This Week in American History: On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama announced his run for president of the United States. As a result, he was chosen as our first African American President in America’s 2008 election. He was America’s 44th President and served two terms.
Education
Obama was born in Hawaii. He studied political science at Columbia University. He further attended Harvard Law School. In fact, he was the first African American president of Harvard Law Review.
Career and Politics
After Law School, Mr. Obama worked for a small, civil rights, law firm in Chicago. He also taught part-time at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.
Mr. Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. He was not only Illinois’ State Senator, but also elected as Illinois’ US Senator in 2004.
Platform
As America’s 44th president, he proposed first-time federal spending. He hoped to renew the economy. He also wanted to improve America’s reputation. During his first term he signed three key bills:
- one to fuel the markets,
- a second to make health care costs more reasonable, and
- a third changing financial organizations.
Equally important, he advocated:
- fair pay for women,
- economic change, and
- consumer protection.
Because of his efforts to strengthen diplomacy and cooperation, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. He was the fourth president to receive this honor.
Personal
Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson were married on October 3, 1992. They have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
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Info Sources: Biography and The White House
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
