Timeline Description: Michelle Obama is America's 44th first lady, married to President Barack Obama. She is mostly known for her work in encouraging physical activity, healthy eating, and overcoming obesity.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 17, 1964 | Michelle is born Born in Chicago, Illinois, Michelle Obama was born as Michelle LaVaughn Robinson. Her parents were Fraser and Marian Robinson. |
| 1985 | Princeton University Michelle attended and graduated from the prestigious Princeton University. Upon graduation she said in her senior thesis that Princeton had made her more aware of her ‘blackness' than ever before. |
| 1988 | Harvard Law After leaving Princeton, Michelle began study at Harvard Law. She graduated in 1988 and went on to work in marketing and intellectual property law. |
| 1989 | Michelle meets her future husband While working at Sidley Austin, the marketing law firm she'd signed on with after Harvard, Michelle was assigned the training of a summer associate. His name was Barack Obama. |
| 1992 | Michelle and Barack are married After a few years of dating, Michelle and Barack were married. They married at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. |
| 1998 | The birth of a child Several years of marriage produced Michelle and Barack's first daughter, Malia Ann. Michelle would later give birth to their second daughter, Natasha. |
| 2000 | On the campaign trail Michelle's husband Barack went campaigning for the U.S. congressional bid, which he eventually lost. They campaigned for several months, which Mrs. Obama says was not enjoyable. |
| 2002 | A change of occupations After leaving the Sidley Austin law practice in 1991, Michelle went on to work in community affairs in 2002. She worked for the University of Chicago Hospitals. |
| 2004 | Back on the campaign trail Husband Barack continued campaigning and was eventually elected to the office of Illinois state senator. |
| 2008 | Controversy and campaigning Senator Obama went on the campaign trail again, this time running for the presidency of the United States. Michelle Obama faced many attacks during this time, but the Obamas were victorious in the winning of the presidency. |
| 2010 | Let's Move Mrs. Obama's first campaign as first lady was launched in 2010. The Let's Move campaign set out to reduce childhood obesity. |
| 2011 | Mrs. Obama and Nelson Mandela On a trip to South Africa, Mrs. Obama set out to focus on youth leadership, health, and education. She also met the former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. |
| 2013 | The Academy Awards During the 2013 Academy Awards Mrs. Obama became the first First Lady to announce the winner of an Oscar. She announced for the Best Picture, which went to Argo. |
| 2013 | Facing criticism Mrs. Obama continued to face criticism throughout her husband's presidency. She was criticized for not taking a stronger role in women's rights, but her supporters were not swayed as they praised her for taking a stand against obesity. |
| 2014 | A visit to China As her husband's presidency grows closer to its end, Mrs. Obama continues her outreach work. Along with visiting homeless shelters and soup kitchens, the Obama women visited China where they met with Peng Liyuan, wife of the Chinese president. |