The 44th President of the United States forever shook American politics’s legacy as the first Black President. Charismatic and confident, he changed America’s economy and healthcare throughout his eight-year term.
While the former President may be acknowledged for his professional success, there are plenty of fascinating facts about the man behind the position. Here are the 18 most intriguing things about the man who led America.
1. Barack Obama Is Left Handed
Joining eight of America’s 45 presidents, Barack Obama is left-handed. He joins the likes of Harry S. Truman, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush.
2. And the Nobel Peace Prize Goes To Barack Obama
It was 2009, just eight months after Barack Obama was elected President, when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His efforts for international diplomacy were cited as the prime reason.
Obama is the fourth president to have won this award.
3. Barack Obama Lived a Varied Childhood
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, before moving with his mother and stepfather to Indonesia, Barack Obama was sent to Catholic and Muslim schools before moving back to Hawaii to continue school under his grandparents’ care.
“I was raised as an Indonesian child and a Hawaiian child and as a black child and as a white child,” Obama said in interviews, claiming he benefited from the “multiplicity of cultures.”
4. Barack Obama’s Nickname is ‘Barry’
As a high school basketball player, Barack Obama was nicknamed ‘Barry O’ Bomber,’ which later evolved into just ‘Barry.’
According to an old teammate, Darin Mauer, he earned the nickname due to his love of difficult shots, which he often missed.
5. Barack Obama Doesn’t Like One Popular Drink: Coffee
For a seemingly productive man, it may be surprising to learn that Barack Obama doesn’t enjoy coffee.
His personal aide, Reggie Love, said in his book Power Forward: My Presidential Education that the former President didn’t like coffee, preferring to stick with water, orange juice, or green tea instead.
6. Barack Obama Scored a Multi-Year Deal with Netflix
Barack Obama and his wife signed a multi-year deal with the streaming service Netflix in 2018. The deal hints at a collection of docuseries and other films produced by the power couple.
7. Chicago Was Only Home for Barack Obama in Adulthood
Despite referring to the city as home, Barack Obama did not live in Chicago until 1985, when he was in his early twenties.
He relocated there for work, and though he later went to Harvard to study law, he returned promptly to Chicago, where he met his wife-to-be, Michelle.
8. Barack Obama’s Final Approval Rating Was One of the Highest Among US Presidents
After eight years in office, Barack Obama bid the White House farewell. His approval rating upon leaving as documented by Gallup, was 58 percent, placing him fourth overall, alongside other favorable presidents such as Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
9. Neither of Barack Obama’s Parents Lived to See His Inauguration
Though Barack Obama maintained a steady relationship with his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, his relationship with his father ceased at a young age.
By the time he was inaugurated in 2009, Obama’s parents were both sadly long dead.
10. Barack Obama Has Authored Three Autobiographies
Not just a president, Barack Obama has authored three autobiographies so far, all of which hit the New York Times Bestseller List.
His first, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, was published four years before his presidential campaign, while his latter works, The Audacity of Hope and A Promised Land, were published throughout his political career.
11. The First Mixed-Race President
Among his achievements, Barack Obama paved a new direction for mixed-race Americans, becoming the first Black President.
Though many hail him as America’s first African-American President, Obama was born to a White European-American mother and a Kenyan father.
This intriguing heritage brought depth to his view of leadership.
12. Barack Obama Has a Sweet Meaning in His Father’s Language
Barack Obama was named for his father, who was also called Barack Obama (Senior). The name, which is passed down from generation to generation, has a reassuring message in Swahili, one of Kenya’s national languages.
In Swahili, the name Barack (often spelled as Barak or Baraq) means blessing and is of Arabic or Hebrew origin.
13. At 28, Obama Was Assigned a Work Mentor, Who Ended up Being His Wife
Many have memorable stories of meeting a spouse, but Barack Obama’s was a little unexpected.
Returning to Chicago to participate in a summer associate program at a law firm, Obama was assigned a mentor, a full-time employee three years his junior.
Obama recalls being “struck by how tall and beautiful she was,” and after many dates were refused on Michelle’s part, he convinced her to get ice cream with him.
They were married almost four years later.
14. Barack Obama’s Codename Was ‘Renegade’
Like all presidents, Barack Obama had a codename for high-security situations. The Secret Service gave him the letter ‘R,’ and the President chose Renegade.
His family was given names with the same initial, his wife Michelle Obama receiving Renaissance, while his daughters were Radiance and Rosebud.
15. Chili Is Barack Obama’s Preferred Meal to Cook
When asked if her husband was adept in the kitchen, Michelle Obama affirmed that Barack makes a “mean chili,” along with a good stir fry and omelettes.
Chili seems to be a favorite of the former president, who was seen ordering the food on more than one occasion.
16. Barack Obama Was the First Black President of the Harvard Law Review
Barack Obama was praised as the first Black President, but before this, he had pushed the reality elsewhere.
In 1990, during his third and final year at Harvard, Obama was made president of the Harvard Law Review. He was the first Black editor to have ever held the position.
17. Barack Obama Was Responsible for Officially Sanctioning Same-Sex Marriage
In 2015, the social argument on same-sex marriage was in full swing. American states had jurisdiction over the legality of the issue, meaning some states were more welcoming to the homosexual community than others.
In June 2015, President Obama sanctioned same-sex marriage countrywide, removing jurisdiction from individual states and making it legal for the entire country.
18. A Double Grammy Winner, Barack Obama
Like his wife, Barack Obama also holds two Grammy awards for audiobook versions of his memoirs. The first was awarded in 2006, the second in 2008.
Though nominated for his third autobiography in the 2022 Grammy Awards, Obama ultimately lost to Don Cheadle for his audiobook narration of John Lewis’s memoir.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.