--- title: Former President Obama Turned 57 on August 4 description: Former President Barack Obama is celebrating his 57th birthday on Aug. 4, which is also the first Barack Obama Day in Illinois. canonical: https://time.com/5358013/barack-obama-birthday-57/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-08-04T19:01:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:14.812Z og:title: Former President Obama Is Celebrating His 57th Birthday og:description: It's also the first Barack Obama Day og:url: https://time.com/5358013/barack-obama-birthday-57/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0c17d0216350c2d/69893707fb4eacda5089749e/barack-obama.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4333 og:image:height: 2437 og:image:alt: SAFRICA-US-POLITICS-PEOPLE-OBAMA-MANDELA og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Former President Obama Is Celebrating His 57th Birthday twitter:description: It's also the first Barack Obama Day twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0c17d0216350c2d/69893707fb4eacda5089749e/barack-obama.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Barack Obama Turned 57 Today. The State of Illinois (and the Internet) Celebrated With Him > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=758ffadd-59ca-4034-a73e-ffad88863ad2&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Barack Obama Reunited With Joe Biden at a Bakery to Support Veterans [Watch (HLS stream): Barack Obama Reunited With Joe Biden at a Bakery to Support Veterans](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/YPAbcUJE.m3u8) (0:44)  _Published 2018-07-31. Former United States president Barack Obama reunited with his vice president and dear friend Joe Biden over lunch at the Dog Tag Bakery in Georgetown, Washington D.C._  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Aug 4, 2018 7:01 PM UTC  Barack Obama speaks during the 2018 Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture at the Wanderers cricket stadium in Johannesburg on July 17, 2018. Barack Obama speaks during the 2018 Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture at the Wanderers cricket stadium in Johannesburg on July 17, 2018. MARCO LONGARI—AFP/Getty Images  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Aug 4, 2018 7:01 PM UTC Former President Barack Obama turned 57 on Saturday — and for the first time, his birthday is being celebrated as a commemorative holiday in his former home of Illinois. Last year, the Illinois legislature [passed a bill](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=100-0037) declaring Aug. 4 Barack Obama Day, to celebrate “the 44th President of the United States of America who began his career serving the People of Illinois in both the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate, and dedicated his life to protecting the rights of Americans and building bridges across communities.” This is the first year the law has been in effect. Outside of Illinois, a number of prominent figures turned up online to celebrate Obama’s big day. Former First Lady Michelle Obama posted her [customary touching birthday tribute](http://time.com/4887709/michelle-obama-barack-obama-a-happy-birthday-wish-photo/), and former Vice President Joe Biden posted a selfie of [the two friends after their recent reunion at Dog Tag Bakery](http://time.com/5353160/obama-biden-bakery/). > [](https://twitter.com/MichelleObama/status/1025749969385467904) > [](https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1025717580793884672) > [](https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/status/1025773750137094145) > [](https://twitter.com/repjohnlewis/status/1025782231363723264) > [](https://twitter.com/TeamPelosi/status/1025728660203089920) > [](https://twitter.com/NobelPrize/status/1025632682858954752) ## Transcript [00:00] I don't want any sauce. You don't have any mustard, [00:00] do you? There's mustard on the sandwich, but we have [00:00] extra mustard packets. Hold on, hold on, what are you [00:00] getting? I got one of these, whatever the hell they're [00:01] called. Whatever the hell they're called. [ INAUDIBLE ] [00:01] Good? It's pretty good, that [ UNKNOWN ]. [00:08] Yeah, I think I gotta have one of those too. Give the [00:09] obss one of those too. Yes, sir. Let me get one of [00:14] those. And what's this [00:26] [ INAUDIBLE ]? It's [00:33] a fennel salad. It's fennel, carrots, tomatoes, [00:35] something called salad [ INAUDIBLE ]. It's like chicken [00:36] with herbs. Try one of those. Yes, sir. Why not? ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5358013/barack-obama-birthday-57/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5358013/barack-obama-birthday-57/"},"headline":"Barack Obama Turned 57 Today. 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