Obama's rise
Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 4, 1961. After earning degrees at Columbia University (1983) and Harvard University (1991), he married Michelle Robinson in 1992. Obama practiced civil rights law and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 until 2004. In 1997, Obama ran and won a seat in the Illinois State Senate. In 2004, Obama won the US Senate race in Illinois. In 2008, at age 47, he was elected US President, serving from 2009 - 2017. More details on key moments