Events Significant to the Life of Barack Obama
1863
President Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation. Barack often associates himself with President Lincoln. When he announced his candidacy for the 2008 election, he spoke in front of the Old State Capitol Building in Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln famously declared, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
1895
1982
Barack receives a call from Nairobi, Kenya. It is his Aunt Jane, whom he has never met, telling him that his father has been killed in a car accident. Barack is 21 years old.
1983
Barack graduates from Columbia University. He takes a job in New York as a research assistant at a consulting firm.
1984
President Ronald Reagan signs a policy directive designed to combat international terrorism. This gives the United States the power to launch preventive and retaliatory strikes against foreign terrorists.
1985
Barack accepts a position as a community organizer and moves to Chicago. During his three years on the job, his half sister Auma visits him and he learns about his father and the family in Kenya.
1988 February
Barack is accepted by Harvard Law School. Prior to attending classes in the fall, he makes his first trip
to Kenya. Fall At 27 years of age, Barack begins law school.
1989 Summer
Barack returns to Chicago as an intern at a law firm. He meets Michelle Robinson, his future wife, who is
assigned as his mentor. She graduated from Harvard Law School in 1988.
1990
During his second year of law school, Barack is elected president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. He is the first African American to be elected to the position in the Review’s 104-year history.
1991
Barack graduates magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. After being heavily recruited by law firms across the nation, he returns to Chicago to practice civil rights law. 1992 Barack and Michelle Robinson are married. Barack and Michelle visited Kenya prior to their marriage to meet Barack’s family. They move to Hyde Park, a suburb on Chicago’s South Side. Barack’s grandfather Stanley Dunham dies prior to Barack and Michelle’s marriage. Barack becomes the director of Illinois Project Vote, helping to register nearly 50,000 voters.
William Jefferson Clinton is elected president of the United States.
1993
Barack goes to work at a public interest law firm to work on civil rights, employment discrimination, fair housing, and voting rights.
Barack is named in Crain’s magazine’s list of “40 under 40” outstanding young leaders in the city of Chicago. Barack joins the faculty of University of Chicago LawSchool as a senior lecturer, teaching constitutional law. Michelle Obama joins the Chicago Office of Public Allies, a program that assists young people to find employment in public service.
February 26
A bomb explodes in the World Trade Center in New York.
1995
Barack publishes his first book, Dreams from My Father. 1996 Barack is elected to the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat representing the Illinois 13th legislative district.
1997 January
State Senator Barack Obama arrives in Springfield,Illinois, to serve his constituency from the South Side of Chicago.
1998
Barack and Michelle’s first daughter, Malia, is born.
2000
Barack enters the race for the U.S. House of Representatives against the four-term incumbent Bobby Rush. He loses by a two-to-one margin.
George W. Bush is elected president.
2001
Barack and Michelle’s second daughter, Sasha, is born.
September 11
Often referred to as 9/11, al Qaeda launches a series of coordinated suicide attacks in New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania.
2002 Midyear
Barack announces to his friends his decision to run for the U.S. Senate. Fall—A majority of Americans are convinced that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction and is personally involved in the 9/11 attacks.
October
The Senate votes to give President George W. Bush the power to go to war in Iraq.
October 2
Barack speaks to a crowd of antiwar activists, stating his opposition to the war.
2004 March 16
Barack wins the primary election for the U.S. Senate with 53 percent of the vote. He would face Republican Alan Keyes in the general election.
July 27
Barack delivers the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. The speech lasts approximately 15 minutes. With a margin of victory of 70 percent over Alan Keyes’s 27 percent, Barack is elected to the U.S. Senate. He is the only African American in the U.S. Senate and the fifth African American in U.S. history.
December
Barack signs a contract for three more books, including a children’s book to be written with Michelle.
2005 January 4
Barack is sworn in as a member of the 109th Congress of the United States. Shortly after his swearing in as the junior senator from Illinois, Barack and his team begin making plans for a 15-day trip to Africa.
Upon his return from Africa, plans begin in earnest about a run for the presidency in the 2008 election. Barack is one of two freshmen senators on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
August
Barack travels to Russia with Republican Senator Richard Lugar and others to inspect nuclear and biological weapons sites. He then cosponsors a bill that will reduce the stockpiles of these types of weapons.
August
Hurricane Katrina devastates the southern coastal regions of the United States. Barack speaks out about poverty issues and the government’s handling of the devastation.
During his first two years as a senator, Barack travels around the world, studying nuclear proliferation, AIDS, and violence in the Middle East. Speculation continues about whether he is considering a presidential run.
2006
Barack publishes his second book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.
October 22
Barack appears on the NBC television show Meet the Press, where he tells commentator Tim Russert that it is fair to say he is thinking about running for president in 2008.
October 23
Barack appears on the cover of Time magazine in an article entitled “Why Barack Obama Could Be the Next President.”
November
After the Democrats take control of Congress in the general election, discussions about Barack’s presidential bid take on more urgency, with Michelle Obama’s opinion the key to the decision on whether he will run.
December
Michelle determines she is on board with her husband running for president.
December
Barack visits New Hampshire, an early presidential primary state, and tells an audience that the media describe as “rock-star size” that America is ready to turn a page and a new generation is prepared to lead.
2007 January
Barack tells U.S. News & World Report that he believes there is a great hunger for change in America.
January
Barack takes another step in a presidential bid by posting a message on his Web site and sending an e-mail message to his Web site subscribers that he is forming a presidential exploratory committee. He tells his supporters and subscribers that the decision to run for the presidency is a profound one and that he wants to be sure whatever decision he makes is right for him, his family, and the country.
January
Barack says he will tell his friends, neighbors, and Americans by February 10 what his plans are regarding running for president.
February 10
On a frigid day in Springfield, Illinois, in front of a crowd estimated to be at least 10,000 people, Barack announces that he is running for president of the United States.
March
A USA Today/Gallup Poll finds that 1 in 10 say they wouldn’t vote for a woman or Hispanic, and 1 in 20 say they wouldn’t vote for a black, Jewish, or Catholic candidate.
March
Barack announces his campaign has raised more than 100,000 donations totaling at least $25 million; $6.9 million is generated through Internet donations.
March
Barack speaks at the Brown Chapel AME church in Selma, Alabama, on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday. He tells the assembly that the event in 1965, when state and local police attacked 600 civil rights marchers with clubs and tear gas, enabled his parents, a mixed-race couple, to marry.
April
Many in the media cast Barack as a candidate whohas refused money from Washington lobbyists and whouses the Internet to garner support and contributions.
April
Barack announces the Five Initiatives: bringing the Iraq war to an end, modernizing the military, stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction, rebuilding alliances and partnerships, and investing in our common humanity.
May
Barack is placed under Secret Service protection, the earliest ever for a U.S. presidential candidate.
May
Barack is selected by Time magazine as one of the world’s most influential people.
July
A Newsweek magazine poll finds that race is no longer the barrier it once was in electing a president. A clear majority, 59 percent, say that the country is ready to elect an African American president, up from 37 percent at the start of the decade.
December
A report by the Pew Research Center finds that “fewer people are making judgments about candidates based solely, or even mostly, on race itself.”
2008
Barack is consistently considered to be a front-runner in national and state polls, along with Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator John Edwards.
January 3
Barack’s first test comes at the Iowa caucus. He sails to victory with 38 percent of the state delegate vote in a contest that features a record turnout of at least 239,000. The win gives his presidential campaign an early and extremely important boost.
January 8
In the first presidential primary for the 2008 election, New Hampshire’s, the second test for his candidacy, with polls suggesting an enormous victory, Barack takes second place behind Senator Hillary Clinton, with 36 percent of the vote to Clinton’s 39 percent.
January 15
Michigan holds its primary, but the votes do not count as the Democratic National Party stripped the state of its delegates for violating Party rules by holding the primary too early. Barack had withdrawn his name from the ballot; Hillary’s name remained, but no delegates are awarded.
January 19
The campaigns move to Nevada for the state’s caucus. More than 117,000 vote, compared to the 9,000 that voted in 2004.9 Hillary wins the contest with 51 percent of the vote to Barack’s 45 percent.
January 25
South Carolina holds its primary. Voters come out in droves to hear Barack’s message. Barack wins 55 percent of the vote, doubling Hillary’s share.
January 29
Florida holds its primary. As in the Michigan primary the votes do not count and the Democratic National Party strips the delegates for violating Party rules. Both Barack and Hillary had agreed not to campaign in the state, however Hillary had held fund-raising events there. No delegates are awarded.
February 5
Known as Super Tuesday, 22 states hold either a primary or a caucus. In all, there are more than 2,000 delegates at stake including the delegate-rich states of California with 441, Illinois with 185, and New York with 281. When all the votes are counted, Barack wins 13 individual states, including his home state of Illinois;
Hillary wins 8 states, including her adopted home state of New York. The popular vote from Super Tuesday makes it a very close race. Clinton wins 7,427,700 popular votes, or 50.20 percent; Obama wins 7,369,709 popular votes, or 49.80 percent.
February 9
The states of Nebraska, Washington, Louisiana, and the Virgin Islands hold contests where excitement is high and the turnout is record-breaking. With a total of 203 delegates at stake, Barack wins all four states.
February 10
Maine holds its caucus with 34 delegates at stake. Barack wins 59 percent of the vote; Hillary wins 40 percent.
February 12
Known as the Potomac Primaries, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia hold their primaries for a total of 240 delegates. Barack sweeps all three states winning 75 percent of the vote to Hillary’s 24 percent in Washington, D.C.; in Maryland, Barack wins 60 percent to Hillary’s 37 percent; and in Virginia, Barack wins 64 percent to Hillary’s 35 percent.
February 19
The campaigns move to Wisconsin for a primary with 121 delegates at stake, and to Hawaii with 20 delegates. To no one’s surprise, Barack carries Hawaii with 76 percent of the vote. In Wisconsin, Barack wins 58 percent to Hillary’s 41 percent.
March 4
Another Tuesday rich with delegates: Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island hold contests. Hillary is favored to win in Texas with 193 delegates and Ohio with 141 delegates. When all votes are counted, Barack wins Vermont by 30 points, and Hillary wins the other three states.
March 8
With 18 total delegates, Wyoming holds its primary. Barack wins 61 percent to Hillary’s 38 percent.
March 11
Mississippi holds its primary with 40 delegates at stake. Barack wins 61 percent to Hillary’s 37 percent. Both campaigns prepare for the next primary, in Pennsylvania on April 22, 2008, where they will vie for 188 delegates. The primary calendar includes contests in Guam on May 3, Indiana and North Carolina on May 6, West Virginia on May 13, Kentucky and Oregon on May 20, Puerto Rico on June 1, and Montana and South Dakota on June 3, 2008.
March 18
At the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Barack speaks for nearly 40 minutes about race and racial rhetoric. Afterwards, many compare it to Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Barack’s paternal grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama, is born in Kenya.
1920 August 18
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, giving women the right to vote.
1929 January 15
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. is born.
1936
Barack’s father, Barack Obama Sr., is born in Kenya.
1940–1945
During World War II, Barack’s paternal grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama, serves as a cook to a British captain. Stanley “Gramps” Dunham, Barack’s maternal grandfather, and Madelyn “Toots” Dunham elope just prior to the attacks at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Stanley enlists in the army soon after the attacks, and Madelyn works on a bomber plane assembly line. Barack’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham (known as Ann), is born in 1942, while her father, Stanley, is posted at an army base.
1946 August 19
President William Clinton is born.
1947 October 26
Senator Hillary Clinton is born.
1953 June 10
Senator John Edwards is born.
1959
Barack’s grandparents, Stanley “Gramps” and Madelyn “Toots” Dunham, and their daughter, Stanley Ann Dunham, Barack’s mother, move to Hawaii.
Ann Dunham, after being accepted by the University of Chicago, decides to enroll at the University of Hawaii. She is 18 years old.
Barack Obama Sr. leaves Kenya to attend the University of
Hawaii at the age of 23. Ann Dunham and Barack Obama Sr. meet as students at the University of Hawaii. They are soon married.
1960 September 26
The first Nixon-Kennedy debate is televised.
1961
May 4
Civil rights activists known as the Freedom Riders ride interstate busses into the segregated South; they are subsequently arrested for trespassing and unlawful assembly and are met with fire bombs and riots. Many suffer at the hands of racists.
August 4
Barack Hussein Obama is born in Hawaii.
1963
Barack Obama Sr. accepts a scholarship to attend Harvard University.
Ann and Barack stay in Hawaii. Barack Obama Sr. leaves the United States to return to Kenya. He and Ann Dunham Obama are divorced.
August 28
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his “I have a dream” speech in Washington, DC.
November 22
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated.
1964
January 17
Michelle Robinson (Obama) is born.
July 2
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act into law.
October 14
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his work promoting human rights.
1965
March 7
In what later is known as Bloody Sunday, state and local police attack 600 civil rights marchers with clubs and tear gas in Selma, Alabama.
March 21
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. leads a civil rights march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama.
July 28
President Johnson commits 50,000 more troops to the conflict in Vietnam, taking the U. S. force to a total of 125,000.
August 6
President Johnson signs legislation to enact the Voting Rights Act.
1967
Ann Dunham Obama marries Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian student attending the University of Hawaii. Lolo leaves Hawaii for Indonesia; Ann makes plans for her and Barack to follow.
Barack leaves Hawaii to move to Jakarta, Indonesia, with his mother and his stepfather. Barack’s half sister Maya is born in Indonesia.
1968
April 4
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated.
June 6
Senator Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated.
August 28
Antiwar protestors demonstrate at the Democratic convention in Chicago.
1969 November 16
An estimated 250,000 people gather in Washington, D.C., to protest the Vietnam War.1
1970 June 22
President Richard Nixon signs an extension of the Voting Rights Act that lowers the voting age to 18. Known as the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, it is ratified on July 1, 1971.
1971
Barack leaves Indonesia to live with his grandparents in Hawaii. Ann and Barack’s half sister Maya stay in Indonesia. He is 10 years old. Fall—As a fifth grader, Barack attends the prestigious prep school Punahou Academy.
Barack Obama Sr., recuperating from a serious car accident, visits Barack in Hawaii. Barack was two when his father left Hawaii for Harvard Law School.
1979
Barack’s paternal grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama, dies in Kenya.
Barack graduates from Punahou Academy. After being accepted by several schools, he enrolls in Occidental College in Los Angeles.
Having always been called Barry by friends and family, he is now called Barack, which means “blessed” in Arabic.
1980
As a sophomore, Barack gets involved with a South African divestment campaign on campus and gives his first speech at a rally.
1981 August
Barack, now 20 years old, transfers from Occidental College to Columbia University in New York City.
