Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States, serving two terms from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American to hold the presidency. Before his election, Obama represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate and served in the Illinois State Senate. His presidency was marked by the Affordable Care Act, economic recovery efforts following the 2008 financial crisis, and foreign policy initiatives including the killing of Osama bin Laden.