Barack Obama grew up in Hawaii, he had an American mother and a Kenyan father.Obama is well known for being the first Black US President. For his notable Presidential work and strategic decision-making during a very difficult time, Obama was named Time’s Person of the Year 2012.Did you know that for the title of Time Person of the Year, Obama faced stiff competition from Salome Karwah, a trainee nurse from Liberia whose parents died of Ebola?During his first term as President, Obama worked with Congress to improve the economy, pass healthcare reforms and withdraw US troops from Iraq. After winning the re-election in 2012, Obama began his second term focusing on reducing the unemployment rate, managing the policies of the Federal reserve, and securing the legislation on immigration reform and gun control. In foreign policy, during the second term, he worked on the Middle Eastern countries, the Iraq war, and climate change. Obama left the Presidency and the White House at the age of 55 in January 2017. His accomplishments have penned his name in the nation’s history.After reading about the Time Person of the Year 2012, also check interesting facts about Time Person of the Year 2019 and Time Magazine Person of the Year 2006.Cool Things About Barack ObamaOne of the striking things in his overall attire was his haircut. Obama has maintained that haircut throughout the years. His hairline remains robust till now; Obama gets a haircut once a week from the same barber for almost 20 years. The barber is a local from Chicago who gave haircuts to celebrities like Muhammed Ali and Spike Lee.The Obama family love dogs. The first dog that they owned was in fact a promise given by Obama to his daughters. He had promised many things prior to the election and one of his personal promises was to give a dog to his daughters. As soon as he won the election he gifted them a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo.Being a President may lead to ‘decision fatigue’ and in order to save the excess energy Obama made minimal appearance decisions. He always wore black and navy suits and a simple tie and black shoes.It is admirable to see a leader who is active and physically fit. Obama did his best in squeezing out 45 minutes from his packed schedule for physical fitness and exercise routine on a regular basis. Along with his wife, Obama is also an active health promoter. He also likes to play basketball and tennis. Obama is seen fit despite leaving the White house. No wonder he topped the world’s Most Admired list for men in a 2020 YouGov poll and was a Person of the Year in Time magazine.The Lifestyle Of Barack ObamaIn a true sense, Obama settles the debate regarding the most stylish president in the nation’s history. His wardrobe has been featured in Vogue for multiple stories which is rare for presidents and politicians. Obama has had a simple lifestyle throughout his life even before and during his Presidency.He has a family of five with his wife, two daughters, and their dog. On visits to other countries, Obama embraced their warm culture. He was always a busy person and yet fresh. He had a positive smile during on-camera interactions. After leaving the White House, Obama has still managed to stay healthy and look young. He is an outgoing and soft-spoken and humble person, which helps him to win the title Person of the Year by Time Magazine.His work as a President and balance between work and personal life with his family is noteworthy. No doubt he became the time’s person and marked his name in Time magazine.Must Know Secrets About Barack ObamaLeft-handed people have remarkable achievements and Obama was one of them. In fact, Obama was the eighth US President in history to be left-handed. He was also fluent in Spanish. Also, Obama is one of the tallest US Presidents with a height of 6’1”.As a teenager, he worked at Baskin-Robbins but is not an ice cream lover. His favorite snack item is chocolate peanut protein bars. He can bench press an impressive 200 lb (90 kg) which shows his interest in fitness.Obama promised his wife to quit smoking before moving to Washington but could not quit. In 2010 after winning the elections he quit smoking.Obama learned law at Harvard Law School and has taught constitutional law to students at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992-2004.President Barack Obama received a Nobel Peace prize in October 2009 for his ‘extraordinary efforts’ in re-establishing diplomatic relations and foreign policy.Barack Obama And His Journey As A 2012 Person Of The YearDuring his tenure, he has taken many new strategies as well as cultural decisions. One of them was embracing gay marriage. Before the 2009 election, Obama spoke about climate change and the gravity of environmental issues.After winning the Presidential Election he promised to deal with climate change and therefore pumped billions into the renewable energy sector and improved energy efficiency.He offered work permits to many immigrants who were undocumented and had a difficult time. The different segments of the population like minorities, Hispanics, young people, and college-educated women who were fast-growing groups were termed as not only the future but the present. Therefore, he tackled issues of high unemployment.Obama believed that they were amidst a historical, cultural, and demographic change. Obama is a visionary leader and therefore both a symbol and architect of the new America. Within a few years of his Presidency, he is universally visible and known for his contribution. He stated that America is a more diverse and tolerant country that embraces other cultures and respects people. This is one of the strengths of the American people.Obama turned weakness into opportunity, forging a new majority and creating a more perfect union; he is Time’s 2012 Person of the Year.Obama is the first Democrat President since Franklin D. Roosevelt in the historic culture to win more than 50% of the popular vote in two consecutive elections, and the first president since 1940 to win the re-election with an unemployment rate of more than 7.5%. ‘President Barack Obama is Time’s 2012 Magazine’s Person of the Year for finding and building a new majority, for turning weakness into opportunity, and for attempting, amid immense struggle, to establish a more perfect union,’ the publication’s editors stated in explaining their pick for the annual honor of the man of the year along with his supporters such as pope Francis, Jerry Brown. Obama appeared on the cover of Time for the second time as the time’s Person of the Year (Time’s magazine’s person of the year). Only five other presidents have been able to do that before.He was named person for the Time’s cover of the year in 2008, and he is only the 13th individual in the publication’s 85-year history of naming ‘person of the year’ to be named the year’s most significant newsmaker more than once. ‘We are witnessing major historic cultural and demographic shifts, and Barack Obama serves as both the symbol and the architect of this new America.’He’s not only a politician; he’s also a cultural phenomenon ‘who made history by becoming the first president to support homosexual marriage and provide work permits to many young undocumented immigrants. Obama’s second term will be tested by deadlocked fiscal cliff talks, years of high unemployment, and political and economic instability in Syria, Egypt, and Europe. ‘Obama is the 21st-century version of this new American,’ Time remarked, as America experiences enormous cultural and demographic shifts, as evidenced by the anonymous voter turnout in the November Presidential elections (meaning the voters remain anonymous in the president-elect).‘If his victory in 2008 was remarkable, then 2012 is proof that demographic transformation is here to stay,’ Time magazine wrote. According to Time magazine, Obama’s ‘opportunity to depart the oval office as a great President who was able to handle crises and form a new majority coalition remains within grasp’ after four of the country’s most difficult years. Obama, who was interviewed for the cover story by the journal, said of his re-election, ‘It was tempting to believe that 2008 was an outlier. And I believe that 2012 demonstrated that this is not an anomaly. We’ve had a very difficult time with more unrest. The pace of change has irritated the American people, and the economy continues to struggle, and the President we chose is flawed. Despite all of this, we want to be this person. It’s a nice thing, too.‘‘Barack Obama is Time’s 2012 Magazine’s Person of the Year for finding and building a new majority, for turning weakness into opportunity, and for attempting, amid great adversity, to establish a more perfect union,’ the publication’s editors stated in explaining their pick for the annual honor. ‘The Obama effect was no longer fleeting, no longer reducible to what had once been ridiculed as ’that hopey changey stuff… history would not record Obama’s presidency as a fluke,’ the report continued. Fabiola Gianotti, a CERN chief scientist, was also a named person to Time’s yearly list of ‘science’s greatest achievements,’ which included the Higgs Boson experiment. As he begins his second term in the White House, Obama faces a great adversity of ‘crushing problems,’ according to Time.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Time Magazine Person of the Year 2012 then why not take a look at Person of the Year 2013, or 2009 Time Person of the Year.
Barack Obama grew up in Hawaii, he had an American mother and a Kenyan father.
