Barack obama featured biography facts

July Despite a lack of political experience, he put forward his name for the Democratic presidential candidate in Against the stiff opposition of Hilary Clinton, Obama ran a near perfect campaign. His campaign generated a flood of popular grassroots support, making use of social media and internet networking. Against the much older Republican candidate Senator John McCain, Obama won a hard-fought contest taking the presidential election.

His victory was greeted with an unusual degree of enthusiasm and excitement — not just in America, but around the world. After decades of racism and segregation blighting American society, the election of the first black American president was hugely symbolic. On becoming President, he found the political environment hostile. However, with considerable modifications, he was able to pass a health care bill which went a considerable way to ensuring greater universal provision.

We are the change that we seek. Obama was elected on a liberal platform.

Barack obama featured biography facts: Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama graduated

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. Compared to other American political figures, he is perceived as less accommodating to Israel and more sympathetic to the Palestinian position.

Inthe US was the only country to veto a Security Council resolution condemning illegal Israeli settlements. However, one of his last acts as President in Dec was for the US to abstain on a similar motion condemning Israeli settlement building. He shares a mother with half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and has five paternal half-siblings. According to Oprah Dailyhe has maintained a warm and close relationship with half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng.

The two grew up together and both graduated from the Punahou School. So he really ended up being the man of the house.

Barack obama featured biography facts: Barack Obama served as the

Obama entered Occidental College in Los Angeles in After two years, he transferred to Columbia University in New York City, graduating in with a degree in political science. After his undergrad studies, Obama worked in the business sector for two years. He moved to Chicago inwhere he worked on the impoverished South Side as a community organizer for low-income residents in the Roseland and the Altgeld Gardens communities.

He also visited relatives in Kenya and paid an emotional visit to the graves of his biological father, who died in a car accident in Novemberand his paternal grandfather. The next year, he met with constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe.

Barack obama featured biography facts: Barack Obama served as the

Their discussion so impressed Tribe that when Obama asked to join his team as a research assistant, the professor agreed. He graduated magna cum laude with his juris doctor from Harvard Law School in Inwhile still in law school, Obama joined the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin as a summer associate. There, he met Michelle Robinson, a young lawyer who was assigned to be his adviser.

Initially, Michelle refused to date Barack, believing that their work relationship would make the romance improper. However, she relented not long after, and the couple fell in love. On October 3,he and Michelle were married. Barack and Michelle welcomed two daughters several years later: Maliaborn inand Sashaborn in The couple has stated that their personal priority is their children.

During his years as a state senator, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans to draft legislation on ethics, as well as expand health care services and early childhood education programs for the poor. He also created a state earned-income tax credit for the working poor. InObama made an unsuccessful Democratic primary run for the U.

House of Representatives seat held by four-term incumbent candidate Bobby Rush. Undeterred, he created a campaign committee in and began raising funds to run for a seat in the U. Senate in With the help of political consultant David Axelrod, Obama began assessing his prospects for a Senate win. Encouraged by poll numbers, Obama decided to run for the open U.

Senate seat, vacated by Republican Peter Fitzgerald. In the Democratic primary, he defeated multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes with 52 percent of the vote. That summer, he was invited to deliver the keynote speech in support of John Kerry at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Obama emphasized the importance of unity and made veiled jabs at the George W.

Bush administration and the diversionary use of wedge issues. After the convention, Obama returned to his U. Senate bid in Illinois. His opponent in the general election was supposed to be Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, a wealthy former investment banker. However, Ryan withdrew from the race in June following public disclosure of unsubstantiated sexual deviancy allegations by his ex-wife, actor Jeri Ryan.

That August, diplomat and former presidential candidate Alan Keyes accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan. With his win, Obama became only the third African American elected to the U. Senate since Reconstruction. Sworn into office on January 3,Obama partnered with Republican Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana on a bill that expanded efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia.

Then, with Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, he created a website to track all federal spending. In FebruaryObama made headlines when he announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. He was locked in a tight battle with then-U. He campaigned on an ambitious agenda of financial reform, alternative energy, and reinventing education and health care—all while bringing down the national debt.

Because these issues were intertwined with the economic well-being of the nation, he believed all would have to be undertaken simultaneously. When he took office at age 47, Obama inherited a global economic recession, two ongoing foreign wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the lowest-ever international favorability rating for the United States.

They are serious, and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. Obama's presidency saw an extended battle over taxes that ultimately led to the permanent extension of most of the Bush tax cutswhich had been enacted between and Those tax cuts were set to expire during Obama's presidency since they were originally passed using a Congressional maneuver known as reconciliationand had to fulfill the long-term deficit requirements of the "Byrd rule".

During the lame duck session of the th CongressObama and Republicans wrangled over the ultimate fate of the cuts. Shortly after Obama's re-election, Congressional Republicans and Obama again faced off over the final fate of the Bush tax cuts. US government debt grew substantially during the Great Recessionas government revenues fell. Obama largely rejected the austerity policies followed by many European countries.

After taking control of the House in the electionsCongressional Republicans demanded spending cuts in return for raising the United States debt ceilingthe statutory limit on the total amount of debt that the Treasury Department can issue. The debt-ceiling crisis developed as Obama and Congressional Democrats demanded a "clean" debt-ceiling increase that did not include spending cuts.

Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner attempted to negotiate a "grand bargain" to cut the deficit, reform entitlement programsand re-write the tax code, but the negotiations eventually collapsed due to ideological differences between the Democratic and Republican leaders. In Octoberthe barack obama featured biography facts shut down for two weeks as Republicans and Democrats were unable to agree on a budget.

House Republicans passed a budget that would defund Obamacarebut Senate Democrats refused to pass any budget that defunded Obamacare. Ultimately the two sides agreed to a continuing resolution that re-opened the government and suspended the debt ceiling. Hate Crimes Prevention Actwhich expanded hate crime laws to cover crimes committed because of the victim's sexual orientation.

In MayObama became the first sitting president to support same-sex marriageshortly after Vice President Joe Biden had also expressed support for the institution. The Obama Administration filed an amicus brief in support of gay marriage and Obama personally congratulated the plaintiff. The Great Recession of —09 caused a sharp decline in tax revenues in all cities and states.

The response was to cut education budgets. However, in terms of sponsoring innovation, Obama and his Education Secretary Arne Duncan pursued K education reform through the Race to the Top grant program. In the competition points were awarded for allowing charter schools to multiply, for compensating teachers on a merit basis including student test scores, and for adopting higher educational standards.

There were incentives for states to establish college and career-ready standards, which in practice meant adopting the Common Core State Standards Initiative that had been developed on a bipartisan basis by the National Governors Associationand the Council of Chief State School Officers. The criteria were not mandatory, they were incentives to improve opportunities to get a grant.

Most states revised their laws accordingly, even though they realized it was unlikely they would when a highly competitive new grant. Race to the Top had strong bipartisan support, with centrist elements from both parties. It was opposed by the barack obama featured biography facts wing of the Democratic Party, and by the right wing of the Republican Party, and criticized for centralizing too much power in Washington.

Complaints also came from middle-class families, who were annoyed at the increasing emphasis on teaching to the test, rather than encouraging teachers to show creativity and stimulating students' imagination. Obama also advocated for universal pre-kindergarten programs, [ ] and two free years of community college for everyone. From the beginning of his presidency, Obama supported comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for many immigrants illegally residing in the United States.

In the lame-duck session, Obama supported passage of the DREAM Actwhich passed the House but failed to overcome a Senate filibuster in a 55—41 vote in favor of the bill. A record high ofdeportations occurred inthough the number of deportations fell during Obama's second term. The nation's immigrant population hit a record Energy production boomed during the Obama administration.

Barack obama featured biography facts: Barack Obama (born August

During Obama's tenure, the battle over the Keystone XL Pipeline became a major issue, with advocates arguing that it would contribute to economic growth and environmentalists arguing that its approval would contribute to global warming. The Obama administration took a few steps to reform the criminal justice system at a time when many in both parties felt that the US had gone too far in incarcerating drug offenders, [ ] and Obama was the first president since the s to preside over a reduction in the federal prison population.

During Obama's presidency, there was a sharp rise in opioid mortality. Many of the deaths — then and now — result from fentanyl consumption where an overdose is more likely than with heroin consumption. And many people died because they were not aware of this difference or thought that they would administer themselves heroin or a drug mixture but actually used pure fentanyl.

Upon taking office inObama expressed support for reinstating the Federal Assault Weapons Ban ; but did not make a strong push to pass it-or any new gun control legislation early on in his presidency. Following the December Sandy Hook Elementary School shootingObama outlined a series of sweeping gun control proposals, urging Congress to reintroduce an expired ban on "military-style" assault weaponsimpose limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, require universal background checks for all domestic gun sales, ban the possession and sale of armor-piercing bullets and introduce harsher penalties for gun-traffickers.

Cybersecurity emerged as an important issue during Obama's presidency. Inthe Obama administration established United States Cyber Commandan armed forces sub-unified command charged with defending the military against cyber attacks. Brennanwere also hacked, leading to new fears about the confidentiality of emails. In his speeches as president, Obama did not make more overt references to race relations than his predecessors, [ ] [ ] but according to one study, he implemented stronger policy action on behalf of African-Americans than any president since the Nixon era.

Following Obama's election, many pondered the existence of a "postracial America". To reduce tensions, Obama invited Gates and the police officer to the White House in what became known as the "Beer Summit". In FebruaryObama announced that he was cutting the program from the United States federal budgetdescribing it as "over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation.

InObama called on the United States to land a human on Mars by the s. Obama promoted various technologies and the technological prowess of the United States. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate at the University of Massachusetts Boston to speak about the administration's cancer initiative. The study estimated that each press release had the same effect on compliance as inspections.

The Obama administration inherited a war in Afghanistana war in Iraqand a global " War on Terror ", all launched by Congress during the term of President Bush in the aftermath of the September 11 barack obama featured biographies facts. Upon taking office, Obama called for a " new beginning " in relations between the Muslim world and the United States, [ ] [ ] and he discontinued the use of the term "War on Terror" in favor of the term "Overseas Contingency Operation".

During the presidential electionObama strongly criticized the Iraq War[ ] and Obama withdrew the vast majority of US soldiers in Iraq by late On taking office, Obama announced that US combat forces would leave Iraq by Augustwith 35,—50, American soldiers remaining in Iraq as advisers and trainers, [ ] down from the roughlyAmerican soldiers in Iraq in early Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahari are recording messages to their followers and plotting more terror.

The Taliban controls parts of Afghanistan. Al Qaeda has an expanding base in Pakistan that is probably no farther from their old Afghan sanctuary than a train ride from Washington to Philadelphia. And yet today, we have five times more troops in Iraq than Afghanistan. Obama increased the number of American soldiers in Afghanistan during his first term before withdrawing most military personnel in his second term.

On taking office, Obama announced that the US military presence in Afghanistan would be bolstered by 17, new troops by Summer[ ] on top of the roughly 30, soldiers already in Afghanistan at the start of Though other areas of the world remained important to American foreign policy, Obama pursued a "pivot" to East Asiafocusing the US's diplomacy and trade in the region.

On taking office, Obama called for a " reset " in relations with Russiawhich had declined following the Russo-Georgian War. US—Russia relations declined after Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency in The relationship between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who held office for all but two months of Obama's presidency was notably icy, with many commenting on their mutual distaste for each other.

Mitchell as a special envoy to the Middle East to work towards a settlement of the Israeli—Palestinian conflictbut Mitchell made little progress before stepping down in During Obama's last months in office, his administration chose not to veto United Nations Security Council Resolutionwhich urged the end of Israeli settlement in the territories that Israel captured in the Six-Day War of The Obama administration argued that the abstention was consistent with long-standing American opposition to the expansion of settlements, while critics of the abstention argued that it abandoned a close US ally.

After graduating from high school with honors, Obama attended Occidental College in Los Angeles in In he made his first public speech, urging the college to support the abolishment of apartheid in South Africa. He worked for five years before attending law school. In he attended Harvard Law School, receiving his law degree magna cum laude in In Obama worked as the director of the Developing Communities Project, working with job training programs and tenant rights organizations.

He joined a Chicago law firm in that specialized in civil rights litigation. He was an associate for three years and an attorney for eight years until Asked to write a book on race relations, he published his autobiography in Also read: Interesting facts about Nelson Mandela. Obama was 27 when he met his future wife, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson.

Another Harvard Law graduate, she was assigned as his mentor when he became a summer associate at the same corporate law firm she worked for. They married on October 3, The girls were ten and seven when their father became President.