Barack Obama is the 44th and current president of the United States.He is the first African-American to serve as U.S. president.

He was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father was a Kenyan activist and mother an American teacher. His name Barack means “blessing from God” and his nickname is Barry.

As a young child, he lived in Indonesia where he had two baby crocodiles, chickens, ducks and a gibbon named Tata as his pets.

He returned to America as he grew. He received a scholarship to Punahou, a prestigious prep school in Hawaii. He graduated in 1979 with honors. Obama was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review in 1990. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1991.

Obama’s law work led him to politics. He ran for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat. He won election in 1996. During these years, Obama worked for improving health care services and early childhood education programs for the poor.

He fought in the Presidential elections in 2008 against John McCain. He won and after becoming President has brought about major policy changes in health care and in issues related to the economic crisis.

Obama is an excellent writer. He has authored three books. As of July 2012, President Barack Obama has written three books: The Audacity of Hope, Of Thee I Sing, and Dreams from My Father which is his autobiography.

Obama once said the three men he admired the most were Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King.

Let us send a big birthday wish for him this year. Happy Birthday Mr. Obama!