As President Obama‘s two terms in office come to a close, TIME is taking a look back at the most pivotal moments of his presidency.
From the day he was inaugurated in 2009 as the nation’s first African-American president, to the day Osama bin Laden was killed, up to the Supreme Court decision that made same-sex marriage the law of the land, some of the most consequential moments of the past eight years will have impacts that reach far beyond Obama’s time in office.
Relive the 10 days that defined Obama’s presidency below. Watch the full version here.
- The Man Who Thinks He Can Live Forever
- Rooftop Solar Power Has a Dark Side
- Death and Desperation Take Over the World's Largest Refugee Camp
- Right-Wing's New Aim: a Parallel Economy
- Is It Flu, COVID-19, or RSV? Navigating At-Home Tests
- Kerry Washington: The Story of My Abortion
- How Canada and India's Relationship Crumbled
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Dec. 14, 2012: Sandy Hook Massacre
The President’s two terms were marked by gun tragedies, but none was more devastating than the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 children, all between the ages of six and seven, were killed alongside six adults. Obama sought to use the tragedy to finally get gun control legislation passed in Congress, but ultimately failed.
Nov. 9, 2016: Donald Trump Wins
Despite all of the efforts of key officials in the Obama administration, including the President, Vice-President and First Lady, Donald J. Trump was elected to succeed Obama on Nov. 9, 2016, after running a campaign that was largely a rebuke of the past eight years. With the election of Trump, key parts of Obama’s legacy, including environmental reform and health care reform, hang in the balance.