Barack Obama Profile

by Rob Walker | October 28, 2008 at 12:01 pm

4200 views | 35 Recommendations | 18 comments

Barack Obama has been elected as the 44th president of the United States. His Inauguration takes place on January 20th, 2009.

On this page we gather information about the Democratic senator for Illinois, and president-elect.

Official Biography

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4, 1961, Barack Obama's parents separated when he was only two years old. He was raised mostly by his mother, grandmother and grandfather.

He studied at Columbia University, majoring in political science and international relations. He graduated with a degree in law from Harvard, where he became the first african-american president of the Harvard Law Review.

He became a senator in Illinois after working out of Chicago for years and beat out Hillary Clinton as the democratic candidate for the US Presidency. On November 5, 2008, Barack Obama became the first African-American President of the United States.

Barack Obama was born at the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children [2] in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black Kenyan from Nyang’oma Kogelo, Siaya District, Kenya, and Ann Dunham, a white American from Wichita, Kansas.[3] His parents met while attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was a foreign student.[4]

Sworn into office on January 4, 2005, Senator Obama has focused on tackling the challenges of a globalized, 21st-century world with fresh thinking and judgment that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator. Recognizing the terrorist threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, he traveled to Russia with Republican Richard Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world.

Media Profiles

BBC has a full profile of him, as does Biography.com, CBS and just about every other news outlet:

During their third and final presidential debate, Obama and Republican presidential nominee John McCain clashed sharply over tax policies and some of the heated rhetoric that had been tossed between their campaigns.

He is the first black candidate to become the presidential candidate of either major US party and if he goes on to beat Republican John McCain in November's general election, he will be the nation's first black president.

He clinched the Democratic nomination after a long and gruelling battle against former first lady, Hillary Clinton - a contest that gripped the US from January to June 2008.

Online Presence

Obama has a myspace page, a facebook account (not to mention thousands of fan and support pages), as well as a twitter feed:

Barack Obama was raised by a single mother and his grandparents. They didn't have much money, but they taught him values from the Kansas heartland where they grew up. He took out loans to put himself through school.

Personal Life

Obama married Michelle Robinson in 1992, after having met in 1989 while working at a corporate law firm.

In an ABC interview, Michelle said that "Barack didn't pledge riches, only a life that would be interesting. On that promise he's delivered." She also said as part of the division of labor in their house, Barack did the grocery shopping. Read more about their marriage in the spotlight.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | Digg | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Rhonda J Mangus

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 13:19 on October 29th, 2008

Rob Walker, I like this story. It's good stuff. There is discussion however that if Senator Obama is successful in his bid for the White House that he would not be the first black president, rather America's 6th Black President.

roxane with one n

at 13:40 on October 29th, 2008

Barack Obama speaking in Denver

roxane with one n has contributed a photo to this story.

calnursesphotos

at 14:03 on October 29th, 2008

Nurses on a national bus tour grading the presidential candidates on healthcare, stop in Pittsburgh to hear Senator Barack Obama's thoughts. http://www.calnurses.org

calnursesphotos has contributed a photo to this story.

bie-blink

at 14:53 on October 29th, 2008

bie-blink has contributed a photo to this story.

ms_kpetunia

at 14:54 on October 29th, 2008

This was an incredible rally, which took place in Delaware County, Pennsylvania on October 28, 2008. It was 42 degrees and raining hard, as you can tell. The world series had been cancelled the night before. McCain cancelled his outdoor appearance elsewhere in Pennsylvania due to the weather. My sister, Elizabeth Audley, had been volunteering for the campaign in Delaware County, Pennsylvania for the past month. She was one of the speakers who gave a pitch for volunteers before Obama came on. She has a blog about the whole campaign and volunteering and so on here: elizabethaudibly.blogspot.com/

I flew over to PA from Oregon to see the rally and my sister speak. They expected 20,000. Due to the weather, a 'mere' 10,000 showed up to stand in a freezing cold muddy field and listen. The energy was incredible. And Barack Obama just nailed it. Knocked it out of the park with utter focus and clarity despite the awful weather. Everyone was blown away.

Katherina Audley
http://www.kpetunia.com

ms_kpetunia has contributed a photo to this story.

twomets

at 15:35 on October 29th, 2008

Barack Obama speaking to a crowd of 6,000 in Santa Barbara, California, during the early days of his campaign (September 8, 2007).

twomets has contributed a photo to this story.

WDOphoto

at 18:34 on October 29th, 2008

Barack Obama waves to the crowd behind the podium after speaking to thousands of supporters at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, PA on Oct. 27th, 2008

WDOphoto has contributed a photo to this story.

Karen Hatter

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:46 on October 30th, 2008

Rob, I like this story. It's good stuff.

makevotescount

at 15:23 on October 30th, 2008

Taken at the Denver 'Early Voting for Change' rally on Sunday 26 October 2008. I was a volunteer at the event and so got access to a reserved area closer than I otherwise would have done, given there were approx 100,000 there. I posted my full account of the rally at www.sixfiftyblog.com

makevotescount has contributed a photo to this story.

Milieunet

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:07 on November 4th, 2008

Rob Walker, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Nice work, see http://my.nowpublic.com/world/barack-obama-next-president-usa

Ab"Money (not verified)

at 21:33 on November 4th, 2008

I am extremely happy for OBAMA. Long live him on the throne and I wish him all the best. Martins Luther Kings is right then about his dream.

Faisal Nalera (not verified)

at 02:54 on November 5th, 2008

Very attractive story about Obama.

Sidsel Oba

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:18 on November 5th, 2008

Rob Walker, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Congratulations to OBAMA from Norway !

hubert twumasi (not verified)

at 02:23 on November 6th, 2008

i am hubert twumasi.
i'm from ghanan(kumasi) and i thank God that obama has win the election in U.S.A.
i send the blessing of God to him in the name of JESUS CHRIST.
God should bless him in every firld of work he will do in U.S.A.
GOD BLESS AMERICA(BARACK OBAMA)

politisite

at 15:03 on November 13th, 2008

Good update.

Faisal Nalera (not verified)

at 03:33 on November 24th, 2008

Good

Wina Van Dijk

at 10:01 on February 18th, 2009

I like this story simple but deeply, It was exciting me! Today, H.Clinton the first day in Indonesia.

Hopefully, I will share some photos and news about Obama when Childhood in Indonesia.

indian saint acharya prem shankar tripathi (not verified)

at 08:19 on July 17th, 2009

hello mr obama raly u r great and full of power, special power and special leadership royel and sound person realy i like u and bles you may live a long life