Barack Hussein Obama II 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. Obama represented Illinois in the United States Senate from 2005 to 2008 and served as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004. Born: August 4, 1961 In office: January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017 Wiki link