Barack Obama Biography

Born On: 4^th August, 1961

Born In: Honolulu, Hawaii, US

Nationality: American

Education: Major in Political Science from Columbia University;

Degree in Law from the prestigious Harvard Law School

Career: 44th US President Elect & US Senator from Illinois (Chicago)

Political Party: Democratic

Books Written: Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope

Democrat Senator Barck Obama made history when he became the first black to be elected U.S. president. He defeaated Republican John McCain to capture the White House. Barck Obama will be the 44th U.S. president and will assume the office on January 20, 2009. He is currently a Senator from Illinois (Chicago).

Barck Obama was born in Hawaii on the 4^th August, 1961. His father, Barack Obama Sr. was born and brought up in a village in Kenya, Africa and came to America to pursue his dreams after earning a scholarship. His mother, Ann Dunham grew up in Kansas. Later on, she moved to Hawaii to study where she met Barack Obama Sr.

Barack Obama grew up in Hawaii and was sent to one of the most prestigious schools in Honolulu, Punahou School. Due to his dark skin color and name, he was treated as an African American and not many knew that he was really American. He learnt to play basketball like other fellow students and sometimes even let his grades slip by not studying. This was because of a conflicting feeling inside him due to his mixed heritage. After finishing school, he moved on to the Occidental College, Los Angeles and started to take his career and studies seriously.

When Barak Obama was through his studies mid-way, he shifted to the prestigious Columbia University at New York. He finished his under-graduation and majored in political science. Instead of going in for a lucrative job, he decided he would do something for the impoverished population that was plagued by high rates of crime and unemployment. He became a community organizer in Harlem and then moved to Chicago to work with church-based social organizations. Though the group had success, Obama realized that instead of a change at a smaller level, a change in the political system and laws was needed to really improve the conditions.

Obama moved on to apply and get selected at one of the most prestigious law schools, Harvard. He earned his law degree in the year 1991 and was elected the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Thereafter, he returned to Chicago to practice and teach constitutional law. This is where he met his wife Michelle Robinson and after dating for a couple of years, they married. His work made him run for Senate from Illinois State and served there for eight years. He became the 3^rd African American since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004.

Barack Obama has campaigned for many relevant social causes and issues like poverty exposed by Katrina, the genocide in Darfur, role of faith in politics, electoral fraud and lobbying, nuclear terrorism, ceasing of Iraq war, etc. He has been named along with various individuals as the “World’s Most Influential People” by the Time magazine and also as one of the “10 People Who Could Change the World” by the British journal, New Statesmen. Obama has two daughters Sasha (6) and Malia (9) whom he completely adores and is grateful for.

Barack Obama Timeline

1961 - Born 4^th August in Honolulu, Hawaii
1968 - Went to Indonesia, after his mother remarried
1971 - Came back to Hawaii; went to Punahou School
1979 - Finishes schooling; goes to Occidental College, LA
1981 - Transfers to Columbia University, New York
1983 - Graduates from Columbia University and works for one year at Business International Corporation
1985 - Goes to Chicago. Appointed as the director of the Developing Communities Project for 3 years
1988 - Enrolls for a degree in Law at the prestigious Harvard Law School
1991 - Graduates from Harvard
1993 - Attorney at Miner, Barnhill & Galland; Senior Lecturer at University of Chicago
1996 - Elected to Illinois State Senate
2000 - Challenges Congressman Bobby Rush and is defeated in March 21
2004 - Keynote Address. Elected to the U.S. Senate
2007 - Announced Presidential campaign and presently campaigning for it
Nov 5, 2008 - Barack Obama elected US President

Last Updated on : 05-Nov-2008

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