Correction appended, Aug. 4, 2016.
President Barack Obama has been joking about his job turning his hair gray for so long, it’s hard to remember what he looked like when he took office in 2009.
Back then, despite a grueling two year campaign and a collapsing economy, he was still a fresh faced pol from Illinois, promising the country hope.
Born on Aug. 4, 1961, the President was 47 years old in 2009. He is 53 years old today.
Correction: The original version of this story misstated President Obama’s birthday. It is Aug. 4, 1961.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- From Jan. 6 to Tyre Nichols, American Life Is Still Defined by Caste
- As People Return to Offices, It’s Back to Miserable for America’s Working Moms
- The Real Reason Florida Wants to Ban AP African-American Studies, According to an Architect of the Course
- Column: Tyre Nichols' Killing Is The Result of a Diseased Culture
- Without Evusheld, Immunocompromised People Are on Their Own Against COVID-19
- TikTok's 'De-Influencing' Trend Is Here to Tell You What Stuff You Don't Need to Buy
- Column: America Goes About Juvenile Crime Sentencing All Wrong
- Why Your Tax Refund May Be Lower This Year
