July 1, 2010 - 6:00pm
2009
January
- 20 -- Minutes after the administration of the oath of office, President Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, issues an order suspending last-minute federal regulations pushed through by outgoing President George W. Bush, planning to review everything still pending.
- 22 -- Obama signs an executive order announcing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp within a year, and signs a prohibition on using torture and other illegal coercive techniques, such as waterboarding, during interrogations and detentions.
February
- 4 -- Obama announces that companies receiving large amounts of federal bailout money through the Troubled Assets Relief Program must cap top executive pay at $500,000.
- 10 -- Obama travels to Fort Myers to discuss the Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the area's unemployment problems.
- 19 -- Obama makes his first trip abroad as president to Ottawa, Canada.
- 27 -- Obama delivers a speech at Camp Lejeune on his plans for troop withdrawals from Iraq.
March
- 12 -- Obama renews economic sanctions against Iran, first imposed in 1995.
- 27 -- Obama announces a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- 31 -- Barack and Michelle Obama arrive in London for G20 meeting with world leaders.
April
16-17 -- Obama visits Mexico to meet with President Felipe Calderon. Obama states the U.S. is a "full partner" with Mexico in its fight against the Mexican drug cartels.
May
- 17 -- Amid controversy over his visit, in regard to his stance on issues such as abortion and his recent executive order that lifts the ban on stem-cell research, Obama delivers the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame.
- 19 -- Obama announces plans to create new automobile fuel efficiency standards requiring cars, as well as light trucks, to have an average of at least 35.5 mpg by 2016, in an attempt to curb emissions and reduce the United States' contributions to global warming.
- 23 -- Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden is nominated by Obama to be the next NASA administrator, marking the first African-American to be nominated to the position.
- 25 -- Obama continues the longstanding tradition of the U.S. president, sending a wreath to the Confederate Monument at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.
- 26 -- Obama nominates federal judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
June
- 4 -- Obama gives a speech in Cairo, Egypt, as a part of a worldwide attempt to repair the image of America around the world, a promise he made during his campaign for president. During the speech, Obama notably references the Bible, the Torah, the Qur'an, and other Muslim texts.
- 17 -- Administration announces sweeping proposals to rework financial regulation and move the country toward financial stability. Obama also signs a memorandum extending certain benefits to federal employees involved in same-sex partnerships.
- 22 -- Obama signs legislation granting authority over tobacco products to the United States Food and Drug Administration. Obama also announces an $80 billion, 10-year offer by drug manufacturers to close the gap between Medicare prescription drug coverage and comprehensive health care reform.
- 26 -- The president signs the "?Cash-for-Clunkers bill" into law to increase national fuel efficiency, as well as stimulate the automobile industry, after both Chrysler and General Motors had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
July
- 6 -- The president and first lady arrive in Moscow to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, to discuss diplomatic progress in regard to nuclear weapons, as well as the situation in Afghanistan. Obama also speaks at the graduation ceremony of the New Economic School in Moscow.
- 7 -- Obama meets with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in a continuous attempt to restructure the U.S.Russia relationship.
- 30 -- Obama and Vice President Biden hold a "beer summit" at the White House with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates and the arresting officer Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambride Police Department, in order to address the issue of race in America and discuss the arrest of Gates in his Massachusetts home on July 16, 2009.
August
- 4 -- President celebrates his 48th birthday at the White House.
- 29 -- Obama gives the eulogy at the funeral service of Sen. Ted Kennedy.
September
- 9 -- Obama outlines his health-care proposal in a speech to a joint session of Congress, amid controversy in regard to a public option, illegal immigrants' access to health care and "death panels."
- 23 -- Obama gives his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
October
- 2 -- President and the first lady, along with Oprah Winfrey, travel to Copenhagen, Denmark, to give a speech to the International Olympic Committee in a failed attempt to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago.
- 9 -- The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."
- 27 -- Obama speaks and tours the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Arcadia, Fla.
November
- 10 -- Obama gives a eulogy at the Fort Hood ceremony honoring those killed in the shooting rampage on Nov. 5, 2009, by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.
- 13 -- Obama arrives in Tokyo to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, and holds a bilateral meeting.
- 14 -- Obama delivers a major address regarding Asia's relationship with the United States, at Suntory Hall in Minato, Tokyo.
December
- 10 -- Obama accepts the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize at Oslo City Hall in Norway. He also meets with Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, King Harald V and Queen Sonja.
- 24 -- The Obama family arrives in Oahu, Hawaii, for a 10-day holiday vacation.
2010
January
- 5 -- Obama holds a major security meeting in the wake of the attempted attack on Northwest Airlines' Flight 253.
- 14 -- Obama commits $100 million to help Haiti recover from the 2010 earthquake, while calling on former American Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to assist.
- 18 -- Obama participates in community service activities to honor slain civil-rights hero Martin Luther King Jr., while also visiting the American Red Cross headquarters and personally submitting his first Twitter update.
- 19 -- Republican Scott Brown wins the Massachusetts Senate special election in spite of Obama's personal efforts in support of his opponent, Martha Coakley.
- 27 -- Obama delivers his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.
- 28 -- Obama travels to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, where he met with crew helping with the humanitarian response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
February
- 9 -- The Obamas host a concert of civil rights-era music at the White House to celebrate Black History Month.
- 10 -- Obama holds an "urban economy summit" in the Oval Office with African-American leaders including Al Sharpton, Benjamin Jealous, and Marc Morial.
- 18 -- Obama meets with the Dalai Lama in the Map Room at the White House.
- 28 -- Obama travels to Bethesda, Md., for a routine medical examination at the National Naval Medical Center, where he later visits soldiers who were wounded in the Iraq War and the war in Afghanistan.
March
- 1 -- Speaking at the United States Chamber of Commerce, Obama announces that $900 million in grants would be given to under-performing schools in America upon acceptance of a reform model.
- 23 -- The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is signed into law by the president. The Act is the first major health care reform law enacted in U.S. history.
- 28 -- Obama makes an unannounced visit to Afghanistan where he meets with the country's president, Hamid Karzai.
- 30 -- Obama signs the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 into law at a ceremony at the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College. Obama hosts French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, at the White House.
- 31 -- Obama announces that he will approve oil and gas exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Virginia, ending a moratorium on drilling off the East Coast of the United States.
April
- 5 -- The Obamas host thousands of families on the White House lawn for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. President Obama throws the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals season opener against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., marking the 100th year of the presidential tradition.
- 8 -- Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sign the latest Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, a "major" nuclear arms control agreement that reduces the nuclear weapons stockpiles of both countries.
- 12 -- Obama holds bilateral meetings with a number of heads of state -- including a high-profile meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao -- and hosts a working dinner with foreign government delegations as part of the Nuclear Security Summit that he is hosting.
- 15 -- In a major space-policy speech at Kennedy Space Center, Obama outlines his proposal to add $6 billion to NASA's budget over the next five years with funding being used for deep-space exploration rather than lunar exploration.
- 20 -- An explosion rocks the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The BP platform sinks two days later.
May
- 7 -- Obama requests a safety review of offshore drilling activity and orders a moratorium on new permits.
- 10 -- Obama nominates U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court to replace John Paul Stevens.
- 14 -- President orders a top to bottom review of the Minerals Management Service.
- 22 -- Obama signs an executive order establishing the bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, with former Florida Gov. and Sen. Bob Graham and former EPA Administrator William Reilly serving as co-chairs.
- 28 -- Obama visits Gulf states and pledges to stop the leak that has spewed hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil.
June
- 16 -- Administration announces that BP has agreed to contribute $20 billion into an escrow account over a four-year period to cover damages from the Gulf spill.
- 23 -- Administration releases $1.5 billion in "Hardest Hit Fund" foreclosure-prevention funding for Florida and four other states.
- 28 -- Obama announcesa new National Space Policy that calls for more international cooperation and commercial competition.
July
- July 1 -- Sounding like President George W. Bush, Obama calls for immigration "reform," including an amnesty-type program to legalize migrants who entered the country illegally.
- July 6 -- Obama meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also attends.
- July 21 -- Obama signs the Wall Street reform bill considered to be the largest financial system overhaul since the New Deal. The law recognizes complex financial derivatives and protects consumers from unfair practices in loans and credit cards by establishing a new consumer protection agency.
- July 30 -- In Detroit, president speaks to workers at Chrysler auto plant.
August
- Aug. 8 -- Obama's second Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan, is sworn in as an associate justice.
- Aug. 9 -- The New Orleans Saints visit the White House to be honored for their 2009 Super Bowl championship.
- Aug. 14 -- In Panama City, the president thanks Coast Guard workers for their efforts in cleaning up the BP oil spill.
- Aug. 16 -- In Menomonee Falls, Wis., the president visits a clean-energy manufacturing plant.
- Aug. 18 -- In Miami, the president speaks at Democratic fund-raiser at the Fontainebleau Hotel. Among the candidates introduced, Alan Grayson, Ron Klein, Joe Garcia, Dan Gelber, Alex Sink, Kendrick Meek and Scott Maddox would all go on to lose in the general election.
September
- Sept. 1 -- President holds separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and King Abdullah II of Jordan.
- Sept. 3 -- Obama delivers statement on monthly job numbers, which rose to 9.6 percent nationally.
- Sept. 11 -- Obama delivers remarks at the Pentagon Memorial and participates in a service project in Washington, D.C.
- Sept. 13 -- President delivers remarks at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities reception and, later, meets with national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- Sept. 14 -- In Philadelphia, president delivers annual Back to School speech.
- Sept. 22 -- In New York City, Obama speaks to gatherings of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
- Sept. 23 -- President hosts bilateral meeting with China Premier Wen Jiabao and, later, attends luncheon hosted by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
October
- Oct. 7 -- For second time in two months, Obama campaigns in Chicago for Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias, running to fill his old seat.
- Oct. 11 -- Obama headlines a Democratic fund-raiser at the Coral Gables home of former NBA star Alonzo Mourning. Joined by Miami Heat players Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, Obama tells donors that his 2008 election "was only the beginning of the dream."
- Oct. 19 -- Obama signs an executive order for the initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.
- Oct. 31 -- In Cleveland, the president stumps for Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.
November
- Nov. 3 -- Obama holds a news conference in the White House to acknowledge that he and the Democratic Party took a "shellacking" in the midterm elections. Among the losers were candidates he personally campaigned for -- Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and senatorial hopefuls Alexi Giannoulias (Illinois) and Kendrick Meek (Florida).
- Nov. 6 -- The president and first lady begin a 10-day trip to Asia to improve export opportunities.
- Nov. 12 -- Leaving Seoul, South Korea, Obama fails in his efforts to persuade the Group of 20 economic summit to endorse a U.S. push to get China to let its currency rise.
- Nov. 20 -- Responding to rising complaints over "enhanced pat-downs" and full-body screening at airports, the president, in Lisbon, Spain, said, "I understand peoples frustrations, and what Ive said to the TSA is that you have to constantly refine and measure whether what were doing is the only way to assure the American peoples safety. And you also have to think through are there other ways of doing it that are less intrusive."
- Nov. 26 -- Suffering a split lip in a basketball game, Obama receives 12 stitches.
December
- Dec. 7 -- President announces agreement with Republicans to extend Bush tax rates, increase the estate tax and extend jobless benefits. Congressional Democrats express anger and threaten to scuttle deal in lame-duck Congress.
- Dec. 8 -- President applauds House passage of DREAM Act, providing in-state tuition and a path to citizenship to illegal immigrants who arrived in the U.S. before age 17. Republicans plan Senate filibuster.
- Dec. 15 -- Senate passes tax bill and Obama calls on House to do likewise, saying more than 500,000 Floridians depend on $56 billion jobless-benefits extension.
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SOURCES: Wikipedia, Politico, White House Press Office, News Services, Staff Research.
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 559-4719.
