On November 4, 2008, Obama became the first African-American to be elected President. He resigned his seat in the U.S. Senate on November 16, 2008. Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009. Barack Obama has spoken out and released a statement on social media after the Democrats flipped the House and Senate with historic wins in the 2026 midterm elections. Explore the remarkable story of President Obama and Michelle Obama and those who inspired their journey. Barack Obama 's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office after defeating the Republican nominee John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, broke barriers as the first African-American president and implemented significant healthcare reforms during his tenure. Barack Hussein Obama II[a] (born August 4, 1961) is an American retired politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American to serve as president. Former President Barack Obama returned to the campaign trail for his first rallies of the midterm elections and sharply criticized President Donald Trump. As President Obama has said, the change we seek will take longer than one term or one presidency. Real change—big change—takes many years and requires each generation to embrace the obligations and opportunities that come with the title of Citizen. Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States, elected in November 2008 and holding office for two terms. He was born in Hawaiʻi on August 4, 1961, to a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya, and raised with the help of his grandparents. The 44th president sharply criticized Mr. Trump, who hit back later in the day. Mr. Obama also assailed Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for governor of Ohio. Former President Barack.