Barack Obama's early life and education laid the foundation for his future in politics and public service.
Birth
August 4, 1961
Barack Hussein Obama II was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Ann Dunham and Barack Obama Sr.
Early Education in Indonesia
1966–1971
Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he lived with his mother and stepfather, Lolo Soetoro.
Return to Hawaii and High School
1971–1979
Obama returned to Hawaii to live with his grandparents and attended Punahou School, graduating in 1979.
College Years
1979–1983
Obama attended Occidental College in Los Angeles before transferring to Columbia University in New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.
Law School
1988–1991
Obama attended Harvard Law School, where he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review.
