Photographer Pete Souza has captured millions of images of US President Barack Obama over the past eight years, including little-known behind-the-scenes moments.
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| January 20, 2009, marked a significant historical milestone as the United States welcomed its first African-American leader. In a room on Capitol Hill, the new president gazed at himself in the mirror before taking the oath of office. |
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| Obama began his work as the occupant of the White House in the Oval Office on the morning of January 21, 2009. According to the Washington Post, Obama had his first day of work with an envelope bearing the inscription: "To #44, From #43," implying that he was the 44th president of the United States. |
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| The first African-American president of the United States entered the White House hoping to successfully implement the economic, political, and foreign policies he had set forth. In the photo, Obama is listening to advice at a meeting with his advisors in the Roosevelt Room. |
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| President Obama called Democratic leaders from the Oval Office to thank them after the White House passed the energy bill in 2009. This bill was one of Obama's landmark decisions during his first term. |
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| In 2009, Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his outstanding efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation among nations. Just hours after winning the award, the US president and his associates prepared to give a press address in the Rose Garden at the White House. |
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| Obama is considered the most successful president in pursuing healthcare reform with the Obamacare program. The goal of this policy was to help American citizens access affordable health insurance and improve the quality of healthcare. The White House occupant and his aide Jon Favreau are discussing a healthcare reform speech in March 2010. |
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| Obama declared the end of the "combat mission in Iraq" on August 31, 2010. In the Oval Office, President Obama affirmed to the American people and the world: "It is time for history to turn a new page." |
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| Obama with former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush at the opening of the George W. Bush Museum and Library in Dallas, Texas, in April 2013. The photo shows the connection and close relationship between generations of White House leaders. |
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| Former President George H. Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush, gifted President Obama a pair of socks in the White House Map Room. Former President Bush Sr. was a Republican while Obama was a Democrat, but the two families have a very close relationship. |
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| The White House occupant strode with Secret Service agents at Los Angeles International Airport before a foreign trip. |
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| President Obama held private discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the situations in Syria and Ukraine, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Antalya, Türkiye, in November 2015. Following the exchange, Russia and the United States agreed on a people-led transfer of power in Syria. |
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| Powerless to completely resolve the problem of gun violence, even a calm man like Obama shed tears while speaking on television from the East Room of the White House in January 2016. |
According to VOV
