Barack Obama Biography

Barack Obama will go down in history as first African-American president of the United States. His place in history is secure for that, if for no other reason. It does not stop there, however. He was elected president in 2008. Although his popularity has declined substantially since his election, due to many factors, there are still many people who will support Obama in 2012.

While every U.S. President has a somewhat different story than the average American, President Obama's story stands out, even among this group. Born in Hawaii, he was born of two University of Hawaii students. His mother was American, and his father, a Kenyan student from Nyanza Province who was studying in America. The early 1960′s was a difficult time for interracial marriages, and the young Obama's faced tremendous pressure. This, among other things culminated in the couple's divorce when young Barack was only 2 years old.

His mother then met and fell in love with an Indonesian man studying for his master's degree, Lolo Soetoro. Soon they were married and the family then relocated to Jakarta, Indonesia. At the time of the move, Barack was 6. While there, they had a daughter, Barack's half sister, Maya. While in Indonesia, Barack attended a private Catholic School, SD Assisi. He later attended another excellent elementary school, SD Besuki Menteng. After 4 years in Indonesia, Barack moved back to Hawaii and lived with his maternal grandmother.