President Barack Obama

On January 20, 2009 Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44^th President of the United States of America. His first 100 days in office as the first African-American President of the U.S. has been packed with activity. Here is a kaleidoscope of the first 100 days of the Obama presidency:

Jan. 22: President Barack Obama, using his presidential authority, announced the closure of controversial prison at Guantanamo Bay within one year. Obama insists that the U.S. will not engage in torturing prisoners.

Jan 23: Barack Obama lifts the ban on Federal funding for international organizations that have any involvement with abortion.

Jan. 27: Barack Obama decides to give his first official television interview to one of the leading Arab news networks.

Jan. 29: President Obama puts his signature on his first legislative bill, known as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Feb. 9: President Obama calls on Congress to pass his economic recovery plan.

Feb. 17: Barack Obama signs the $ 787 billion economic stimulus measure into law, after its approval by Congress.

Feb. 19: President Obama visits Canada, his first overseas trip as President.

Feb. 22: Obama hosts governors in his first formal dinner at the White House.

Feb. 23: President Barack Obama hosts a fiscal responsibility summit at the White House.

Feb. 24: President Obama speaks before a joint session of Congress on the economy.

Feb. 26: Barack Obama presents a massive $3.6 trillion federal budget for the 2010 fiscal year

Feb. 27: President Obama makes public his plan to withdraw most U.S. troops from Iraq by August 2010.

March 5: President Obama holds a summit on health care.

March 9: President George W. Bush’s ban on federally funded embryonic stem cell research is terminated by Obama.

March 20: Barack Obama broadcasts a video message to the Iranian people in celebration of the festival of Nowruz,

March 27:President Barack Obama provides details on a new strategy for the conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

March 30: Barack Obama presents an ultimatum to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler as a condition for continued government financial support.

March 31:Barack Obama travels to London to attend the G20 meeting on the Global Economic Crisis.

April 1: President Obama meets with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

April 2: The G20 meeting is conducted in London.

April 4: President Obama attends the NATO summit meeting being held in Strasbourg.

April 5: President Barack Obama calls for the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons in Prague.

April 6: President Obama addresses Turkey’s parliament.

April 7: Barack Obama makes his first visit to Iraq as President.

April 10: Barack Obama indicated that there are glimmers of hope with the U.S. economy.

April 12: President Obama orders the use of military force to rescue an American ship captain held hostage by Somali pirates.

April 16: President Obama makes his first visit as president to Mexico. Drug violence on the border is a key topic.

April 17: Barack Obama makes public memoranda from the previous Bush administration that authorized the use of torture.

April 17: Obama travels to Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas.

April 19: President Obama calls on Cuba to release the political prisoners still jailed if it seeks improved ties with the U.S.

April 27: President Obama speaks about the outbreak of swine flu across the globe.

President Obama and wife Michelle Obama are on their first official presidential visit to Europe, attracting excitement at all their venues. While in London for the G20 Summit meeting, the first couple of the United States had an audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

In Strasbourg, France for a NATO gathering, President Barack Obama addressed a town hall meeting with college students from Germany and France. Michelle Obama has attracted wide attention from the media, in the meantime, with Europeans seeing her as a new fashion statement for America.

It appears that President Obama has helped to improve America’s image in Europe, with assistance from Michelle Obama. The question remains if this change will be long lasting.