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 the Affordable Care Act, the end of the Iraq War, and the killing of Osama bin Laden. Prior to his political career, Obama was a community organizer and civil rights attorney in Chicago. He is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
In 1928, Calvin Coolidge became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Cuba.
In 1934, Barack Obama Sr. was born.
In 1942, Ann Dunham was born in Wichita, Kansas.
In December 2016, President Obama permanently banned new offshore oil and gas drilling in most United States-owned waters in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans using the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Act.
In 1960, Obama's parents met in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
On February 2, 1961, Barack Obama's parents married in Wailuku, Hawaii, six months before he was born.
On August 4, 1961, Barack Hussein Obama II was born. He later became the 44th president of the United States.
In late August 1961, a few weeks after his birth, Barack and his mother moved to the University of Washington in Seattle.
In June 1962, Barack's father completed his undergraduate degree in economics in Hawaii.
In March 1964, Obama's parents divorced.
On March 15, 1965, Dunham married Lolo Soetoro on Molokai.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act amendment, represents the U.S. healthcare system's most significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of coverage since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.
In 1966, Lolo Soetoro returned to Indonesia.
In 1967, Dunham and her stepson, Obama, followed Lolo to Indonesia.
Obama supports the two-state solution to the Arab–Israeli conflict based on the 1967 borders with land swaps.
In 1970, the family moved to a wealthier neighborhood in the Menteng district of Central Jakarta.
In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham.
From 1972 to 1975, Obama lived with his mother and half-sister, Maya Soetoro, in Hawaii.
In 2011 Obama ordered the military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.
In March 2011, in response to the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, the Foreign Minister of Libya Moussa Koussa announced a ceasefire. However Gaddafi's forces continued to attack the rebels.
In 1975, Obama's mother and half-sister returned to Indonesia, while Obama stayed in Hawaii.
After graduating from high school, in 1979 Obama moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College on a full scholarship.
In 1979, Obama graduated from high school.
In 1980, Obama visited Kenya.
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.
In 1982, Barack Obama Sr. died.
In 1982, Barack Obama Sr. was killed in an automobile accident.
In 1983, Obama graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.
From June 1985, Obama worked as director of the Developing Communities Project.
In 1985, Obama worked as a project coordinator for the New York Public Interest Research Group on the City College of New York campus.
In 1985, the Woods Fund of Chicago became the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project.
In 1985, the Woods Fund of Chicago became the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project.
In 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster overshadowed the Chicago Bears' Super Bowl win, leading to the team not visiting the White House until Obama's invitation in 2011.
In October 1987, Barack Obama met Trinity United Church of Christ pastor Jeremiah Wright.
In May 1988, Obama ended his role as a community organizer.
In 1988, Obama enrolled at Harvard Law School.
In June 1989, Barack Obama met Michelle Robinson while working at Sidley Austin, where she was assigned as his advisor.
In 1989, Obama worked as a summer associate at the law firm of Sidley Austin in Chicago.
In 1990, Obama worked as a summer associate at the law firm of Hopkins & Sutter in Chicago.
In 1991, Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson became engaged.
In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School.
In 1991, Obama graduated from Harvard Law with a Juris Doctor magna cum laude.
On October 3, 1992, Barack Obama married Michelle Robinson.
From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration campaign.
In 1992, Barack Obama became a member of Trinity United Church of Christ.
In 1992, Obama started teaching constitutional law as a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.
In 1992, Obama's mother earned a PhD degree.
In 1993, Crain's Chicago Business named Obama to its list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.
From 1994, Barack Obama served on the board of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago.
Ann Dunham, Obama's mother, died in 1995.
From 1995, Barack Obama served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge.
In 1995, Obama's book, Dreams from My Father, was published.
In 1995, Obama's mother died in Hawaii following unsuccessful treatment for ovarian and uterine cancer.
In 1996, Barack Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate, succeeding Alice Palmer from Illinois's 13th District.
In 1996, Obama became a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was the first addition to existing federal hate crime law in the United States since President Bill Clinton signed into law the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996.
In 1998, Barack Obama was re-elected to the Illinois Senate, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah.
In 1998, Barack and Michelle Obama's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born.
From 1995 to 1999, Barack Obama was the founding president and chairman of the board of directors for the Chicago Annenberg Challenge.
In 2000, Barack Obama lost a Democratic primary race for Illinois's 1st congressional district to Bobby Rush.
In 2001, Barack and Michelle Obama's second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), was born.
In 2001, as co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Barack Obama supported Governor George Ryan's payday loan and predatory mortgage lending regulations.
The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 included a temporary, two-year extension of the 2001 income tax rates.
In May 2002, Barack Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race.
By August 2002, Barack Obama created a campaign committee, began raising funds, and lined up political media consultant David Axelrod for a potential 2004 U.S. Senate race.
In 2002, Barack Obama ended his service on the boards of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago and the Joyce Foundation.
In 2002, Barack Obama was re-elected again to the Illinois Senate.
In January 2003, Barack Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee.
In January 2003, Barack Obama formally announced his candidacy for the 2004 U.S. Senate race.
In March 2003, Barack Obama addressed another anti-war rally, stating "it's not too late" to stop the war.
The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 included a temporary, two-year extension of the 2003 income tax rates.
In the March 2004 primary election, Barack Obama achieved a landslide victory, making him a rising star and leading to the reissue of his memoir, Dreams from My Father.
In June 2004, Jack Ryan, Barack Obama's expected opponent, withdrew from the race.
In July 2004, Barack Obama delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, elevating his status within the Democratic Party.
In November 2004, Barack Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate following his election to the U.S. Senate.
In the November 2004 general election, Barack Obama won with 70 percent of the vote, the largest margin of victory for a Senate candidate in Illinois history.
In 2004, Barack Obama successfully ran for the U.S. Senate.
In 2004, Barack Obama was running for US Senate.
In 2004, Obama concluded his time teaching at the University of Chicago Law School.
On January 3, 2005, Barack Obama was sworn in as a senator, becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
In 2005, Barack Obama, then a senator, threw out the first pitch at the American League Championship Series (ALCS).
In 2005, the Obama family moved from a condominium in Hyde Park, Chicago, to a $1.6 million house in Kenwood, Chicago, using proceeds from a book deal.
In 2005, the Obama's household income was approximately $1.6 million.
In December 2006, President Bush signed the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act into law, marking the first federal legislation enacted with Barack Obama as its primary sponsor.
Through December 2006, Barack Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, and Veterans' Affairs.
In 2006, Barack Obama authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov through the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006.
In 2006, Obama's book, The Audacity of Hope, was published.
In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family.
Obama received a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Dreams from My Father in 2006.
In January 2007, Barack Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act.
In January 2007, Barack Obama left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, also becoming Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs.
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.
In August 2007, during a meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists, Obama addressed questions about whether he is "black enough", expressing puzzlement.
In September 2007, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which included a corporate jet provision introduced by Barack Obama and Senator Feingold, was signed into law.
In October 2007, during a campaign speech, Barack Obama acknowledged his youthful image, noting that he wouldn't be where he was if previous generations hadn't passed the torch to new ones.
In December 2007, Money Magazine estimated Barack Obama's net worth at $1.3 million.
In 2007, Barack Obama's law license became inactive.
In 2007, it was discovered that Ann Dunham's great-great-grandfather Falmouth Kearney emigrated from the village of Moneygall, Ireland to the U.S. in 1850.
Later in 2007, Barack Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to add safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges.
In January 2008, Barack Obama affirmed his Christian faith in an interview with Christianity Today.
In May 2008, during his first presidential campaign, Barack Obama resigned from Trinity United Church of Christ.
On June 2, 2008, Barack Obama received enough votes to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination after a close primary race with Hillary Clinton.
On June 3, 2008, Senator Barack Obama—along with Senators Tom Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain—introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.
On June 19, 2008, Barack Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate since 1976 to turn down public financing in the general election.
On August 23, 2008, Barack Obama announced his selection of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate for the upcoming election.
In October 2008, Barack Obama and John McCain participated in three presidential debates in the lead-up to the election.
On November 2, 2008, Madelyn Dunham, Obama's maternal grandmother, died.
On November 16, 2008, Barack Obama resigned his Senate seat to focus on his transition period for the presidency.
In 2008, after a close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama was nominated by the Democratic Party for president and selected Joe Biden as his running mate.
In 2008, the financial crisis affected the US and Obama administration responded in 2009.
In 2008, the financial crisis began, which led to later economic measures.
In the spring of 2008, Barack Obama's amendment to the Defense Authorization Act, adding safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges, passed the full Senate.
Obama has been described as one of the most effective campaigners in American history, with his 2008 campaign being particularly highlighted.
Obama was named TIME Magazine's Time Person of the Year in 2008.
In January 2009, the Obama family moved to Washington, D.C., and the daughters began attending Sidwell Friends School.
On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States.
In February 2009, early in his presidency, President Obama announced an increase in U.S. troop levels to 17,000 military personnel in Afghanistan to "stabilize a deteriorating situation."
In a February 2009 poll conducted in Western Europe and the U.S., Obama was rated as both the most respected and the most powerful world leader.
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion economic stimulus package, equivalent to $1153 billion in 2024, aimed at helping the economy recover from the worldwide recession. This act included increased federal spending in areas such as healthcare, infrastructure, and education, as well as various tax breaks, incentives, and direct assistance to individuals.
On February 27, 2009, President Obama announced that combat operations in Iraq would end within 18 months.
On March 11, 2009, Barack Obama created the White House Council on Women and Girls, advising him on issues relating to the welfare of American women and girls.
In February and March 2009, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made separate overseas trips to announce a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and Europe, using the terms "break" and "reset" to signal major changes from the policies of the preceding administration. On March 19, Obama released a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran.
In March 2009, Barack Obama reversed a Bush-era policy that limited funding of embryonic stem cell research and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.
In March 2009, President Obama intervened in the troubled automotive industry, renewing loans for General Motors (GM) and Chrysler to continue operations while reorganizing. Terms were set for both firms' bankruptcies, including the sale of Chrysler to Fiat and a reorganization of GM giving the U.S. government a temporary 60 percent equity stake.
In March 2009, President Obama lifted a ban on using federal funds for stem cell research.
In March 2009, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, under President Obama, took steps to manage the 2008 financial crisis. These steps included introducing the Public–Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, which allowed for buying up to $2 trillion in depreciated real estate assets.
In May 2009, President Obama replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, with Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.
In May 2009, a similar Harris poll rated Obama as the most popular world leader, also identifying him as the figure most people would rely on to resolve the economic downturn.
On May 26, 2009, Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring Associate Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court.
On June 4, 2009, President Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt calling for "A New Beginning" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace.
In June 2009, President Obama, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, called on his cabinet to accelerate investment and signed into law the Car Allowance Rebate System, also known as "Cash for Clunkers", which temporarily boosted the economy.
On June 26, 2009, President Obama condemned the Iranian government's actions towards protesters following Iran's 2009 presidential election.
On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017-page plan for overhauling the U.S. health care system, which President Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009.
In July 2009, Barack Obama launched the Priority Enforcement Program, an immigration enforcement program that had been pioneered by George W. Bush, and the Secure Communities fingerprinting and immigration status data-sharing program.
On August 6, 2009, Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice, becoming the first Supreme Court Justice of Hispanic descent.
On October 1, 2009, the Obama administration proceeded with a Bush administration program to increase nuclear weapons production via the "Complex Modernization" initiative.
On October 8, 2009, Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, expanding the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
On October 9, 2009, only nine months into his first term, Barack Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.
On October 30, 2009, Barack Obama lifted the ban on travel to the United States by those infected with HIV.
On November 7, 2009, a health care bill featuring the public option was passed in the House.
According to the Gallup Organization, President Obama's approval ratings remained above the majority level until November 2009, before declining.
By the end of November 2009, the Bush and Obama administrations authorized spending and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve and the Department of the Treasury totaling about $11.5 trillion, but only $3 trillion had been spent.
On December 1, 2009, President Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 military personnel to Afghanistan and proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date.
On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its own health care bill—without a public option—on a party-line vote of 60–39.
In 2009, Obama received the Norwegian Nobel Committee's Nobel Peace Prize.
In 2009, Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, which contained the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
In 2009, Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Also during 2009, his administration responded to the 2008 financial crisis with measures including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
In 2009, the Obama's tax return showed a household income of $5.5 million, primarily from book sales.
In 2009, the saying "thanks, Obama" first appeared in a Twitter hashtag, "#thanks Obama". It was later used satirically to blame Obama for socio-economic issues.
In 2009, the unemployment rate rose, reaching a peak in October at 10.0 percent and averaging 10.0 percent in the fourth quarter.
Since moving to Washington, D.C., in 2009, the Obama family has occasionally attended several Protestant churches, including Shiloh Baptist Church and St. John's Episcopal Church, as well as Evergreen Chapel at Camp David.
From December 31, 2009, to December 31, 2015, inmates sentenced in U.S. federal custody declined by five percent.
In March 2010, President Obama took a public stance against plans by the government of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue building Jewish housing projects in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.
In March 2010, an agreement was reached with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's administration to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, reducing the number of long-range nuclear weapons in both countries' arsenals by approximately one-third.
In March 2010, the CBO estimated that the net effect of both laws will be a reduction in the federal deficit by $143 billion over the first decade.
On March 21, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, colloquially "Obamacare") passed by the Senate in December was passed in the House by a vote of 219 to 212.
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, colloquially "Obamacare") into law.
Prior to the oil spill, on March 31, 2010, President Obama ended a ban on oil and gas drilling along the majority of the East Coast of the United States and along the coast of northern Alaska in an effort to win support for an energy and climate bill and to reduce foreign imports of oil and gas.
In April 2010, Barack Obama announced a planned change in direction at NASA, ending plans for a return of human spaceflight to the moon and development of the Ares I rocket, Ares V rocket and Constellation program, in favor of funding earth science projects, a new rocket type, research and development for an eventual crewed mission to Mars, and ongoing missions to the International Space Station.
In April 2010, President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the New START treaty, aimed at reducing nuclear arsenals.
In April 2010, a survey of members of the National Association for Business Economics showed an increase in job creation (over a similar January survey) for the first time in two years, but 73 percent of 68 respondents believed the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment.
On April 20, 2010, an explosion destroyed an offshore drilling rig at the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a major sustained oil leak. Obama visited the Gulf, announced a federal investigation, and formed a bipartisan commission to recommend new safety standards.
On May 10, 2010, Barack Obama nominated Elena Kagan to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court.
In June 2010, David Petraeus replaced McChrystal as commander in Afghanistan, after McChrystal's staff criticized White House personnel in a magazine article.
In July 2010, the Federal Reserve noted that economic activity continued to increase, but its pace had slowed, and chairman Ben Bernanke said the economic outlook was "unusually uncertain".
Starting in July 2010, the CIA began developing intelligence that determined what they believed to be the hideout of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
On August 5, 2010, Elena Kagan was confirmed, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three for the first time in American history.
By August 2010, President Obama's approval ratings had declined to the low 40s, mirroring trends observed in Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years in office.
In August 2010, the Obama administration scheduled the withdrawal of combat troops to be completed, decreasing troop levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of about 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011.
On August 19, 2010, the last U.S. combat brigade exited Iraq, marking a significant step in the withdrawal of troops.
On August 31, 2010, President Obama announced that the United States combat mission in Iraq was officially over.
On September 27, 2010, Barack Obama released a statement commenting on his religious views.
Between February and December 2010, employment rose by 0.8 percent, which was less than the average of 1.9 percent experienced during comparable periods in the past four employment recoveries.
In December 2010, the U.S. Senate ratified the New START treaty, which was signed by Obama and Medvedev in April of that year.
On December 17, 2010, President Obama signed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. The act included a temporary, two-year extension of the 2001 and 2003 income tax rates, a one-year payroll tax reduction, continuation of unemployment benefits, and a new rate and exemption amount for estate taxes.
On December 22, 2010, Barack Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, ending the don't ask, don't tell policy of 1993 that had prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces.
In 2010, Barack Obama donated 14 percent of his $1.7 million income to non-profit organizations, including $131,000 to the Fisher House Foundation.
In 2010, Obama signed into effect the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in response to the 2008 financial crisis.
In 2010, Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, ending the policy banning open service from LGBT people in the U.S. armed forces.
In 2010, provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect.
In 2010, the ACA subsidized insurance premiums for people making up to 400 percent of the FPL ($88,000 for a family of four) so their maximum "out-of-pocket" payment for annual premiums will be from 2 percent to 9.5 percent of income
In 2010, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act was enacted, incorporating elements of Barack Obama's earlier Iran Sanctions Enabling Act.
In 2010, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 took effect, including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
In February 2011, protests began in Libya against long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi as part of the Arab Spring. They soon turned violent.
In March 2011, CIA head Leon Panetta reported intelligence to President Obama regarding the location of Osama bin Laden's hideout.
On April 4, 2011, Barack Obama filed election papers and announced his reelection campaign for 2012 with a video titled "It Begins with Us" on his website.
On May 1, 2011, President Obama authorized a "surgical raid" conducted by United States Navy SEALs, resulting in the shooting death of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Following the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, Barack Obama experienced a temporary increase in his poll approval.
In May 2011, Obama met with his Irish cousins in Moneygall.
In July 2011, troop withdrawals began in Afghanistan, as proposed by President Obama in December 2009.
On August 2, 2011, President Obama signed the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011. This legislation enforced limits on discretionary spending until 2021, established a procedure to increase the debt limit, and created a committee to propose further deficit reduction.
On August 18, 2011, President Obama issued a written statement that said: "The time has come for President Assad to step aside."
On October 21, 2011, President Obama announced that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq in time to be "home for the holidays."
In December 2011, Obama directed government agencies to consider LGBT rights when allocating financial aid to foreign countries.
Following the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq, Obama ordered military intervention in Iraq in response to gains made by ISIL.
In 2011, Barack Obama invited the 1985 Chicago Bears to the White House after their 1986 Super Bowl win was overshadowed by the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
In 2011, Barack Obama signed a four-year renewal of the Patriot Act.
In 2011, Obama ordered the military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, contributing to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.
In 2011, the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, being the only nation to do so.
In late 2011, Obama's approval rating briefly dipped to 38 percent before recovering in mid-2012.
On April 3, 2012, Barack Obama secured the 2778 convention delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination for the 2012 presidential election.
On May 9, 2012, Barack Obama publicly affirmed his personal support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.
On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5–4 vote in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius that the individual mandate in the ACA was constitutional under the U.S. Congress's taxing authority.
In July 2012, Ancestry.com found a strong likelihood that Dunham was descended from John Punch, an enslaved African man who lived in the Colony of Virginia during the seventeenth century.
On November 6, 2012, Barack Obama won 332 electoral votes, exceeding the 270 required to be reelected as president of the United States, securing a second term.
By November 2012, the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent.
In 2012, Obama defeated Republican opponent Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan in the presidential election.
In 2012, President Obama authorized multiple programs run by the CIA and the Pentagon to train anti-Assad rebels.
In mid-2012, Obama's polls showed an average approval of 50 percent after the approval rate had fallen to 38 percent in late 2011.
Obama was named TIME Magazine's Time Person of the Year in 2012.
Per his 2012 financial disclosure, Barack Obama may be worth as much as $10 million.
On January 16, 2013, one month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Barack Obama signed 23 executive orders and outlined a series of sweeping proposals regarding gun control.
During his second inaugural address on January 21, 2013, Barack Obama called for full equality for gay Americans, and was the first to mention gay rights or the word "gay" in an inaugural address.
In February 2013, President Obama said the U.S. military would reduce the troop level in Afghanistan from 68,000 to 34,000 U.S. troops by February 2014.
After his second inauguration in 2013, Obama's approval ratings remained stable around 52 percent before declining for the rest of the year.
In July 2013, President Obama expressed reservations and said he "would reject the Keystone XL pipeline if it increased carbon pollution [or] greenhouse emissions."
In August 2013, President Obama criticized Russia's law that discriminates against homosexual people but stopped short of calling for a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
In November 2013, the Obama administration began negotiations with Iran with the aim of preventing them from acquiring nuclear weapons, leading to an interim agreement.
On December 10, 2013, Cuban President Raúl Castro greeted and shook hands with President Obama at the Nelson Mandela memorial service in Johannesburg.
In December 2013, President Obama declared that growing income inequality is a "defining challenge of our time" and called on Congress to bolster the safety net and raise wages. He also urged Congress to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Following the 2013 global surveillance disclosures by whistleblower Edward Snowden, Barack Obama condemned the leak as unpatriotic, but called for increased restrictions on the National Security Agency (NSA) to address violations of privacy.
In 2013, Jeffrey Goldberg reported that, in President Obama's view, "with each new settlement announcement, Netanyahu is moving his country down a path toward near-total isolation."
In 2013, a female Portuguese Water Dog named Sunny joined Bo in the Obama family.
In the last month of 2013, the unemployment rate decreased to 6.7 percent.
On January 22, 2014, Obama established the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault through a government memorandum, with a mandate to advise him on issues relating to sexual assault on college and university campuses throughout the United States.
By February 2014, the U.S. military had reduced the troop level in Afghanistan from 68,000 to 34,000 U.S. troops, as announced by President Obama in February 2013.
In June 2014, following the capture of Mosul by ISIL, President Obama sent 275 troops to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
In August 2014, during the Sinjar massacre, President Obama ordered a campaign of U.S. airstrikes against ISIL.
In December 2014, President Obama, with Pope Francis as an intermediary, negotiated a restoration of relations with Cuba after nearly sixty years of détente.
By 2014, Barack Obama began openly discussing the disadvantages faced by many members of minority groups.
During 2014, the unemployment rate continued to decline, falling to 6.3 percent in the first quarter.
In 2014, Obama received The Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education's Ambassador of Humanity Award.
In 2014, President Obama authorized an air campaign aimed primarily at ISIL.
In 2014, President Obama likened the Zionist movement to the civil rights movement in the United States, stating that both seek to bring justice and equal rights to historically persecuted peoples.
In 2014, most of the health-related provisions of the ACA took effect, including expanding Medicaid eligibility and subsidizing insurance premiums.
In polling conducted before the 2014 midterm elections, Obama's approval ratings were at their lowest with his disapproval rating reaching a high of 57 percent.
On February 24, 2015, President Obama vetoed a bill that would have authorized the Keystone XL pipeline. This was the third veto of his presidency and his first major veto.
In March 2015, President Obama authorized U.S. forces to provide logistical and intelligence support to Saudi Arabia for their military intervention in Yemen. This included establishing a "Joint Planning Cell" with Saudi Arabia to coordinate efforts.
In June 2015, the Court ruled 6–3 in King v. Burwell that subsidies to help individuals and families purchase health insurance were authorized for those doing so on both the federal exchange and state exchanges.
On July 1, 2015, President Obama announced that formal diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States would resume, and embassies would be opened in Washington and Havana.
On July 14, 2015, the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" deal with Iran was announced. It aimed to prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons by removing sanctions in exchange for preventative measures. The agreement drew criticism from Republicans, conservatives, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On August 13, 2015, Cuba upgraded their "interests sections" in Washington to an embassy.
In October 2015, The Pentagon-run program to train anti-Assad rebels was later found to have failed and was formally abandoned.
In October 2015, the White House announced a plan to keep U.S. Forces in Afghanistan indefinitely due to the deteriorating security situation.
In November 2015, President Obama reaffirmed the stance that "The time has come for President Assad to step aside."
In December 2015, Obama initiated a $348 billion program to support the largest U.S. buildup of nuclear arms since Ronald Reagan's presidency.
In 2015, Obama himself used the phrase "thanks, Obama" in a video.
In 2015, President Obama was harshly criticized by Israel for advocating and signing the Iran Nuclear Deal; Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the deal "dangerous" and "bad."
In 2015, President Obama's approval rating began to climb, reaching the high 40s by the year's end after lagging for most of the year.
In 2015, the Brookings Institution ranked Obama the 18th-greatest American president.
In early 2015, with the addition of the "Panther Brigade" of the 82nd Airborne Division, the number of U.S. ground troops in Iraq increased to 4,400.
From December 31, 2009, to December 31, 2015, inmates sentenced in U.S. federal custody declined by five percent.
On January 5, 2016, Barack Obama announced new executive actions extending background check requirements to more gun sellers.
According to Gallup, President Obama's approval rating reached 50 percent in March 2016, a level unseen since May 2013.
In March 2016, President Obama visited Havana, Cuba, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to arrive since Calvin Coolidge in 1928.
In a March 2016 Gallup poll, nearly one third of Americans said they worried "a great deal" about race relations, a higher figure than in any previous Gallup poll since 2001.
In September 2016, President Obama was snubbed by Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party upon arrival at Hangzhou International Airport for the 2016 G20 Hangzhou summit, receiving no red carpet welcome.
In December 2016, President Obama permanently banned new offshore oil and gas drilling in most United States-owned waters in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans using the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Act.
On December 23, 2016, under the Obama administration, the United States abstained from United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemned Israeli settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In 2016, Barack Obama spoke about items he carries for inspiration, including rosary beads from Pope Francis, a Hanuman figurine, a Coptic cross from Ethiopia, a Buddha statue, and a metal poker chip.
In 2016, Obama himself used the phrase "thanks, Obama" again in a video.
In 2016, Obama ordered sanctions against Russia following Russian interference in the U.S. elections.
In 2016, Obama said "Our coalition could have and should have done more to fill a vacuum left behind" and that it was "a mess".
In 2016, Obama's administration brought an end to the ban on transgender people serving openly in the U.S. armed forces.
In 2016, Russia interfered in the U.S. presidential election.
In 2016, the Obama administration proposed a series of arms deals with Saudi Arabia worth $115 billion. Later, Obama halted the sale of guided munition technology to Saudi Arabia after Saudi warplanes targeted a funeral in Yemen's capital Sanaa, resulting in over 140 deaths.
In 2016, the Pentagon ended the policy that barred transgender people from serving openly in the military.
In 2016, the last year of his presidency, the U.S. dropped 26,171 bombs on seven different countries, marking a substantial escalation in the use of drone strikes against suspected militants and terrorists associated with al-Qaeda and the Taliban under Obama's administration.
On January 5, 2017, the United States House of Representatives voted 342–80 to condemn the UN Resolution.
On January 6, 2017, the Israeli government withdrew its annual dues from the organization, which totaled $6 million, in response to Security Council Resolution 2334.
In January 2017, Obama left office with a 60 percent approval rating.
On January 20, 2017, Obama's presidency concluded with the inauguration of Donald Trump. The Obama family then moved to a rented house in Kalorama, Washington, D.C.
In May 2017, the previously private relationship between Barack Obama and anthropologist Sheila Miyoshi Jager became public knowledge, several months after Obama's presidency had ended.
In 2017, Obama left office with high approval ratings.
In 2017, Obama received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
In 2017, Stephen Colbert used the phrase "thanks, Obama" to express gratitude to Obama on his last day in office.
In 2017, the penalty for violating the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was repealed, effective 2019.
In a poll conducted from January 16–19, 2017, Obama's final approval rating was 59 percent, placing him on par with George H. W. Bush and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
On May 22, 2018, Barack and Michelle Obama signed a deal to produce docu-series, documentaries, and features for Netflix through their new production company, Higher Ground Productions.
In 2018, Gallup's retrospective approval polls of former presidents showed Obama with a 63 percent approval rating.
In 2018, Obama received the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award.
In Gallup's 2018 job approval poll for the past 10 U.S. presidents, Obama received a 63 percent approval rating.
In 2019, Barack and Michelle Obama purchased a home on Martha's Vineyard from Wyc Grousbeck.
In 2019, the repeal of the penalty for violating the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) becomes effective.
On April 14, 2020, Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden, the presumptive nominee, for president in the presidential election, citing Biden's qualities needed in a president.
In 2020, Higher Ground's first film, American Factory, received the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
In 2020, Obama campaigned for candidates in various American elections, including in Biden's successful presidential bid.
Provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remained in effect through 2020.
In February 2021, Obama and Bruce Springsteen launched a podcast called Renegades: Born in the USA, discussing their backgrounds, music, and their affection for America.
On May 8, 2021, the Obama family's Portuguese Water Dog, Bo, died of cancer.
In 2021, Obama's presidential library began construction in the South Side of Chicago.
The Budget Control Act of 2011 enforced limits on discretionary spending until 2021.
On March 4, 2022, Barack Obama won an Audio Publishers Association (APA) Award for Best Narration by the Author for his memoir, A Promised Land.
In 2022, President Joe Biden's Twitter account posted the phrase "thanks, Obama".
Obama received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for Our Great National Parks in 2022.
In March 2023, Barack Obama visited Australia as part of a speaking tour, meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and visiting Melbourne for the first time, reportedly earning over $1 million for two speeches.
In 2023, Obama garnered a 63 percent approval rating in Gallup's retrospective approval polls of former presidents, ranking him the fourth most popular president since World War II.
Obama received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for Working: What We Do All Day in 2023.
In July 2024, Obama initially expressed concerns about Biden's campaign prospects after a poorly received debate performance. Later that month, Biden withdrew his candidacy and endorsed Vice President Harris, which Obama and his wife Michelle endorsed five days later, delivering a speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention formally endorsing her.
In 2024, Obama became the first and so far only President from the Democratic Party to win the Sylvanus Thayer Award.
In 2024, the $1.3 million net worth from 2007 is equivalent to $2 million.
In 2024, the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was equivalent to $1153 billion.
In 2024, the $858 billion Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 was equivalent to $1.2 trillion.
In January 2025, Barack Obama attended the Second inauguration of Donald Trump.
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