Barack Obama, the 44th U.S. President (2009-2017), was the first African-American to hold the office. A Democrat, he served as a U.S. Senator representing Illinois (2005-2008) and an Illinois State Senator (1997-2004). His presidency was marked by significant policy changes and historical milestones, solidifying his place as a notable figure in American history.
In March 2016, Obama became the first sitting US president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge in 1928.
In 1934, Barack Obama Sr., Barack Obama's father, was born.
In 1942, Ann Dunham, Barack Obama's mother, was born in Wichita, Kansas.
In 1960, Barack 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.
On August 4, 1961, Barack Hussein Obama II was born. He would later become the 44th president of the United States.
In late August 1961, shortly after his birth, Barack Obama and his mother moved to Seattle where they lived for a year.
In June 1962, Barack Obama's father completed his undergraduate degree in economics in Hawaii.
In March 1964, Barack Obama's parents divorced.
On March 15, 1965, Ann Dunham married Lolo Soetoro on Molokai.
In 1965, Medicare and Medicaid were passed. The Affordable Care Act, along 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 after visa extensions.
In 1967, Ann Dunham and Barack Obama followed Lolo Soetoro to Indonesia.
In 2011, Obama supported the two-state solution to the Arab–Israeli conflict based on the 1967 borders with land swaps.
The United States federal hate-crime law from 1969 was expanded by Obama on October 8, 2009 with the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
From 1970, the family lived in a wealthier neighborhood in the Menteng district of Central Jakarta.
In 1971, Barack Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents.
From 1972 to 1975, Barack Obama lived with his mother and half-sister Maya Soetoro in Hawaii.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 was passed, which later led to the 2011 military intervention in Libya ordered by President Obama.
In 1975, Barack Obama's mother and half-sister returned to Indonesia, while Obama stayed in Hawaii.
In 1976 the public financing system was created, the same system that Barack Obama turned down on June 19, 2008.
In 1979, Barack Obama graduated from high school.
In 1979, after graduating from high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College on a full scholarship.
In 1980, Barack Obama visited Kenya.
In February 1981, Obama made his first public speech, advocating for Occidental College to participate in disinvestment from South Africa due to apartheid.
In 1982, Barack Obama Sr. was killed in an automobile accident.
In 1982, Barack Obama Sr., Barack Obama's father, passed away.
In 1983, Barack Obama graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.
In June 1985, Obama was hired as director of the Developing Communities Project in Chicago, working as a community organizer.
For three months in 1985, after graduating, Obama worked as a project coordinator for the New York Public Interest Research Group on the City College of New York campus.
In May 1988, Obama's work as director for the Developing Communities Project came to an end.
In 1988, Barack Obama enrolled in Harvard Law School.
During the summer of 1989, Obama worked as a summer associate at the law firm of Sidley Austin in Chicago.
During the summer of 1990, Obama worked as a summer associate at the law firm of Hopkins & Sutter in Chicago.
In 1991, Obama accepted a position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book.
In 1991, Obama graduated from Harvard Law School with a Juris Doctor magna cum laude.
From 1992 to 1996, Obama taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School as a lecturer.
In 1992, Barack Obama began teaching constitutional law 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.
The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy of 1993 prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces until it was ended in 2010.
In 1994 the Violence Against Women Act was first drafted by Joe Biden.
In 1995, Ann Dunham, Barack Obama's mother, passed away.
In 1995, Barack Obama's book "Dreams from My Father" was published.
In 1995, Obama's mother passed away in Hawaii following unsuccessful treatment for cancer.
As a candidate for the Illinois state senate in 1996, Barack Obama stated he favored legalizing same-sex marriage.
From 1996 to 2004, Obama taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School as a senior lecturer.
In 1996, Barack Obama was elected to represent the 13th district in the Illinois Senate.
In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Church Arson Prevention Act into law, prior to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act which Obama signed.
The Gallup poll in March 2016 reflected higher concern for race relations in the US than any previous Gallup poll since 2001.
During his Senate run in 2004, Obama said he supported civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex partners but opposed same-sex marriages.
In 2004, Barack Obama successfully ran for the U.S. Senate.
In 2004, Barack Obama's service as an Illinois State Senator came to an end.
In 2004, Obama ended his time as a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.
In 2006, Barack Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope" was published.
In 2006, Obama received a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for "Dreams from My Father".
In a 2006 interview, Barack Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family.
Obama approved the appointment of the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the first time since 2006 on January 16, 2013.
In August 2007, Obama addressed a meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists, expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", and stating that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."
In October 2007, Obama acknowledged his youthful image in a campaign speech, remarking: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."
In 2007, it was discovered that Ann Dunham's great-great-grandfather emigrated from Moneygall, Ireland.
In 2007, the financial crisis began which Obama's administration would later address with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The financial crisis of 2007–2008 began, leading to the Great Recession and influencing Obama's policy decisions, eventually leading to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
On June 2, 2008, Barack Obama received enough votes to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination after a close race against Hillary Clinton.
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.
On August 23, 2008, Barack Obama announced his selection of Delaware senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate.
In October 2008, Barack Obama and John McCain engaged in three presidential debates.
On November 2, 2008, Madelyn Dunham, Obama's maternal grandmother, passed away.
In 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election against John McCain, becoming the first African-American president.
In 2008, Barack Obama's service as a U.S. Senator representing Illinois came to an end.
In 2008, Obama reaffirmed his position that marriage is between a man and a woman and that he was not in favor of gay marriage.
In 2008, Obama was named TIME Magazine's Time Person of the Year.
In 2008, Obama's campaign was particularly highlighted as one of the most effective in American history, establishing him as one of the most talented political orators of the 21st century.
In 2008, the financial crisis reached its peak, requiring intervention from the Obama administration.
In the 2008 presidential campaign Barack Obama promised to end the Don't ask, don't tell policy of 1993.
The financial crisis of 2007–2008 continued, leading to the Great Recession and influencing Obama's policy decisions, eventually leading to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States.
In February 2009, 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. by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune, Obama was rated as the most respected world leader, as well as the most powerful.
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion economic stimulus package designed to help the U.S. economy recover from a worldwide recession. The act included increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, tax breaks, 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, Obama created the White House Council on 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.
In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy that had limited funding of embryonic stem cell research.
In March 2009, President Obama intervened in the troubled automotive industry by renewing loans for General Motors (GM) and Chrysler to allow them to continue operations during reorganization.
In March 2009, President Obama lifted a ban on using federal funds for stem cell research.
In March 2009, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner took further steps to manage the financial crisis, including introducing the Public–Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, which contained provisions for buying up to $2 trillion in depreciated real estate assets. Also in March 2009, Obama lifted a ban on using federal funds for stem cell research.
In May 2009, President Obama replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, with Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, indicating a shift towards counterinsurgency tactics.
In a similar poll conducted by Harris in May 2009, Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of the economic downturn.
On May 26, 2009, Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to 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, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, President Obama called on his cabinet to accelerate the investment. He also signed into law the Car Allowance Rebate System, known as "Cash for Clunkers", which temporarily boosted the economy in June 2009.
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 Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009.
In July 2009, Obama launched the Priority Enforcement Program, an immigration enforcement program pioneered by George W. Bush.
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 continued the Bush administration's program by increasing nuclear weapons production. The "Complex Modernization" initiative expanded two existing nuclear sites to produce new bomb parts.
On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law.
On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that Obama had won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".
On October 30, 2009, 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, Obama's approval ratings remained above the majority level until November 2009.
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, of which 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 in July 2011.
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, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States.
In 2009, Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in international diplomacy.
In 2009, Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, which included the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, expanding federal hate crime laws to include crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
In 2009, the saying "thanks, Obama" first appeared in a Twitter hashtag, "#thanks Obama", and was later used in a demotivational poster. It was later adopted satirically to blame Obama for any socio-economic ills.
In 2009, the unemployment rate rose, reaching a peak in October at 10.0 percent and averaging 10.0 percent in the fourth quarter.
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 to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a new pact reducing the number of long-range nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries by about a third.
In March 2010, the CBO estimated that the net effect of both ACA 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 known as "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 to win support for an energy and climate bill and reduce foreign imports of oil and gas.
Although an April 2010 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, 73 percent of 68 respondents believed the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment.
In April 2010, Obama and Medvedev signed the New START treaty.
In April 2010, Obama announced a planned change in direction at NASA, ending plans for a return of human spaceflight to the moon in favor of other projects.
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, Obama nominated Elena Kagan to 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 CIA began developing intelligence that determined what they believed to be the hideout of Osama bin Laden, based on information received from Central Intelligence Agency operatives.
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".
On August 5, 2010, Elena Kagan was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice.
By August 2010, Obama's approval rating was in the low 40s, a trend similar to Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years in office.
By August 2010, the Obama administration scheduled the withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq 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 transition from combat operations to counter-terrorism efforts and the training of Iraqi security forces.
On August 31, 2010, President Obama announced that the United States combat mission in Iraq was over.
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.
On December 17, 2010, President Obama signed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 into law. The compromise 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, Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, ending the policy of 1993 that had prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces.
In 2010, Obama signed into effect the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in response to the financial crisis of 2007–2008.
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, representing a significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of healthcare coverage in the U.S.
In 2010, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, which included the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, went into effect, which expanded federal hate crime laws to include crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
In February 2011, protests began in Libya against long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi as part of the Arab Spring. These protests soon turned violent.
In March 2011, CIA head Leon Panetta reported intelligence regarding the location of Osama bin Laden's hideout to President Obama.
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 May 1, 2011, a "surgical raid" authorized by President Obama and conducted by United States Navy SEALs resulted in the shooting death of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Following the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, Obama experienced a small poll bounce and steadily maintained 50–53 percent approval for about a month.
In May 2011, Barack Obama met with his Irish cousins in Moneygall.
In July 2011, troop withdrawals from Afghanistan began, following President Obama's announcement in December 2009.
On August 2, 2011, President Obama signed the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011, which enforced limits on discretionary spending until 2021, established a procedure to increase the debt limit, and created a Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to propose further deficit reduction. The Act aimed to prevent a U.S. government default on its obligations.
On August 18, 2011, President Obama issued a written statement that said: "The time has come for President Assad to step aside," regarding the situation in Syria.
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 instructed agencies to consider LGBT rights when issuing financial aid to foreign countries.
In 2011, Barack Obama ordered a military intervention in Libya to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, contributing to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.
In 2011, Obama signed a four-year renewal of the Patriot Act.
In 2011, The United States withdrew troops from Iraq. Subsequently, Obama ordered military intervention in Iraq in response to gains made by ISIL following the withdrawal.
In 2011, the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, with the United States being the only nation to do so.
In late 2011, Obama's approval rating fell to 38 percent on several occasions.
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, 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 Affordable Care Act (ACA) was constitutional under the U.S. Congress's taxing authority.
In July 2012, Ancestry.com found a strong likelihood that Ann Dunham, Obama's mother, was descended from John Punch, an enslaved African man.
On November 6, 2012, Barack Obama won 332 electoral votes and was re-elected as president.
By November 2012, the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent.
In 2012, Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney in the presidential election, winning a second term as president.
In 2012, Obama was named TIME Magazine's Time Person of the Year.
In 2012, President Obama authorized multiple programs run by the CIA and the Pentagon to train anti-Assad rebels in Syria.
In mid-2012, Obama's approval rating recovered, with polls showing an average approval of 50 percent.
On January 16, 2013, one month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Obama signed 23 executive orders and outlined a series of proposals regarding gun control.
During his second inaugural address on January 21, 2013, Obama became the first U.S. president in office to call for full equality for gay Americans.
In February 2013, President Obama announced that 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, with the last time that Obama reached the level being May 2013.
In August 2013, Obama criticized Russia's law that discriminates against gays, but he stopped short of advocating a boycott of the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
In November 2013, the Obama administration opened negotiations with Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, which included 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. Obama also urged Congress to ratify a 12-nation free trade pact called the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Following the 2013 global surveillance disclosures by whistleblower Edward Snowden, 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 President Obama believed that "with each new settlement announcement, Netanyahu is moving his country down a path toward near-total isolation."
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.
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, it was announced that President Obama, with Pope Francis as an intermediary, had negotiated a restoration of relations with Cuba after nearly sixty years of détente.
By 2014, 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 following a chemical weapons attack in Syria.
In 2014, President Obama likened the Zionist movement to the civil rights movement in the United States, stating both seek justice and equal rights for historically persecuted peoples.
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. It was the third veto of Obama's presidency and his first major veto.
In March 2015, President Obama authorized U.S. forces to provide logistical and intelligence support to the Saudis in their military intervention in Yemen, establishing a "Joint Planning Cell" with Saudi Arabia.
In June 2015, the Supreme 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 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
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 Obama administration announced a deal with Iran titled the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Sanctions were removed in exchange for measures that would prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons. The deal drew strong criticism from Republican and conservative quarters, and from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On August 13, 2015, the countries' respective "interests sections" in one another's capitals were upgraded to embassies.
In October 2015, it was found that the Pentagon-run program to train anti-Assad rebels had failed, and the program 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, Obama reaffirmed his stance from August 18, 2011, stating that "The time has come for President Assad to step aside." regarding the situation in Syria.
In December 2015, Obama started a $348 billion worth program to back the biggest U.S. buildup of nuclear arms since Ronald Reagan left the White House.
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, from the Brookings Institution survey, Obama was ranked 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. By July, American-led coalition air forces had counted 44,000 sorties over the battlefield.
Obama himself used the phrase "thanks, Obama" in video in 2015.
Obama's approval rating continued to lag throughout most of 2015 but began to reach the high 40s by the end of the year.
From December 31, 2009, to December 31, 2015, inmates sentenced in U.S. federal custody declined by five percent.
On January 5, 2016, Obama announced new executive actions extending background check requirements to more gun sellers.
According to Gallup, 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.
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, Obama's administration ended the ban on transgender people serving openly in the U.S. armed forces.
In 2016, President Obama said, "Our coalition could have and should have done more to fill a vacuum left behind" in Libya. He also stated that the lack of preparation following the government's overthrow was the "worst mistake" of his presidency.
In 2016, Russia interfered in the U.S. presidential election.
In 2016, during the last year of his presidency, the U.S. dropped 26,171 bombs on seven different countries. Obama left about 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, 5,262 in Iraq, 503 in Syria, 133 in Pakistan, 106 in Somalia, seven in Yemen, and two in Libya at the end of his presidency.
In 2016, following Russian interference in the U.S. elections, Barack Obama initiated sanctions against Russia.
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 a deadly attack in Yemen.
In 2016, the Pentagon ended the policy that barred transgender people from serving openly in the military.
Obama himself used the phrase "thanks, Obama" in video in 2016.
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 the UN resolution.
In January 2017, Obama left office with a 60 percent approval rating.
Obama's presidency ended on January 20, 2017, upon the inauguration of his successor, Donald Trump.
In 2017, Barack Obama left office as president.
In 2017, Barack Obama's term as the 44th President of the United States came to an end.
In 2017, Obama received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
In 2017, the penalty for violating the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act was repealed, impacting the enforcement of the act.
In 2017, the phrase "thanks, Obama" was used by Stephen Colbert to express gratitude to Obama on his last day in office.
In polling conducted January 16–19, 2017, Obama's final approval rating was 59 percent, which placed 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 under the Obamas' newly formed production company, Higher Ground Productions.
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, he received a 63 percent approval rating.
In Gallup's retrospective approval polls of former presidents, Obama garnered a 63 percent approval rating in 2018.
In 2019, Barack and Michelle Obama bought a home on Martha's Vineyard from Wyc Grousbeck.
In 2019, the repeal of the penalty for violating the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate became effective.
On April 14, 2020, Obama endorsed Biden, the presumptive nominee, for president in the presidential election, stating that he has "all the qualities we need in a president right now."
By 2020, all provisions of the Affordable Care Act were in effect, solidifying its impact on the U.S. healthcare system.
Higher Ground's first film, American Factory, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2020.
In 2020, Barack Obama campaigned for Joe Biden in the presidential election.
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.'"
In 2021, construction began on Barack Obama's presidential library in the South Side of Chicago.
On March 4, 2022, Obama won an Audio Publishers Association (APA) Award in the best narration by the author category for the narration of his memoir A Promised Land.
In 2022, Obama received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for "Our Great National Parks".
In 2022, President Joe Biden's Twitter account posted the phrase "thanks, Obama".
In March 2023, Obama traveled to Australia as a part of his speaking tour of the country. During the trip, Obama met with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and visited Melbourne for the first time. Obama was reportedly paid more than $1 million for two speeches.
In October 2023, during the Gaza war, Obama declared that Israel must dismantle Hamas in the wake of the Hamas-led attack on Israel. Weeks later, Obama warned Israel that its actions could "harden Palestinian attitudes for generations" and weaken international support for Israel.
In 2023, Obama received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for "Working: What We Do All Day".
In Gallup's retrospective approval polls of former presidents, Obama garnered a 63 percent approval rating again in 2023.
In July 2024, Obama voiced concerns about Biden's campaign following a debate with Trump. Later in July 2024, after Biden withdrew, Obama endorsed Vice President Harris for the Democratic nomination, alongside Michelle Obama, and delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention.
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