Timeline of the presidency of Barack Obama (2010)
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timeline A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale represen ...
of the presidency of Barack Obama, from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. For his time as
president-elect An ''officer-elect'' is a person who has been elected to a position but has not yet been installed. Notably, a president who has been elected but not yet installed would be referred to as a ''president-elect'' (e.g. president-elect of the Unit ...
, see the
presidential transition of Barack Obama The presidential transition of Barack Obama began when he won the United States presidential election on November 4, 2008, and became the president-elect. Obama was formally elected by the Electoral College on December 15, 2008. The results ...
; for a detailed account of his first months in office, see
first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency The first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency began on January 20, 2009, the day Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. The first 100 days of a presidential term took on symbolic significance during Franklin D ...
; for a complete itinerary of his travels, see
list of presidential trips made by Barack Obama The following articles cover the presidential trips made by Barack Obama while he was President of the United States: * List of international presidential trips made by Barack Obama * List of presidential trips made by Barack Obama (2009) * List of ...
.


January

* January 5 – President Obama holds a major security meeting in the wake of the attempted attack on
Northwest Airlines Flight 253 The attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 occurred on December 25, 2009, aboard an Airbus A330 as it prepared to land at Detroit Metropolitan Airport following a transatlantic flight from Amsterdam. Attributed to the terrori ...
. * January 7 – President Obama meets with former President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
at the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
. * January 13 – President Obama holds a press conference discussing the operations of US government organizations such as
USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
and the
Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
in response to the
2010 Haiti earthquake A catastrophic 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, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's c ...
. * January 14 – President Obama commits US$100,000,000 to help Haiti recover from the 2010 earthquake, while calling on former American
Presidents President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and Bill Clinton to assist. * January 16 – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and
USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
Director
Rajiv Shah Rajiv J. "Raj" Shah (born March 9, 1973) is the President of the Rockefeller Foundation. He is a former American government official, physician and health economist who served as the 16th Administrator of the United States Agency for Internation ...
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 20 ...
in the Senate special election. * January 18 – President Obama participates in
community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...
activities to honor slain
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life o ...
hero
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
, while also visiting the American Red Cross headquarters and personally submitting his first Twitter update. * January 21 – President Obama announces the "
Volcker rule The Volcker Rule iof the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (). The rule was originally proposed by American economist and former United States Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker to restrict United States banks from ma ...
" and a host of other proposals for new banking regulation. * January 22 – President Obama travels to
Elyria, Ohio Elyria ( ) is a city in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan statistical area and the county seat of Lorain County, Ohio, Lorain County, Ohio, United States, located at the forks of the Black River (Ohio), Black River in Northeast Ohio 23 miles sou ...
, visiting the
Lorain County Community College Lorain County Community College (LCCC) is a public community college in the city of Elyria in Lorain County, Ohio, with learning centers in Wellington, North Ridgeville, and Lorain. In addition to associate degrees and certificates, students ...
and emphasizing his political
agenda Agenda may refer to: Information management * Agenda (meeting), points to be discussed and acted upon, displayed as a list * Political agenda, the set of goals of an ideological group * Lotus Agenda, a DOS-based personal information manager * Pers ...
. * January 25 – President Obama hosts the Los Angeles Lakers at the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
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 The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of each calendar year on the current conditi ...
before a
joint session of Congress A joint session of the United States Congress is a gathering of members of the two chambers of the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Joint sessions can be held on ...
. * January 28 – President Obama travels to
MacDill Air Force Base MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
in Tampa, Florida, where he met with crew helping with the
humanitarian response Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and v ...
to the
2010 Haiti earthquake A catastrophic 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, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's c ...
, before holding a town hall meeting at the
University of Tampa The University of Tampa (UT) is a private university in Tampa, Florida. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. UT offers more than 200 programs of study, including 22 master's degrees and a broad variety of majors, ...
. * January 30 – Former President George H. W. Bush 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, touring small businesses before giving a speech at Nashua North High School. * February 3 – President Obama hosts a meeting of
Governors A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
in the State Dining Room. 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's Winter Meeting at the Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C. The President's motorcade 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 The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...
at the White House to celebrate
Black History Month Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...
. The concert marks the beginning of the 2010 White House music series. * February 10 – President Obama holds an " urban economy summit" in the Oval Office with
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
leaders including
Al Sharpton Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, talk show host and politician. Sharpton is the founder of the National Action Network. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democrati ...
,
Benjamin Jealous Benjamin Todd Jealous (born January 18, 1973) is an American civil rights leader and social impact investor. He served as the president and chief executive officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 200 ...
, and
Marc Morial Marc Haydel Morial (born January 3, 1958) is an American political and civic leader and the current president of the National Urban League. Morial served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002 as the city's youngest Mayor, President of the ...
. * February 11 – President Obama meets with senior representatives from the March of Dimes charity, discussing the effects of
preterm birth Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Extreme preterm is less than 28 weeks, very early preterm birth is between 2 ...
. * February 16 – President Obama announces $8.3 billion in federal
loan guarantee A loan guarantee, in finance, is a promise by one party (the guarantor) to assume the debt obligation of a borrower if that borrower defaults. A guarantee can be limited or unlimited, making the guarantor liable for only a portion or all of the d ...
s to help
Southern Company Southern Company is an American gas and electric utility holding company based in the southern United States. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with executive offices also located in Birmingham, Alabama. The company is the second largest ...
build two new nuclear reactors 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 The United States ambassador to Syria is the official representative of the president of the United States to the president of Syria. From the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire in 1922 until 1944, had been under the control of France as a par ...
since 2005. * February 18 – President Obama meets with the
Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...
in the Map Room at the White House. * February 25 – President Obama delivers opening remarks at his
bipartisan Bipartisanship, sometimes referred to as nonpartisanship, is a political situation, usually in the context of a two-party system (especially those of the United States and some other western countries), in which opposing political parties find co ...
health care summit at
Blair House Blair House, also known as The President's Guest House, is an official residence in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The President's Guest House has been called "the world's most exclusive hotel" because it is primarily used ...
. President Obama awards the National Medal of Arts and the
National Humanities Medal The National Humanities Medal is an American award that annually recognizes several individuals, groups, or institutions for work that has "deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened our citizens' engagement with the human ...
to twenty recipients in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. * February 27 – The White House announces the naming of Julianna Smoot as
Deputy Assistant to the President The Executive Office of the President (EOP) comprises the offices and agencies that support the work of the president at the center of the executive branch of the United States federal government. The EOP consists of several offices and agenci ...
and Social Secretary; Smoot replaces
Desirée Rogers Desirée Glapion Rogers (born June 16, 1959) is an American corporate executive, former White House Social Secretary for President Barack Obama's office and former chief executive officer of Johnson Publishing Company (JPC). As of 2019, Rogers i ...
. * February 28 – President Obama travels to
Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
, for a routine
medical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally consists of a series of questions about the patie ...
at the
National Naval Medical Center National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ...
, where he later visits soldiers who were wounded in the
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...
and the
War in Afghanistan 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 al ...
.


March

* March 1 – Speaking at the
United States Chamber of Commerce The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States, representing over three million businesses and organizations. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urgin ...
, 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 in Savannah, Georgia. * March 5 – President Obama travels to
Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...
, discussing his Administration's policy and the economic situation at the headquarters of OPOWER, a corporation producing efficient energy use technology. * March 8 – President Obama discusses health care reform at
Arcadia University Arcadia University is a private university in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The university enrolls approximately 4,000 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students. The campus features Grey Towers Castle, a National Historic Landmark. History B ...
in Glenside. * March 10 – President Obama travels to
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
,
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, 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 in
Fairfax, Virginia The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth ...
, discussing his plans for major health care reform. * March 20 – President Obama confers with the
Democratic Caucus of the United States House of Representatives The House Democratic Caucus is a congressional caucus composed of all Democratic Representatives in the United States House of Representatives and is responsible for nominating and electing the Democratic Party leadership in the chamber. In its ...
, urging members to vote in favor of administration health care reform proposals. * March 23 – The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 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 The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
in Iowa City,
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
, where he defends the newly signed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. * March 28 – President Obama makes an unannounced visit to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
where he meets with Afghan President
Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repub ...
. * March 30 – President Obama signs the
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (, ) is a law that was enacted by the 111th United States Congress, by means of the reconciliation process, in order to amend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (). The law includes the ...
into law at a ceremony at the
Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
campus of
Northern Virginia Community College Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC; informally known as NOVA) is a public community college composed of six campuses and four centers in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. Northern Virginia Community College is the third-la ...
. President Obama hosts French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, at the White House. * March 31 – Speaking at
Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Joint Base Andrews (JBA) is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 316th Wing, Air Force District of Washington (AFDW). The base was e ...
, President Obama announces that he will approve oil and gas exploration in the eastern
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
and off the coast of Virginia, ending a moratorium on drilling off the East Coast of the United States.


April

* April 1 – President Obama holds an hour-long phone conversation with Chinese President Hu Jintao, delaying Air Force One on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base for ten minutes after landing. * April 4 – The Obama family celebrates Easter at Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in
Southeast, Washington, D.C. Southeast (SE or S.E.) is the southeastern Quadrants of Washington, D.C., quadrant of Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, and is located south of East Capitol Street and east of South Capitol Street. It includes the Capitol Hill a ...
, drawing attention to an area with high crime and unemployment rates. * 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 The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual of baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from their seat in the grandstand to ...
at the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
season opener against the Philadelphia Phillies at
Nationals Park Nationals Park is a baseball stadium along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Home to Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals since its completion in 2008, it was the first LEED-certified green major profe ...
in Washington, D.C., marking the 100th year of the presidential tradition. * April 8 – President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sign the latest Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), a "major" nuclear arms control agreement that reduces the nuclear weapons stockpiles of both countries. * April 9 – President Obama and Czech President
Václav Klaus Václav Klaus (; born 19 June 1941) is a Czech economist and politician who served as the second president of the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2013. From July 1992 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in January 1993, he served as the second ...
hold a meeting at
Prague Castle Prague Castle ( cs, Pražský hrad; ) is a castle complex in Prague 1 Municipality within Prague, Czech Republic, built in the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for king ...
. * April 10 – President Obama calls Polish Prime Minister
Donald Tusk Donald Franciszek Tusk ( , ; born 22 April 1957) is a Polish politician who was President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019. He served as the 14th Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014 and was a co-founder and leader of the Civic ...
to express his condolences following the death of Polish President
Lech Kaczyński Lech Aleksander Kaczyński (; 18 June 194910 April 2010) was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010. Before his tenure as president, he pre ...
and others in a
plane crash An aviation accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with the ''intention of fl ...
. * April 11 – President Obama holds talks at
Blair House Blair House, also known as The President's Guest House, is an official residence in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The President's Guest House has been called "the world's most exclusive hotel" because it is primarily used ...
with
heads of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...
from India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and South Africa on the eve of the Nuclear Security Summit 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—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 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 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
's budget over the next five years with funding being used for deep space exploration rather than lunar exploration. In a
memorandum A memorandum ( : memoranda; abbr: memo; from the Latin ''memorandum'', "(that) which is to be remembered") is a written message that is typically used in a professional setting. Commonly abbreviated "memo," these messages are usually brief and ...
to
Secretary of Health and Human Services The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen Sebelius (; née Gilligan, born May 15, 1948) is an American businesswoman and politician who served as the 21st United States secretary of Health and Human Services from 2009 until 2014. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sebeli ...
, President Obama orders the
Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
to write rules that would prohibit hospitals that receive funding from Medicare or
Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and per ...
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 in Lower Manhattan, President Obama urges CEOs to back his financial reform proposal and to support regulatory legislation. * April 23 – President Obama speaks at a naturalization ceremony for active-duty members of the U.S. military forces in the Rose Garden, strongly criticizing the newly passed
Arizona SB1070 Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Four Co ...
measure against illegal immigration, and calling for federal immigration reform. * April 23–25 – President and Mrs. Obama are in Asheville, North Carolina for a weekend vacation. * April 25 – President Obama meets briefly with
Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
at Graham's home in
Montreat, North Carolina Montreat is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 723 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is best known for Montreat Conference Center, Montreat College, ...
. President Obama and Vice President Biden travel to Beckley, West Virginia, where they meet with family members of miners killed in the
Upper Big Branch Mine disaster The Upper Big Branch Mine disaster occurred on April 5, 2010 roughly underground in Raleigh County, West Virginia at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch coal mine located in Montcoal. Twenty-nine out of thirty-one miners at the site were killed ...
; 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 The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
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), 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 dee ...
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 and holds a town hall meeting in
Indian Hills Community College Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) is a public community college in Iowa with campuses in Ottumwa and Centerville. IHCC serves both traditional residential students and commuter students, primarily from a ten-county area in southeast Iowa as ...
, Ottumwa, Iowa, spending the night in Des Moines * April 28 – President Obama tours a POET Biorefining plant in
Macon, Missouri Macon is a city in and the county seat of Macon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,457 at the 2020 census. History Macon was platted in 1856. Like the county, Macon was named for Nathaniel Macon. A post office called Macon Cit ...
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 Palmyra is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,595 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hannibal Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Palmyra was platted in 1819, and named after P ...
. 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. * April 29 – President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the First Lady attend
Dorothy Height Dorothy Irene Height (March 24, 1912 – April 20, 2010) was an African American civil rights and women's rights activist. She focused on the issues of African American women, including unemployment, illiteracy, and voter awareness. Height is cr ...
's funeral at the
National Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Washington, D.C., the ca ...
. President Obama honors the 2010
National Teacher of the Year The National Teacher of the Year is a professional award in the United States. The program began in 1952, as a project by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and aims to reward excellence in teaching. It is sponsored by ING. ...
and the state teachers of the year from across the country at an event in the
Rose Garden A rose garden or rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses, and sometimes rose species. Most often it is a section of a larger garden. Designs vary tremendously and roses m ...
.
Jill Biden Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (born June 3, 1951) is an American educator and the current first lady of the United States since 2021, as the wife of President Joe Biden. She was the second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 when her hus ...
and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan 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 Itron is an American technology company that offers products and services on energy and water resource management. Its headquarters is in Liberty Lake, Washington, United States. Its products are related to smart grid, smart gas and smart water ...
, a Washington state based manufacturer of smart energy meters, and
A123 Systems A123 Systems, LLC, a subsidiary of the Chinese Wanxiang Group Holdings, is a developer and manufacturer of lithium iron phosphate batteries and energy storage systems. The company was founded in 2001 by Yet-Ming Chiang, Bart Riley, and Ric Fulo ...
, a Massachusetts-based advanced battery manufacturer, that are expanding production and hiring as a result of the
Recovery Act The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Gr ...
. The President also travels to the James J. Rowley Training Center in
Beltsville, Maryland Beltsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The community was named for Truman Belt, a local landowner. The 2020 census counted 20,133 residents. Beltsville includes the unincorporated ...
and observes the
Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For ...
's training procedures and demonstration activities.


May

* May 1 – President Obama delivers the commencement address at the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That evening the President and First Lady attend the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, where he delivers remarks. * May 2 – President Obama is in
Venice, Louisiana Venice is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 162. It is south of New Orleans on the west bank of the Mississippi River at . It is t ...
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 Presentation with the
Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. See also * Military academy A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally pro ...
in the Rose Garden. The President also hosts a dinner for the Business Council in the State Dining Room. * May 4 – President Obama addresses the annual meeting of the Business Council at the Park Hyatt. 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 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 The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 () was signed into law by President Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United Sta ...
, which will improve health care services for veterans and expand caregiver benefits and training. The President also delivers remarks at a
Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo ( in Mexico, Spanish for "Fifth of May") is a yearly celebration held on May 5, which commemorates the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoz ...
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. * May 9 – President Obama delivers the commencement address at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. * May 10 – Due to the impending retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens, President Obama nominates Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. * May 12 – President Obama attends a bilateral meeting and joint press conference with President
Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repub ...
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 The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...
women's basketball team. * May 22 – President Obama delivers the commencement address at the
United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
at West Point in West Point, New York. * May 24 – The President meets with Prime Minister
Saad Hariri Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri ( ar, سعد الدين رفيق الحريري, translit=Saʿd ad-Dīn Rafīq al-Ḥarīrī; born 18 April 1970) is a Lebanese-Saudi politician who served as the prime minister of Lebanon from 2009 to 2011 and 2016 ...
of
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
at the White House. * May 25 – The President meets with President Giorgio Napolitano 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 Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez (; 23 May 1949 – 17 April 2019) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru for two non-consecutive terms from 1985 to 1990 and from 2006 to 2011. He was the second leader of the Peruvian Apris ...
of Peru. * June 2 – The president and First Lady host a concert honoring Sir
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
. * 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 A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
Admiral
Thad Allen Thad William Allen (born 16 January 1949) is a former admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 23rd commandant from 2006 to 2010. Allen is best known for his widely praised"Coast Guard's Chief of Staff To Assist FEMA Head ...
and Louisiana local elected officials at the
Louis Armstrong International Airport Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (French: ''Aéroport international Louis Armstrong de La Nouvelle-Orléans'') is an international airport under Class B airspace in Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is ow ...
in Kenner, Louisiana. * June 9 – The president meets with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. * 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 The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coast, coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The list of U.S. states and territories by coastline, coastal states that have a shor ...
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 Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada for the
G20 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 mitigatio ...
Summit. The President holds separate bilateral meetings with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea, President Hu Jintao of China and attends the G20 Working Dinner. * June 27 – The president has a morning meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
and then attends the G20 Leaders Working Sessions and various plenary sessions. In the late afternoon he meets with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India. In the evening Obama meets with Prime Minister
Naoto Kan is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) from June 2010 to September 2011. Kan was the first Prime Minister since the resignation of Junichiro Koizumi in 2006 to serve for ...
of Japan.


July

* July 2 – President Obama and Vice President Biden speak at a memorial service for Senator Robert C. Byrd. * July 4 – The First Family holds an Independence Day 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 Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
, both agree to encourage direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. * July 8 – President Obama travels to Kansas City, Missouri 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 Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna () (born 26 December 1953) is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and was the 50th and 52nd President of the Dominican Republic from 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2012. From 2016 until 2020, he was the President of th ...
of the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
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 Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River (formerly known locally as the Black Ri ...
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 law recognizes complex financial derivatives 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 plant and workers at the General Motors'
Hamtramck Hamtramck ( ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 28,433. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion that borders the fellow enclave city of Hi ...
auto assembly plant in
Hamtramck, Michigan Hamtramck ( ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 28,433. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion that borders the fellow enclave city of ...


August

* August 3 – President Obama delivers remarks at George Mason University to mark the implementation of the Post-911 GI bill. In the afternoon the President meets with the Emir of
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah ( ar, الشيخ صباح الأحمد الجابر الصباح, translit=ash-Shaykh Sabāh al-ʾAḥmad al-Jābir aṣ-Ṣabāḥ; 16 June 192929 September 2020) was the Emir of Kuwait and Commander of the Kuwai ...
* August 8 – President Obama's nominee, Elena Kagan, is sworn in as an
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1 ...
. * August 9 – The
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
football team visit the White House to be honored for their 2009 Super Bowl 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 Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, 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 Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
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 The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a caucus made up of most African-American members of the United States Congress. Representative Karen Bass from California chaired the caucus from 2019 to 2021; she was succeeded by Representative Joyce B ...
Foundation annual Phoenix Award Dinner. * September 20 – The President awards Chief Master Sergeant Richard Etchberger,
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
, the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
for conspicuous gallantry during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
. * September 23 – The President travels to New York City and addresses the
United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
. 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 polic ...
of China, Prime Minister
Naoto Kan is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) from June 2010 to September 2011. Kan was the first Prime Minister since the resignation of Junichiro Koizumi in 2006 to serve for ...
of Japan, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President
Juan Manuel Santos Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (; born 10 August 1951) is a Colombian politician who was the President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. He was the sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. An economist by profession and a journalist by trade ...
of Colombia, and President
Roza Otunbayeva Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva (Kyrgyz: Роза Исаковна (Исак кызы) Отунбаева, Roza Isakovna (Isak kyzy) Otunbayeva; born August 23, 1950) is a Kyrgyz diplomat and politician who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 7 A ...
of Kyrgyzstan. * September 27 – The President signs the
Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 () is a federal law passed by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on September 27, 2010. The law authorizes the creation of the Small Business Lending Fund Program admi ...
into law.


October

* October 4 – President Obama meets with the
Economic Recovery Advisory Board The President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, originally the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB), was an ad hoc panel of non-governmental experts from business, labor, academia and elsewhere that President of the United State ...
. * October 5 – Along with
Jill Biden Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (born June 3, 1951) is an American educator and the current first lady of the United States since 2021, as the wife of President Joe Biden. She was the second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 when her hus ...
, the President conducts the first ever White House Summit of Community Colleges. President Obama signs "
Rosa's Law Rosa's Law is a United States law which replaced several instances of "mental retardation" in law with "intellectual disability". The bill was introduced as S.2781 in the United States Senate on November 17, 2009, by Barbara Mikulski ( D- MD). It p ...
" (S.2781) which changes references in many Federal Statutes that refer to
mental retardation Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation, Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signifi ...
to refer, instead to, "intellectual disability". * October 6 – The President awards Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller, U.S. Army, the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
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. * October 19 – President Obama signs a
White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics is a multi-agency working group within the Department of Education charged with strengthening the nation's capacity to provide high-quality education while increasing opportunitie ...
in the East Room. * October 22 – President Obama traveled to
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
, where he hosted a rally which was organized by Rakitha Hettiarachchi he Political Campaign Director of Nevada State Democratic Partyto support the
reelection The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...
of Senate
Majority Leader In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.
Harry Reid Harry Mason Reid Jr. (; December 2, 1939 – December 28, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2017 and was the Sena ...
. 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 Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsocket lies directly south of ...
, and speaks with workers there. * October 31 – President Obama issues a statement honoring former Kennedy aide
Ted Sorensen Theodore Chaikin Sorensen (May 8, 1928 – October 31, 2010) was an American lawyer, writer, and presidential adviser. He was a speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy, as well as one of his closest advisers. President Kennedy once called hi ...
, who died today. The President visits
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, Ohio, stumping for that state's governor,
Ted Strickland Theodore Strickland (born August 4, 1941) is an American politician who was the 68th governor of Ohio, serving from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing ...
.


November

* November 2 – President Obama appears on the Ryan Seacrest (and other) radio shows to appeal to young voters to vote on
Election Day Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Saturday or Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate; while in other countries elections a ...
. * 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 The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
plenary sessions and ceremonies. * November 16 – President Obama awards U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
for conspicuous gallantry in the Afghan War. * November 19 – The President arrives in Lisbon, Portugal to attend the Lisbon summit and discuss the Afghanistan situation,
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
and the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
with European allies. President Obama holds various bilateral meetings with President Aníbal Cavaco Silva and Prime Minister
José Sócrates José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa, GCIH (born 6 September 1957), commonly known as José Sócrates (), is a Portuguese politician who was the prime minister of Portugal from 12 March 2005 to 21 June 2011. For the second half of 2007, he ...
of Portugal, and with President
Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil Saakashvili ( ka, მიხეილ სააკაშვილი ; uk, Міхеіл Саакашвілі ; born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist.
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 agree in a telephone call to hold joint military and training exercises "in the coming days", in response to the
Shelling of Yeonpyeong Shelling may refer to: * Shell (projectile), explosive used in wars * Searching for seashells * Shelling (topology) In mathematics, a shelling of a simplicial complex is a way of gluing it together from its maximal simplices (simplices that are ...
incident. * November 24 – President Obama officially pardons two
turkeys The turkey is a large bird in the genus ''Meleagris'', native to North America. There are two extant turkey species: the wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') of eastern and central North America and the ocellated turkey (''Meleagris ocellat ...
, "Apple" and "Cider", during the
National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a ceremony that takes place at the White House every year shortly before Thanksgiving. The president of the United States is presented with a live domestic turkey by the National Turkey Federation ...
. * November 26 – President Obama is inadvertently struck in the lip by Reynaldo Decerega's elbow during a game of basketball at
Fort McNair Fort Lesley J. McNair is a United States Army post located on the tip of Greenleaf Point, the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. To the peninsula's west is the Washington Chan ...
; the President receives twelve stitches at the
White House Medical Unit The White House Medical Unit (WHMU) is a unit of the White House Military Office and is responsible for the medical needs of White House staff and visitors. The unit also provides medical care to the president, the vice president, their families, ...
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 ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
mayor-elect Vincent Gray at the White House. * December 3 – The President makes an unannounced trip to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
to speak with that country's president,
Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repub ...
, 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, 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 The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 () is a federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 13, 2010. The law is part of the reauthorization of funding for child nutrition (see the original Child Nutrition Act). It fu ...
into law. * December 16 – In an Administrative Assessment of the eight-year Afghanistan war, 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 The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (), also known as the 2010 Tax Relief Act, was passed by the United States Congress on December 16, 2010, and signed into law by President Barack Obama on Decembe ...
costing $858 billion, the supermajority from extending the
Bush tax cuts The phrase Bush tax cuts refers to changes to the United States tax code passed originally during the presidency of George W. Bush and extended during the presidency of Barack Obama, through: * Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act o ...
, raising the exemption threshold of the
Alternative Minimum Tax The alternative minimum tax (AMT) is a tax imposed by the United States federal government in addition to the regular income tax for certain individuals, estates, and trusts. As of tax year 2018, the AMT raises about $5.2 billion, or 0.4% of all ...
, 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 in Hawaii. * December 25 – The President and First Lady visit members of the military and their families at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.


References


External links


Miller Center Obama Presidential Timeline


See also

* Timeline of the Barack Obama presidency (2009–2017) {{Barack Obama 2010 in the United States, Presidency of Barack Obama Timelines of the Barack Obama presidency, 2010 Articles containing video clips 2010 timelines