elected as President

On November 6, 2012, Barack Obama won 332 electoral votes and was reelected as president, becoming the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win the majority of the popular vote twice.

January 21, 2013: Obama Calls for Full Equality for Gay Americans

During his second inaugural address on January 21, 2013, Barack Obama became the first U.S. president in office to call for full equality for gay Americans and the first to mention gay rights or the word "gay" in an inaugural address.

January 20, 2017: End of Obama's presidency

On January 20, 2017, Obama's presidency ended with the inauguration of Donald Trump, and the Obama family moved to a house they rented in Kalorama, Washington, D.C.

2017: Obama Leaves Office

In 2017, Barack Obama left office but continues to reside in Washington, D.C., remaining politically active.

2017: End of Presidential Term

In 2017, Barack Obama's term as the 44th president of the United States came to an end.

May 22, 2018: Obamas sign deal with Netflix

On May 22, 2018, Barack and Michelle Obama signed a deal with Netflix to produce docu-series, documentaries and features under their newly formed production company, Higher Ground Productions.

2020: Campaigning for Biden

In the 2020 presidential election, Barack Obama campaigned for candidates in American elections, including in Joe Biden's successful presidential bid.

January 2021: Obama attends the inauguration of Joe Biden

In January 2021, Obama and his wife attended the inauguration of Joe Biden.

February 2021: Obama and Bruce Springsteen start a podcast

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.'"

March 2023: Obama travels to Australia for a speaking tour

In March 2023, Obama traveled to Australia as a part of his speaking tour of the country, meeting with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and visiting Melbourne for the first time.