Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama
Official portrait of Michelle Obama in the Green Room of the White House
Official portrait, 2013
First Lady of the United States
In role
January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byLaura Bush
Succeeded byMelania Trump
Personal details
Born
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson

(1964-01-17) January 17, 1964 (age 60)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
(m. 1992)
Children
Parents
Relatives
Education
Signature

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama[1] (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to former president Barack Obama.

Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Obama is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. In her early legal career, she worked at the law firm Sidley Austin where she met her future husband. She subsequently worked in nonprofits and as the associate dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago. Later she served as vice president for Community and External Affairs of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Michelle married Barack in 1992 and they have two daughters.

Obama campaigned for her husband's presidential bid throughout 2007 and 2008, delivering a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She has subsequently delivered speeches at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 conventions. As first lady, Obama served as a role model for women and worked as an advocate for poverty awareness, education, nutrition, physical activity, and healthy eating. She supported American designers and was considered a fashion icon.[2][3] Obama was the first African-American woman to serve as first lady.

After her husband's presidency, Obama's influence has remained high. In 2020, she topped Gallup's poll of the most admired woman in America for the third year running.[4]

  1. ^ "First Lady Michelle Obama". whitehouse.gov. December 23, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Donahue, Wendy (November 12, 2008). "Michelle Obama emerges as an American fashion icon". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  3. ^ Bellantoni, Christina (April 10, 2009). "Michelle Obama settling in as a role model". The Washington Times. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  4. ^ "Trump, Michelle Obama top Gallup's 2020 most admired lists". WTHI News. December 30, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2021.