20 Fascinating Facts Of Barack Obama, President Of The United States

1. Barack Obama, The 44th President Of The United States Since 2009

Barack Hussein Obama II (born 4 August, 1961) is the first African American to be President of the United States. He was first inaugurated as President in 2009, as the 44th President of the United States and began his second term of presidency after being sworn in on January 20, 2013.

2. Running For Senator in Illinois in 2004

Barack Obama’s political journey has been quite successful since he ran for Senate in 2004. Obama ran for Senate in Illinois against opponent Alan Keyes. This was the first time in US history that two African Americans were running for a major party Senate seat.

3. Barack Obama Wrote Several Books, Helping Paying Back His Student Loans

He has written several books, and has been praised for many of them as well. His autobiography, “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, earned him a Grammy award for Best Spoken Word Album. Oprah Winfrey added his book, “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage), to her book club, which increased its popularity. The sale of his books helped him repay his student loans, which he paid off in 2004.

4. Barack Obama’s Childhood In Indonesia

Barack Obama went through a difficult childhood, with his father leaving him at the mere age of two.

His mother then remarried and they moved to Indonesia, where he ate snake meat and dog meat and was in close contact with the very poor.

He remembers mostly befriending people living on the street.

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5. Moving To Hawaii, Studying At Punahou and at Harvard (Law)

After his mother divorced her second husband, she sent Obama back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. They supported him in his studies and he was able to go to one of Hawaii’s best schools, Punahou School, graduating with honors. During his studies at Harvard, he became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.

6. The Women In His Life: Michelle, Malia & Sasha

Obama is a one-woman kind of man. His wife Michelle was his mentor at the law firm they both worked at (Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin) and initially did not want to date him. He pursued his interest in her and in 1991, they were engaged. The couple’s first date was to the movies; they went to see ‘Do the Right Thing’ by Spike Lee. They married in 1992, and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

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7. Barack Obama Quit Smoking in … 2010

Obama doesn’t seem to have many deterring habits, save for one. Obama was a smoker, but after promising his wife Michelle that he would quit, he began his attempt to quit. He tried many times, and in 2010, Michelle proudly confirmed that Obama had indeed quit smoking.

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8. Barack Obama Is A Great Fan Of The Harry Potter Books

Like many others around the world, Obama is a loyal Harry Potter fan. He has read all seven of the Harry Potter series (Books 1-7). On the rare occasion that he is home early enough, he reads Harry Potter to his daughter Malia. His favorite classic is Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.

9. Barack Obama Enjoys Watching Movies With His Family

In an interview with People Magazine, Obama revealed some of his favorite movies for the year 2012. An obvious favorite was the Beasts of the Southern Wild. Being an avid reader, he also enjoyed the film version of Life of Pi.

10. His Favorite Meal? Shrimp Linguini, Made By His Wife Michelle

Obama knows his way around the kitchen. He can make a mean chili, but his favorite meal is the one made by his wife Michelle, her special shrimp linguini. He is not a big fan of mayonnaise or ice cream, the latter because he used to work at Baskin and Robbins as a teenager ((c) The Enchanted Cook).

11. The ‘Mini United Nations’: The Large Family Of Barack Obama

Barack Obama likes to refer to his large family as a “mini United Nations”. He has family all over the world, including Kenya and Ireland. Interestingly, though far related, he is a ninth cousin of Brad Pitt. He has one half-sister from his mother’s second marriage, one half-sister and 4 half-brothers from his father’s multiple marriages.

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12. The King In Politics Of Social Media

His involvement in social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is what helps Obama gain popularity. He is the first US President to use these types of social media and is also an avid user of his iPod, Blackberry and iPad.

13. Visit ‘Barack Obama’ in Antigua, Florida, Spain, …

Obama has become a famous name around the world. Many roads and landmarks have been renamed after him. In Antigua, the mountain Boggy Peak was renamed Mount Obama on his birthday in 2009. In Florida, the Pembroke Park Road was to be renamed Barack Obama Boulevard. In Valencia, Spain, a street was to be renamed Calle Barack Obama.

14. Barack Obama: A Two Terms President, Sworn Into Office Four Times (Unique)

Obama is the first president to be sworn into office four times since the presidency has been limited to two terms. In 2009, he was sworn in twice, when one of the words was mispronounced and the oath had to be recited again. In January 2013 when he was re-elected, he was sworn in once at a private ceremony, which was on a Sunday, 20 January 2013. The public ceremony took place on the Monday, 21 january 2013, completing a swearing in of four times.

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15. His Daughters Malia and Sasha

He upholds a strict but friendly demeanour with his daughters. During one of his acceptance speeches, his daughters flew in from another state to be present. He addressed them in the beginning of his speech with, “Malia and Sasha, you make me so proud. But don’t get any ideas — you’re still going to class tomorrow.”

16. Barack, Meaning The ‘Blessed’ One

Barack means blessed in Swahili and Semitic languages. He most certainly seems to be a blessing for the U.S., as under his leadership, the country has had 32 consecutive months of job growth. This is a much-needed boost for the job sector and the economy in the United States of America.

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17. One The Focus Areas During His Presidency: Health Care (Obamacare)

Barack Obama is taking steps to turn around the health care system in the US, through inter alia the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act. Obama’s health care plan has already aided 5.6 million seniors and people with disabilities. Approximately 17 million children who have been previously diagnosed with medical conditions will now be given medical coverage.

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18. Taking The Oath in 2013 With The Bibles Of Michelle’s Family, Abraham Lincoln, And Martin Luther King

In January 2013, Obama took the oath of office with three different Bibles. During the private ceremony, he used the Bible that belonged to his wife Michelle’s family. The next day at the public ceremony, he used the Bible also used by Abraham Lincoln in his inauguration and the Bible that belonged to Martin Luther King Jr.

19. Plays Basketball on Election Days

President Barack Obama has played basketball on almost every Election Day during his presidential run. Obama used to play basketball in high school where he was called the Barry O’Bomber due to his jump shot. He was never the star of his team, but Obama helped his team to a 60-28 win in the 1979 Hawaii State Championships.

20. 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Winner & ‘Person Of The Year’ By Time Magazine (Twice)

Barack Obama is quite the laureate. In 2008, he won his second Grammy award for Best Spoken Word for the audio version of his book, “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.” He was also named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year”. In 2009, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2012, he was named the “Person of the Year” by Time Magazine for the second time.

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More facts and things you didn’t know about Barack Obama

• President Obama’s administration passed a series of Wall Street reforms that hold big banks accountable and protect consumers.
• He also passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which saved at least 300,000 education jobs in America during the Great Recession.
• He has done more for Israel than any other US President in history, increasing aid from $2.4 billion to $3.1 billion per year since he took office and increasing security assistance from $600 million to more than $3 billion per year—the largest single pledge of military assistance to any country in US history.
• He set out plans for national health insurance in October 1994 when he was serving as an Illinois State Senator.
• During his presidency, the number of American troops in harm’s way has gone down by more than 85 percent.
• After taking office, President Obama passed the Affordable Care Act which provided health coverage for over 20 million more people.
• He also passed the Comprehensive Tax Reform, which lowered rates for individuals and families by $800 billion. As a result, 95% of Americans now have health insurance, 94% of Americans live within one mile of a public school, 96% of Americans are within banking reach, 99% of American consumers are connected to broadband internet access.
• As President he played a vital role in international negotiations that brought about an agreement with Iran to stop its development of nuclear weapons and subject it to rigorous monitoring and inspection. – Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize for his magnanimous and transformational offer of partnership and dialogue to all nations, between 2009 and 2017.
• Barack Obama was the first President to invest in solar and wind power and always championed cutting carbon emissions and investing in renewable energy sources.
• His presidential campaign slogan for his first campaign was “Change we can believe in.”
• Barack Obama facts: The president was born on August 4th 1961 at Kapiolani Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. His mother Stanley Ann Dunham was an American economist who earned her PhD from the University of Hawaii Manoa, where she met and married Barack Obama’s father, Barack Hussein Obama. She later decided to become an anthropologist and spent time in Indonesia, where she did key work on the influences of Javanese art in design. She would later be known as Ann Dunham but her son was named after his father. The president lived with his mother and step-father from the age of 10 months to 10 years, then moved back to Hawaii under his grandparents care before going on to university at Columbia University.
• Barack Obama facts: While a junior at Harvard Law School he met a young woman named Michelle Robinson who had been assigned as his adviser. They began dating soon after they met and were engaged six months later. In February 1981 they were married in a small wedding in their apartment with their friends as guests. They have two daughters, Malia Ann and Natasha (Sasha). The president is the first African-American to be elected president of the United States. He won 52% of the popular vote against John McCain who won 45% of votes cast. At 47, he was the fifth youngest person to ever hold this office.
• Barack Obama facts: Before becoming President, Barack Obama had only visited 14 states including Washington D C. However despite his lack of experience outside Hawaii and Chicago where he worked as a community organizer prior to attending Harvard Law School, his name recognition after 12 years in state politics propelled him into the spotlight. On January 3rd 2007 he announced that he would run for the US Senate from Illinois, two years later with a strong grassroots campaign he beat multi-million dollar favourite Jack Ryan. He was elected president of the Harvard Law Review (the most important legal journal in the country) in 1990 and graduated magna cum laude (with distinction). As students at Harvard Law School, Obama lived with Lawrence Wilson York III who is now an ambassador to Norway; Martin Nesbitt who served as his gubernatorial candidate for lieutenant governor of Virginia (2013); Tony Rezko (convicted on multiple counts of fraud); Cassandra Butts, an assistant White House counsel; Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto son of Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto; and Jihad Asa’ad Muhammad, who was convicted of attempted murder.
• Barack Obama facts: Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his magnanimous and transformational offer of partnership and dialogue to all nations between 2009 and 2017, during his presidency. He has written two books, Dreams from my Father (a personal memoir) which he began writing in 1990 before attending Harvard Law School, it was finally published in 2004; The Audacity of Hope (an insight into how he overcame adversity) completed in 2006. After finishing law school Barack Obama became a community organizer on the south side of Chicago where he helped rebuild communities that had been ravaged by steel mills that were shutting down. While working as a civil rights lawyer at the age of 33, he ran for state senator and lost, then for Congress and won.
• Barack Obama facts: Before he entered politics Barack Obama was a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago and a civil rights attorney where he represented low-income people in poor neighbourhoods and claimed several victories against powerful corporations. He served with the voter registration project which helped thousands of unregistered African Americans to register to vote, in 1996 he successfully sued Illinois state allowing them to initiate late voter registration so more people could vote. When his mother died in 1995 after living with cancer for 18 years he had already begun attending Trinity United Church of Christ under Rev Jeremiah Wright’s ministry; it is here that his Christian faith would develop into fullness. His pastor commemor 9/11 by saying “America and the world…God damn (it)”. Obama severed connections with his pastor and Trinity United Church of Christ in 2008 after his anti-American sermons were made public.
• Barack Obama facts: Barack Obama worked as an Illinois State Senator while attending Harvard Law School, he was elected for the first time in 1996. He served on committees that dealt with health reform; veteran affairs; transportation; ethics; financial disclosure; serving on several culturally diverse boards. In 2004 he stated that “I am not a member of any organized political party….the Democratic Party best suits my needs.” During this successful campaign to win the US Senate seat vacated by Peter Fitzgerald (R), whom Obama challenged in 2004, Keyes campaigned for it too but ultimately lost.
• Barack Obama facts: Barack Obama won the US Senate seat in 2004 with an amazing 70% of the vote even though his Republican opponent, Jack Ryan was a millionaire and the former first choice for the Republican nomination until confidential divorce records revealed that he had tried to drag his then wife Jeri Ryan (of Star Trek fame) into threesomes. He became only the third African-American ever to have been elected to Congress since Reconstruction after Andrew Steele and Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
• Barack Obama facts: Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017; previously he served as a United States Senator from Illinois (2005–2008). Elect ed to the Senate in 2004, he was the fifth African-American Senator in U.S. history and the only one elected to more than one term. Barack Obama facts: When he left office, he was the earliest serving president of America who actually had a full name Barack Hussein Obama II without abbreviating his middle name. Obama became president at a moment when the world financial system was on the brink of disaster and the US auto industry teetering on bankruptcy; both pulled back from the edge thanks to bailout efforts during his administration. He is also credited with achieving domestic policy objectives such as universal healthcare reform (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act); however these are argued by some to be offset by his failures including not securing gun control after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and his response to the Black Lives Matter movement, Amnesty International said that “President Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in US law”.
• Barack Obama facts: Barack Obama won a second term in office by defeating Republican opponent Mitt Romney. This victory was projected to be during his 7 November 2012 speech when key states were shown behind him on a map, which also revealed that he had 303 electoral votes — enough to defeat his opponent. In 2009 after Obama’s inauguration into office, he received many gifts from across the world – from Saudi Arabia King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, this included a gold necklace an inscription made out of letters composed from a page of the Qur’an which has a passage writing “Peace be upon him who follows right path” and a chest containing a four-volume copy of the Qur’an printed in 1977. He also received from Saudi Arabia 1,500 tons of refined petroleum valued at $500 million dollars. In December 2010, Obama signed into law that an additional 20 F-22 fighter aircraft would be produced beyond the initial 187 previously planned for by the Department of Defense. This came after he had attempted to cancel the program three times due to cost overruns.
• Barack Obama facts: Barack Hussein Obama II was born on August 4th 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, two years after the territory was to the Union as the 50th state. He was born to a black Kenyan father Barack Obama Sr. and a white American mother Ann Dunham, who was from Kansas. His parents had met as students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa where his father was enrolled as an undergraduate studying economics. When the couple married, they relocated to Kenya, where Obama’s older sister Maya Soetoro-Ng recalls a young Obama f eeing from the smells of Nairobi slums on visits there . His family soon moved to Jakarta, Indonesia after her husband received a scholarship that came with an offer for them to stay behind; here he became fluent in Indonesian language.
• Barack Obama facts: Barack Hussein Obama II also by his initials (BHO ), is the 44th President of the United States. He took office in 2009 when he became the first African American to be elected president. After being reelected, Obama was sworn into a second term in 2013. It was said that during an election run , when asked what were the chances of becoming president, Obama responded, “I don’t have any idea at this point.”.
• Barack Obama facts: When he assumed office in 2009, Barack Hussein Obama II was America’s first ever mixed-race U.S president known as America’s first Black President . His mother Ann Dunham who raised him with his grandparents had some Caucasian ancestry which includes Irish and English ; she also had distant Native American ancestry (among other ethnicites).