Barack and Michelle Obama are the proud parents of two daughters.
The former president and first lady married in 1992 and welcomed children Malia and Sasha in 1998 and 2001, respectively. During the Obamas’ stay in the White House, the nation watched the two girls grow up.
Since the end of President Barack’s term, Malia and Sasha have forged their own paths. A graduate of Harvard University, Maria entered the entertainment industry, writing the screenplay for director Donald Glover’s Swarm and having her short film screened at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Meanwhile, Sasha graduated from the University of Southern California in 2023 with a degree in sociology.
As Michelle celebrates her 62nd birthday on January 17, 2027, take a look at photos of the Obamas’ family of four over the years.
family of 4
barack obama/instagram
The Obamas welcomed daughter Malia Ann Obama on July 4, 1998, and younger sister Sasha on July 10, 2001.
make a wish
Tim Boyle/Getty
In 2004, Michelle, Sasha, and Malia helped blow out the candles on their father’s 43rd birthday cake.
quality time
Scott Olson/Getty
Here, the Obama sisters and their parents awaited the results of their father’s 2004 Illinois Senate race.
confetti celebration
Scott Olson/Getty
In 2004, Malia hugged her father, a freshman senator from Illinois, and Sasha hugged her mother as the family celebrated a major victory.
center stage
Win McNamee/Getty
In 2008, Malia and Sasha took to the stage in Iowa with their parents and beamed at the audience.
meet the first children
Joe Radle/Getty
Malia and Sasha were just 10 and 7 years old, respectively, when their father became the next president of the United States in 2008.
family travel
Michelle Obama/Facebook
The former first lady posted a nostalgic photo of her family on vacation to commemorate her husband’s birthday in 2020.
“Wishing you good days, blue skies, and new adventures ahead,” she wrote in the caption.
mom’s chief
Michael Reynolds – Pool/Getty
Michelle said this in her 2015 commencement address at Tuskegee University. “I love my daughters more than anything in the world, more than life itself. And while that may not be the first thing you want to hear from an Ivy League lawyer, it’s just who I am. So for me, being a mom is and always will be my number one job.”
first fourth member of first family
getty
At the first Fourth of July celebration at the White House, Barack spoke with Malia as Sasha and Michelle looked on.
proud dad
Theo Wargo/WireImage
In his 2017 farewell speech, President Obama said of his daughters, “Malia and Sasha…of all the things I’ve done in my life, I’m most proud to be your father.”
close-knit family
Pete Souza/White House, via Getty
On Easter Sunday 2015, the Obamas posed for photos relaxing with their dogs Sunny and Bo in the White House Rose Garden.
First year in the White House
Annie Leibovitz/White House, via Getty
During his remarks at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the former FLOTUS recalled the day his daughters headed to the White House for the first time.
“I’ll never forget that winter morning when I saw my daughters, who were only 7 and 10 years old, get into that black SUV with these big men with guns,” she said. “And when I saw their little faces pressed against the window, the only thing I could think was, ‘What have we done?'”
Michelle continued, “Look, in that moment we realized that the time we spent in the White House was going to form the basis of who they became in the future, and how well we managed this experience could truly make or break them.”
family problems
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty
Maria and Sasha also became very close as they got older.
“They’re both old enough now that they just enjoy each other’s company,” Barack tells PEOPLE of his daughters. “And being able to be together as a family and see how they became these amazing young women. There’s no greater joy.”
give thanks
barack obama/instagram
In 2019, Michelle posted this sweet family photo on Turkey Day X and wrote, “From our family to yours, #HappyThanksgiving!”
Ready for close-up
Michelle Obama/Instagram
To mark Barack’s 60th birthday, Michelle thanked her partner for “never letting the weight of the world get in your way and for being an amazing husband and father.”
Let’s go hiking
barack obama/instagram
Barack celebrated Father’s Day 2024 by sharing a rare Obama family photo taken in nature after the White House.
“The most fulfilling job I’ve ever had is being a father to Sasha and Malia,” he said, echoing his thoughts in his farewell speech in 2017.
birthday girl
barack obama / instagram
On his second daughter’s 24th birthday, Barack wrote a loving message to Sasha, expressing how “proud” he was.
“Watching you grow into an amazing woman has been a true gift,” he wrote.
family flashback
Michelle Obama/Instagram
Michelle praised her husband by posting a nostalgic photo of her family on Father’s Day 2025.
“I love looking back at pictures like this from when my daughters were younger,” she wrote. “@BarackObama has always been there for us no matter what, even when it felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. We are always so grateful.”
for good
barack obama/instagram
A family of four came together for Thanksgiving 2025 at Barack’s Celebration Post.
