Timeline Of The Barack Obama Presidency (2010)
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The following is a timeline of the
presidency of Barack Obama Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican n ...
, from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. For his time as president-elect, see the presidential transition of Barack Obama; for a detailed account of his first months in office, see first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency; for a complete itinerary of his travels, see list of presidential trips made by Barack Obama.


January

* January 5 – President Obama holds a major security meeting in the wake of the attempted attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253. * January 7 – President Obama meets with former President Bill Clinton at the White House. * January 13 – President Obama holds a press conference discussing the operations of US government organizations such as USAID and the Department of Defense in response to the
2010 Haiti earthquake A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...
. * January 14 – President Obama commits US$100,000,000 to help Haiti recover from the 2010 earthquake, while calling on former American Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to assist. * January 16 – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and USAID Director Rajiv Shah travel to Haiti. * January 17 – President Obama travels to Boston, Massachusetts to campaign for
Martha Coakley Martha Mary Coakley (born July 14, 1953) is an American lobbyist and lawyer who served as Attorney General of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. Prior to serving as Attorney General, she was District Attorney of Middlesex County from 1999 to 2007 ...
in the Senate special election. * January 18 – President Obama participates in community service activities to honor slain civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr., while also visiting the
American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
headquarters and personally submitting his first Twitter update. * January 21 – President Obama announces the " Volcker rule" and a host of other proposals for new banking regulation. * January 22 – President Obama travels to Elyria, Ohio, visiting the Lorain County Community College and emphasizing his political agenda. * January 25 – President Obama hosts the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
at the White House for winning the
2009 NBA Finals The 2009 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2008–09 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (who were also the defending ...
. * January 27 – President Obama delivers his annual State of the Union Address before a joint session of Congress. * January 28 – President Obama travels to MacDill Air Force Base in
Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
, Florida, where he met with crew helping with the humanitarian response to the
2010 Haiti earthquake A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...
, before holding a
town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
meeting at the University of Tampa. * January 30 – Former President
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
makes a social call on President Obama at the White House.


February

* February 1 – President Obama announces his proposal for the fiscal year 2011 federal budget. President Obama answers questions submitted by the public in a live session moderated by Steve Grove of YouTube; the session is broadcast from the White House and on YouTube's CitizenTube channel. * February 2 – President Obama travels to
Nashua, New Hampshire Nashua is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. Along with Manc ...
, touring small businesses before giving a speech at Nashua North High School. * February 3 – President Obama hosts a meeting of Governors in the
State Dining Room The State Dining Room is the larger of two dining rooms on the State Floor of the Executive Residence of the White House, the home of the president of the United States in Washington, D.C. It is used for receptions, luncheons, larger formal dinne ...
. Afterwards, the President holds a Cabinet-level exercise in crisis-management in preparation for the
2010 Vancouver Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
. * February 6 – President Obama speaks at a gathering of the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well a ...
's Winter Meeting at the Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C. The President's
motorcade A motorcade, or autocade, is a procession of vehicles. Etymology The term ''motorcade'' was coined by Lyle Abbot (in 1912 or 1913 when he was automobile editor of the ''Arizona Republican''), and is formed after ''cavalcade'', playing off of ...
encounters trouble due to the blizzard that affected the region when a snow-laden tree branch fell on a vehicle carrying journalists as it returned to the White House; no one was injured. * February 9 – The Obamas host a concert of music from the era of the Civil Rights Movement at the White House to celebrate Black History Month. The concert marks the beginning of the 2010 White House music series. * February 10 – President Obama holds an "
urban economy Urban economics is broadly the economic study of urban areas; as such, it involves using the tools of economics to analyze urban issues such as crime, education, public transit, housing, and local government finance. More specifically, it is a bra ...
summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
" in the
Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval-shaped room ...
with African-American leaders including Al Sharpton, Benjamin Jealous, and Marc Morial. * February 11 – President Obama meets with senior representatives from the
March of Dimes March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to comba ...
charity, discussing the effects of preterm birth. * February 16 – President Obama announces $8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees to help Southern Company build two new
nuclear reactors A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion. Heat from nu ...
in Burke County, Georgia. President Obama also nominates career diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Algeria Robert Ford to be the first United States Ambassador to Syria since 2005. * February 18 – President Obama meets with the Dalai Lama in the Map Room at the White House. * February 25 – President Obama delivers opening remarks at his bipartisan health care summit at Blair House. President Obama awards the
National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...
and the National Humanities Medal to twenty recipients in a ceremony in the
East Room The East Room is an event and reception room in the Executive Residence, which is a building of the White House complex, the home of the president of the United States. The East Room is the largest room in the Executive Residence; it is used for ...
of the White House. * February 27 – The White House announces the naming of Julianna Smoot as Deputy Assistant to the President and Social Secretary; Smoot replaces Desirée Rogers. * February 28 – President Obama travels to Bethesda, Maryland, 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

* March 1 – Speaking at the United States Chamber of Commerce, President Obama announces that $900 million in grants would be given to under-performing schools in America upon acceptance of a reform model. * March 2 – Promoting his energy-related jobs proposals, President Obama addresses the faculty and students at the
Savannah Technical College Savannah Technical College (Savannah Tech) is a public community college in Savannah, Georgia, with additional satellite campuses in the Savannah-Hinesville-Statesboro Combined Statistical Area. Academics Savannah Technical College is accredite ...
in
Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
, Georgia. * March 5 – President Obama travels to Arlington, Virginia, discussing his Administration's policy and the economic situation at the headquarters of OPOWER, a corporation producing
efficient energy use Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the process of reducing the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a building allows it to use less heating and cooling energy to ...
technology. * March 8 – President Obama discusses health care reform at Arcadia University in Glenside. * March 10 – President Obama travels to St. Louis, Missouri, where he discusses his plans for health care reform. * March 13 – While in Atlanta, Georgia, President Obama details his plans for the overhaul of the American education system. * March 19 – President Obama speaks at
George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...
in Fairfax, Virginia, discussing his plans for major health care reform. * March 20 – President Obama confers with the Democratic Caucus of the United States House of Representatives, urging members to vote in favor of administration health care reform proposals. * March 23 – The
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...
is signed into law by the President. It is the first major health care reform law enacted in the history of the United States. * March 25 – President Obama speaks at the University of Iowa in
Iowa City Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...
, Iowa, where he defends the newly signed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. * March 28 – President Obama makes an unannounced visit to Afghanistan where he meets with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. * March 30 – President 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. President Obama hosts French President
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...
and his wife,
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
, at the White House. * March 31 – Speaking at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility, President Obama announces that he will approve
oil and gas exploration Hydrocarbon exploration (or oil and gas exploration) is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for deposits of hydrocarbons, particularly petroleum and natural gas, in the Earth using petroleum geology. Exploration methods Vis ...
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 The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...
.


April

* April 1 – President Obama holds an hour-long phone conversation with Chinese President
Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese politician who served as the 16–17th general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the 6th president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2003 to 2013, an ...
, delaying
Air Force One Air Force One is the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. In common parlance, the term is used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modified and used ...
on the
tarmac Tarmac may refer to: Engineered surfaces * Tarmacadam, a mainly historical tar-based material for macadamising road surfaces, patented in 1902 * Asphalt concrete, a macadamising material using asphalt instead of tar which has largely superseded ta ...
at
Andrews Air Force Base Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint B ...
for ten minutes after landing. * April 4 – The Obama family celebrates Easter at Allen Chapel
African Methodist Episcopal The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexional polity. The African Methodist Episcopal ...
Church in Southeast, Washington, D.C., drawing attention to an area with high crime and unemployment rates. * April 5 – The Obamas host thousands of families on the
White House lawn White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
for the annual White House
Easter Egg Roll Egg rolling, or an Easter egg roll is a traditional game played with eggs at Easter. Different nations have different versions of the game, usually played with hard-boiled, decorated eggs. History In Christianity, for the celebration of Easterti ...
. President Obama throws the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals season opener against the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., marking the 100th year of the presidential tradition. * April 8 – President Obama and Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev ( rus, links=no, Дмитрий Анатольевич Медведев, p=ˈdmʲitrʲɪj ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪdˈvʲedʲɪf; born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician who has been serving as the dep ...
sign the latest Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), a "major"
nuclear arms control A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
agreement that reduces the nuclear weapons stockpiles of both countries. * April 9 – President Obama and Czech President Václav Klaus hold a meeting at Prague Castle. * April 10 – President Obama calls Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to express his condolences following the death of Polish President Lech Kaczyński and others in a plane crash. * April 11 – President Obama holds talks at Blair House with heads of state from India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and South Africa on the eve of the
Nuclear Security Summit The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) is a world summit, aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism around the globe. The first summit was held in Washington, D.C., United States, on April 12–13, 2010. The second summit was held in Seoul, South Korea, i ...
that the President is hosting in Washington, D.C. * April 12 – President Obama holds bilateral meetings with a number of heads of state—including a high-profile meeting with Chinese President
Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese politician who served as the 16–17th general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the 6th president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2003 to 2013, an ...
—and hosts a working dinner with foreign government delegations as part of the Nuclear Security Summit that he is hosting. * April 13 – President Obama participates in the second and final day of the
Nuclear Security Summit The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) is a world summit, aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism around the globe. The first summit was held in Washington, D.C., United States, on April 12–13, 2010. The second summit was held in Seoul, South Korea, i ...
in Washington, D.C., proclaiming at the conclusion of the gathering that "real progress" was made toward the goal of securing nuclear material worldwide. * April 15 – In a major space policy speech at Kennedy Space Center, President 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 The physical exploration of the Moon began when ''Luna 2'', a space probe launched by the Soviet Union, made an impact on the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Prior to that the only available means of exploration had been observation ...
. In a memorandum to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama orders the Department of Health and Human Services to write rules that would prohibit hospitals that receive funding from Medicare or Medicaid from denying visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. * April 17 – Due to air travel disruption across Europe after the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, the White House cancels plans for President Obama to attend the funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczyński. * April 22 – Speaking at
Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) is a private college at Cooper Square in New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in ...
in
Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...
, President Obama urges CEOs to back his financial reform proposal and to support regulatory legislation. * April 23 – President Obama speaks at a
naturalization Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
ceremony for active-duty members of the U.S. military forces in the Rose Garden, strongly criticizing the newly passed Arizona SB1070 measure against
illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
, and calling for federal immigration reform. * April 23–25 – President and Mrs. Obama are in
Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...
for a weekend vacation. * April 25 – President Obama meets briefly with Billy Graham at Graham's home in Montreat, North Carolina. President Obama and Vice President Biden travel to
Beckley, West Virginia Beckley is a city in and the county seat of Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. It was founded on April 4, 1838. This city is the home of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology or West Virginia University, Beckley Campus. ...
, where they meet with family members of miners killed in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster; President Obama delivers a eulogy at a service for the 29 miners who died in the mine explosion. * April 26 – President Obama welcomes the World Series Champion New York Yankees to the White House to honor their 2009 season. The President also speaks at the
Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship In his " A New Beginning" speech on June 4, 2009, at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, President of the United States Barack Obama announced, "I will host a Summit on Entrepreneurship this year to identify how we can deepen ties between business ...
at the Ronald Reagan Building. * April 27 – President Obama travels to Iowa and tours the Siemens Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing Plant in Fort Madison, Iowa. There the President delivers remarks on how to grow the economy and put Americans back to work. The President also visits a local business in
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa Mount Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Iowa. The population was 9,274 in the 2020 census, an increase from 8,668 in the 2010 census. It was founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders. History The first permanent s ...
and holds a town hall meeting in Indian Hills Community College,
Ottumwa, Iowa Ottumwa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,529 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. Located in the state's southeastern section, the city is split into northern and southern halves b ...
, spending the night in
Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
* April 28 – President Obama tours a POET Biorefining plant in Macon, Missouri and delivers remarks on rebuilding the economy. The President then tours a local farm and visits with the family that operates the farm in Palmyra, Missouri. Later that afternoon the President delivers remarks on the urgent need to pass Wall Street reform at the Oakley-Lindsay Civic Center in
Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...
. * April 29 – President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the
First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
attend Dorothy Height's funeral at the National Cathedral. President Obama honors the 2010 National Teacher of the Year and the state teachers of the year from across the country at an event in the Rose Garden. Jill Biden and Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan Arne Starkey Duncan (born November 6, 1964) is an American educator who served as United States Secretary of Education from 2009 to 2015 and as Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools from 2001 to 2008. A lifelong resident of Chicago, Du ...
join him for the event. The President also attends a private DNC fundraising diner in Washington, D.C. * April 30 – From the Rose Garden President Obama makes a statement on the first quarter 2010 GDP numbers. The President is joined by representatives and workers from two U.S. manufacturers, Itron, a Washington state based manufacturer of smart energy meters, and A123 Systems, a Massachusetts-based advanced battery manufacturer, that are expanding production and hiring as a result of the Recovery Act. The President also travels to the
James J. Rowley Training Center The James J. Rowley Training Center (JJRTC, RTC, or Secret Service Training Academy) is the law enforcement training center operated by the United States Secret Service just outside Washington, D.C. in Laurel, Maryland. It is named after forme ...
in Beltsville, Maryland and observes the Secret Service's training procedures and demonstration activities.


May

* May 1 – President Obama delivers the commencement address at the University of Michigan in
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...
. That evening the President and First Lady attend the
White House Correspondents' Association Dinner The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor t ...
, where he delivers remarks. * May 2 – President Obama is in Venice, Louisiana where he remarks on the Times Square Car Bombing Attempt and the BP Oil-Spill. * May 3 – President Obama speaks at the
Commander-in-Chief's Trophy The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to each season's winner of the American college football series among the teams of the U.S. Military Academy ( Army Black Knights), the U.S. Naval Academy ( Navy Midshipmen), and the U.S. Air Force ...
Presentation with the Naval Academy in the Rose Garden. The President also hosts a dinner for the Business Council in the
State Dining Room The State Dining Room is the larger of two dining rooms on the State Floor of the Executive Residence of the White House, the home of the president of the United States in Washington, D.C. It is used for receptions, luncheons, larger formal dinne ...
. * May 4 – President Obama addresses the annual meeting of the Business Council at the
Park Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacat ...
. The President remarks about the administration's ongoing efforts to spur job creation and the important role the business community plays in efforts to rebuild the economy. The President discusses the urgent need to pass Wall Street reform and address core principles of reform that will protect consumers and put in place clear rules of the road to help prevent another crisis. The President also meets with
Elie Wiesel Elie Wiesel (, born Eliezer Wiesel ''Eliezer Vizel''; September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Peace Prize, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored Elie Wiesel b ...
in the private dining room at the White House. * May 5 – President Obama meets with Senator Kyl and Senator Hatch in the Oval Office. The President signs the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, which will improve health care services for veterans and expand caregiver benefits and training. The President also delivers remarks at a Cinco de Mayo reception in the Rose Garden. * May 6 – President Obama meets with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan behind closed doors in the
Situation Room The Situation Room, officially known as the John F. Kennedy Conference Room, is a conference room and intelligence management center in the basement of the West Wing of the White House. It is run by the National Security Council staff for the ...
. * May 9 – President Obama delivers the commencement address at
Hampton University Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...
in Hampton, Virginia. * May 10 – Due to the impending retirement of Justice
John Paul Stevens John Paul Stevens (April 20, 1920 – July 16, 2019) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1975 to 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the second-oldes ...
, President Obama nominates
Elena Kagan Elena Kagan ( ; born April 28, 1960) is an American lawyer who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 10, 2010, and has served since August 7, 2010. Kagan ...
to the Supreme Court. * May 12 – President Obama attends a bilateral meeting and joint press conference with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. * May 17 – President Obama signs the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act in the Oval Office. The President then welcomes the NCAA Champion University of Connecticut women's basketball team. * May 22 – President Obama delivers the commencement address at the United States Military Academy at West Point in West Point, New York. * May 24 – The President meets with Prime Minister Saad Hariri of Lebanon at the White House. * May 25 – The President meets with President
Giorgio Napolitano Giorgio Napolitano (; born 29 June 1925) is an Italian politician who served as president of Italy from 2006 to 2015, the first Italian president to be re-elected to the presidency. Due to his dominant position in Italian politics, some critics ...
of Italy at the White House. * May 27 – President Obama holds a news conference in the East Room to answer questions about the BP ''Deepwater Horizon'' Gulf of Mexico oil spill.


June

* June 1 – President Obama meets with President Alan García of Peru. * June 2 – The president and First Lady host a concert honoring Sir Paul McCartney. * June 3 – President Obama delivers remarks to the United States-India Strategic Dialogue at a reception held by Secretary of State Clinton. * June 4 – The president participates in a meeting with Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen and Louisiana local elected officials at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana. * June 9 – The president meets with President
Mahmoud Abbas Mahmoud Abbas ( ar, مَحْمُود عَبَّاس, Maḥmūd ʿAbbās; born 15 November 1935), also known by the kunya Abu Mazen ( ar, أَبُو مَازِن, links=no, ), is the president of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian Natio ...
of the
Palestinian Authority The Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA; ar, السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية '), commonly known as the Palestinian Authority and officially the State of Palestine,
. * June 10 – The President meets with family members of casualties due to the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion. * June 14 – President Obama travels to the Gulf Coast to evaluate efforts to cap the BP oil spill. * June 15 – Speaking from the Oval Office, the President addresses the nation about the BP oil spill. * June 25 – The President travels to Muskoka, Canada for the G8 Summit and participates in various sessions and meetings. * June 26 – The president participates in the G8 Working session in Muskoka and then travels to Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the G20 Summit. The President holds separate bilateral meetings with Prime Minister
David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
of the United Kingdom, President
Lee Myung-bak Lee Myung-bak (; ; ; born 19 December 1941) is a South Korean businessman and politician who served as the 10th president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, and the ma ...
of South Korea, President
Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese politician who served as the 16–17th general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the 6th president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2003 to 2013, an ...
of China and attends the G20 Working Dinner. * June 27 – The president has a morning meeting with President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to by his initials SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party ...
of Indonesia and then attends the G20 Leaders Working Sessions and various plenary sessions. In the late afternoon he meets with Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indir ...
of India. In the evening Obama meets with Prime Minister Naoto Kan of Japan.


July

* July 2 – President Obama and Vice President Biden speak at a memorial service for Senator
Robert C. Byrd Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.; November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was an American politician and musician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia for over 51 years, from 1959 until his death in 2010. A ...
. * July 4 – The First Family holds an
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
celebration on the South Lawn of the White House. In attendance are military heroes and their families along with administrative staff and their families. * July 6 – In the fifth meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both agree to encourage direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. * July 8 – President Obama travels to
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
and visits Smith Electric Vehicles plant which received a $32 million Recovery Act Grant to build all-electric trucks. * July 12 – The President hosts President Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Republic for a working meeting at the White House. * July 13 - President Obama released the ''National HIV/AIDS Strategy'', the nation's first comprehensive plan to address the HIV epidemic in the United States and coordinate efforts across the federal government. * July 15 – The President travels to Holland, Michigan and delivers remarks at a groundbreaking ceremony for Compact Power battery plant. * July 21 – President Obama signs the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, considered to be the largest financial system overhaul since the
New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
. The law recognizes complex financial
derivatives The derivative of a function is the rate of change of the function's output relative to its input value. Derivative may also refer to: In mathematics and economics * Brzozowski derivative in the theory of formal languages * Formal derivative, an ...
and protects consumers from unfair practices in loans and credit cards by establishing a new consumer protection agency. * July 28 – President Obama travels to Edison, New Jersey and delivers remarks about the Small Business Jobs Initiative. * July 30 – President Obama travels to the Detroit, Michigan area to promote the government bailout of the auto industry. The President speaks to workers at the Detroit
Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
plant and workers at the General Motors' Hamtramck auto assembly plant in Hamtramck, Michigan


August

* August 3 – President Obama delivers remarks at
George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...
to mark the implementation of the Post-911 GI bill. In the afternoon the President meets with the Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah * August 8 – President Obama's nominee,
Elena Kagan Elena Kagan ( ; born April 28, 1960) is an American lawyer who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 10, 2010, and has served since August 7, 2010. Kagan ...
, is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. * August 9 – The New Orleans Saints football team visit the White House to be honored for their 2009
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
Championship. * August 10 – The President receives the credentials of Foreign Ambassadors and marks the beginning of their service in Washington, D.C. * August 11 – After a morning meeting with his national security team on the subject of Iraq, the President delivers remarks and signs the Manufacturing Enhancement Act. * August 13 – President Obama supports an Islamic center near New York's ground zero in a speech at a White House Iftar dinner celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. * August 31 – New design of the Oval Office is presented to the press. The President announces an end to the combat mission in Iraq with a speech given from the Oval Office.


September

* September 14 – The President delivers his second annual Back-to-School speech. * September 18 – President Obama delivers remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation annual Phoenix Award Dinner. * September 20 – The President awards Chief Master Sergeant
Richard Etchberger Richard Loy Etchberger (March 5, 1933 – March 11, 1968) was a senior non-commissioned officer in the United States Air Force who posthumously received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during th ...
, U.S. Air Force, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry during the Vietnam War. * September 23 – The President travels to New York City and addresses the United Nations General Assembly. The President also has bilateral meetings with Premier
Wen Jiabao Wen Jiabao (born 15 September 1942) is a retired Chinese politician who served as the Premier of the State Council from 2003 to 2013. In his capacity as head of government, Wen was regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy ...
of China, Prime Minister Naoto Kan of Japan, President
Ilham Aliyev Ilham Heydar oghlu Aliyev ( az, İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev, ; born 24 December 1961) is the fourth president of Azerbaijan, serving in the post since 31 October 2003. The son and second child of the former Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev, ...
of Azerbaijan, President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia, and President Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan. * September 27 – The President signs the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 into law.


October

* October 4 – President Obama meets with the Economic Recovery Advisory Board. * October 5 – Along with Jill Biden, the President conducts the first ever White House Summit of Community Colleges. President Obama signs " Rosa's Law" (S.2781) which changes references in many Federal Statutes that refer to mental retardation to refer, instead to, "intellectual disability". * October 6 – The President awards Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller, U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry in Afghanistan. * October 8 – President Obama signs the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010. * October 15 – President Obama meets with former Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Uni ...
. * October 19 – President Obama signs a White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans in the East Room. * October 22 – President Obama traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he hosted a rally which was organized by Rakitha Hettiarachchi he Political Campaign Director of Nevada State Democratic Partyto support the reelection of
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Majority Leader Harry Reid. The rally was considered as one of the most successful political rallies in the history of Nevada State politics. * October 25 – The President tours the American Cord and Webbing factory in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and speaks with workers there. * October 31 – President Obama issues a statement honoring former
Kennedy Kennedy may refer to: People * John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), 35th president of the United States * John Kennedy (Louisiana politician), (born 1951), US Senator from Louisiana * Kennedy (surname), a family name (including a list of persons with t ...
aide Ted Sorensen, who died today. The President visits Cleveland, Ohio,
stumping Stumped is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket, which involves the wicket-keeper putting down the wicket while the batsman is out of his ground. (The batsman leaves his ground when he has moved down the pitch beyond the popping crease ...
for that state's governor, Ted Strickland.


November

* November 2 – President Obama appears on the
Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and '' ...
(and other) radio shows to appeal to young voters to vote on Election Day. * November 3 – President Obama holds a news conference in the White House to acknowledge that he and the Democratic party took a "shellacking" in the mid-term elections. * November 6 – The President and First Lady begin a ten-day trip to Asia to improve export opportunities. * November 14 – President Obama and Mrs. Obama return from their four-nation tour having met with various world leaders, spoke at multiple venues, held news conferences, and attended the
G-20 The G20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, ...
and APEC plenary sessions and ceremonies. * November 16 – President Obama awards U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry in the Afghan War. * November 19 – The President arrives in
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, Portugal to attend the
Lisbon summit Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...
and discuss the Afghanistan situation, NATO and the European Union with European allies. President Obama holds various bilateral meetings with President
Aníbal Cavaco Silva Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, GCC, GColL, GColIH (; born 15 July 1939) is a Portuguese economist who served as the 19th president of Portugal, in office from 9 March 2006 to 9 March 2016. He had been previously prime minister of Portugal fro ...
and Prime Minister José Sócrates of Portugal, and with President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia. * November 20 – While at the Lisbon summit, President Obama attends various meetings pertaining to Afghanistan and various Russian Council sessions and holds a bilateral meeting with President Karzai of Afghanistan. * November 23 – President Obama and South Korean President
Lee Myung-bak Lee Myung-bak (; ; ; born 19 December 1941) is a South Korean businessman and politician who served as the 10th president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, and the ma ...
agree in a telephone call to hold joint military and training exercises "in the coming days", in response to the Shelling of Yeonpyeong incident. * November 24 – President Obama officially pardons two turkeys, "Apple" and "Cider", during the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation. * November 26 – President Obama is inadvertently struck in the lip by Reynaldo Decerega's elbow during a game of basketball at Fort McNair; the President receives twelve stitches at the White House Medical Unit to close the wound. * November 29 – President Obama proposes a two-year pay freeze for federal employees. * November 30 – President Obama meets with Congressional leaders of both parties, a meeting that is dubbed the " Slurpee Summit".


December

* December 1 – The President meets over lunch with District of Columbia mayor-elect Vincent Gray at the White House. * December 3 – The President makes an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to speak with that country's president, Hamid Karzai, and to visit with American troops. President Obama grants the first presidential pardons of his administration to nine people. * December 6 – President Obama speaks to Chinese President
Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese politician who served as the 16–17th general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the 6th president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2003 to 2013, an ...
, by phone, and urges him to unite with other regional powers and send a clear message to North Korea that its "provocations were unacceptable". The President announces a compromise agreement with Congressional Republicans regarding a tax package that revolves around the question of extending the Bush tax cuts, then begins an effort to convince unhappy Congressional Democrats to accept it. * December 7 – President Obama holds a news conference regarding the tax cut and unemployment benefits compromise. * December 13 – The President signs the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 into law. * December 16 – In an Administrative Assessment of the eight-year
Afghanistan war War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) *Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see als ...
, President Obama hails significant progress but says it remains "a very difficult endeavor". * December 17 – President Obama signs the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 costing $858 billion, the supermajority from extending the Bush tax cuts, raising the exemption threshold of the Alternative Minimum Tax, and reducing the FICA payroll tax. * December 22 – President Obama signs the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 before departing Washington to join his family for his planned 11-day vacation at
Plantation Estate Plantation Estate is a single-story, wood-frame, Pacific Ocean-front house at 57 Kailuana Place in Kailua, Honolulu County, Hawaii, which former President Barack Obama rented for use during his Christmas vacations from 2008 to 2016. The house is ...
in Hawaii. * December 25 – The President and First Lady visit members of the military and their families at
Marine Corps Base Hawaii Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), formerly Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U.S. Marine Corps facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County ...
.


References


External links


Miller Center Obama Presidential Timeline


See also

* Timeline of the Barack Obama presidency (2009–2017) {{Barack Obama
Presidency of Barack Obama Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican n ...
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
Articles containing video clips 2010 timelines