Barack Obama was the first African American president of the United States. He was born in 1961 in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and white American mother. His parents separated when he was young. He attended Occidental College, then transferred to Columbia University where he graduated with a degree in political science. He later attended Harvard Law School. Obama then served as a senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008. He was elected the 44th president in 2008, becoming the first African American to hold the office. He defeated John McCain in the general election with 52% of the vote.