Image via Complex Original
On January 20th, Barack Obama will officially begin his second term as President of the United States. Over the past four years as one of the most visible Presidents in history, we have witnessed nearly every day of the President's life in office. Thanks to the efforts of Pete Souza (Chief Official White House photographer for President Barack Obama and Director of the White House Photography Office) and others, we have been able to share the laughs and tears and gain a personal relationship with Barack and the entire First family.
To recap some of those moments and prepare for four more years, we bring you The 25 Most Iconic Photographs From Obama's First Term.
RELATED: 9 Things That President Obama's Children Get That Your Kid Needs Too
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Election Night 2008
Election Night 2008
Date: November 4, 2008
The Obama family waves to the crowd of supporters in Chicago on the night that Barack Obama won the Presidential election. Nielsen surveys have found this to be one of the most memorable television moments of the last 50 years.
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Reflection
Reflection
Date: January 20, 2009
This photo was taken backstage at the U.S Capitol as Barack Obama checked his appearance moments before being sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.
Day One
Day One
Date: January 21, 2009
President Obama enters the Oval Office for his first full day on the job.
Running with Bo
Running with Bo
Date: March 15, 2009
When the First family announced that they were looking to add a hypoallergenic dog to the White House, it became a national event. This photo was taken on Bo Obama's first visit with the family. They loved him and the puppy returned as a part of the family that April.
Jump Shot
Jump Shot
Date: October 8, 2009
President Obama is a huge fan of the sport of basketball, both as a fan and amateur player. He spends some of his down time on the court with his staffers and visiting friends. Here he is in the heat of the game, showing off his mean jumper.
Fist Bump
Fist Bump
Date: December 3, 2009
The fist bump has become a sort of trademark for Barack Obama, starting with the one he gave his wife upon winning the Democratic nomination, which was controversially parodied on the cover of The New Yorker. In this photo, he fist bumps a White House custodian in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The photo was used online during the 2012 election as a stark contrast to a photo of Republican candidate Mitt Romney sitting on a runway next to a plane and receiving a "shoe shine," which has since been clarified to be a security check.
Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
Date: December 10, 2009
Obama admires his Nobel Peace Prize for the first time, awarded to him for "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples." WIth this honor he joined the short list of Nobel Prize winning Presidents (Roosevelt, Wilson, and Carter).
Bush and Clinton
Bush and Clinton
Date: January 16, 2010
President Obama called on the two former presidents to discuss the problems in Haiti. The three men were able to put their politics aside to help with disaster relief.
Meeting with the Dalai Lama
Meeting with the Dalai Lama
Date: February 18, 2010
The President sits down with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Map Room for a closed-door discussion about Tibetan and Chinese relations, non-violence, and U.S involvement in foreign issues.
Health Care Reform Bill
Health Care Reform Bill
Date: March 21, 2010
The President and his senior staff react as the House passes the Health Care Reform Bill, a bill that Time magazine called the "most sweeping piece of social legislation since the 1960s Great Society initiatives that saw the passage of Medicare and Medicaid."
Tipping the Scale
Tipping the Scale
Date: August 9, 2010
This photo shows the sense of humor that President Obama is known for when he isn't giving press conferences, as he adds weight to the scale that White House Trip Director Marvin Nicholson is using in the University of Texas locker room.
Leaders
Leaders
Date: July 20, 2010
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron walk side by side across the South Lawn of the White House.
Moment of Silence
Moment of Silence
Date: January 10, 2011
A moment of silence was held to honor the victims of the Tuscan, Arizona shooting that killed 6 and injured 14 others, including U.S Representative Gabrielle Giffords
Situation Room: Osama bin Laden Strike
Situation Room: Osama bin Laden Strike
Date: May 1, 2011
The President, VP Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and members of the national security team receive updates in the Situation Room on the Osama bin Laden strike. The photo is iconic for being an unusual glimpse behind the curtain of secret government meetings and for representing one of the biggest events in history.
Osama bin Laden is Dead
Osama bin Laden is Dead
Date: May 1, 2011
This photo is iconic because it was taken after the televised statement from the President that "the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Quaeda." He's pictured walking down the Cross Hall in the East Room of the White House.
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
Date: October 14, 2011
The President visits the newly erected monument in Washington for MLK Jr., a man who without question made it possible for him as a Black man to now hold the highest position in the United States government. While the President is mostly in shadow, his profile can be seen in the foreground mirroring (symbolically and literally) that of the late doctor.
The Obama Family 2011 Christmas Photo
The Obama Family 2011 Holiday Photo
Date: December 11, 2011
First Lady Michelle Obama, eldest daughter Malia Obama, President Barack Obama, and younger daughter Sasha Obama pose happily for their annual holiday photograph.
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Date: April 18, 2012
"We were doing an event at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Before speaking, the President was looking at some of the automobiles and exhibits adjacent to the event, and before I knew what was happening, he walked onto the famed Rosa Parks bus. He sat in one of the seats, looking out the window for only a few seconds." —White House Photographer Pete Souza
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Date: June 13, 2012
The First Couple wave goodbye to President Shimon Peres of Israel after bestowing upon him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
Around the Oval Office
Around the Oval Office
Date: July 9, 2012
Obama plays in the Oval Office with the daughter of the Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics. Despite criticism, the President always tries to make time in his busy schedule to interact with children to make them feel special.
This Seat's Taken
This Seat's Taken
Date: July 26, 2012
A simple, yet very meaningful photo of the Head of State in his chair during a Cabinet meeting. The photo was tweeted from Obama's twitter account (without his B.O signature) with the caption "This seat's taken" in response to Clint Eastwood's empty chair speech during the Republican National Convention.
Embrace
Embrace
Date: November 6, 2012
Taken by campaign photographer Scout Tufankjian and posted to social media sites Twitter and Facebook in November with the caption "Four more years," this photo has since become the most retweeted (819k and counting) and liked (4.4 million plus) photo of all time.
Burma Pagodas
Burma Pagodas
Date: November 19, 2012
President Barack Obama stands in front of the oldest pagoda in the world located in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, a country that no other President has been able to visit.
Sandy Hook Address
Sandy Hook Address
Date: December 14, 2012
President Obama wipes away a tear during his address following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. Obama spoke not only as a President, but as a parent and human being, and this photo captures him in a rare moment without that executive hat. President Obama has said publicly that December 14th was the "worst day of his Presidency."
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Person of the Year
Person of the Year
Date: December 19, 2012
President Obama was named "Person of the Year" by Time magazine twice during his first term as President of the United States, once after the election in 2008 and again in 2012.
