President Obama celebrates his 52nd birthday today. In honor of the occasion, we’re sharing 52 of our favorite photos of the President taken in the last year.
Author: Courtney Corbisiero
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Weekly Wrap Up: “Let Us Be Awed By Their Shining Deeds”
Watch the West Wing Week here.
Korean War Veterans: Speaking from the National Mall, President Obama honored veterans and commemorated the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War on Saturday. The President praised the men and women for their sacrifices, saying,
“Veterans of the Korean War — in the spring of your youth you learned how short and precious life can be. And because of you, millions of people can keep on living it, in freedom and in peace. Your lives are an inspiration. Your service will never be forgotten. You have the thanks of a grateful nation. And your shining deeds will live — now and forever.”
Voting Rights: Following last month’s Supreme Court decision overturning the Voting Rights Act, President Obama met with civil rights leaders and elected officials on Monday. While at the White House, the President expressed his disappointment in the ruling and the group discussed ways to ensure every American has the right to vote.
San Francisco Giants: The San Francisco Giants visited the White House on Monday to celebrate their 2012 World Series championship. President Obama congratulated the team on their win and highlighted the steps they’re taking toward improving their neighborhoods by stressing the importance of healthy eating and supporting the LGBT community.
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The World Series Champion San Francisco Giants Visit the White House
The San Francisco Giants visited the White House today to celebrate winning the 2012 World Series championship, their second in three years.
President Obama welcomed the team back to Washington and congratulated them – celebrating their resilience throughout the season. “This team faced elimination a total of six times in the playoffs,” the President said. “It’s no wonder that your own fans still refer to Giants baseball as torture.”
The President also highlighted a Giants’ initiative close to First Lady Michelle Obama’s heart – encouraging healthy eating.
“I’m proud to announce that next season they’re planning to turn the centerfield bleachers at AT&T Park into what’s believed to be the first ever edible garden in a major American sports facility. With rows of kale and strawberries and eggplant, the Giants are going to help encourage local youth to eat healthy — even at the ballpark.”
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Weekly Wrap Up: “Building This Country’s Future”
NCAA Champions: On Tuesday, President Obama welcomed the NCAA Champion Louisville Cardinals to the White House. President Obama, an avid basketball fan, celebrated the team’s accomplishments both on and off the court – praising their cumulative 3.3 grade-point-average, the thousands of dollars they helped raise for charity, and their determination, despite physical obstacles, to win the men’s NCAA title.
Vice President and Dr. Biden in India: The Vice President and Dr. Biden traveled to India and Singapore, as part of their six-day trip – meeting with leaders and visiting schools and aid workers to discuss the important opportunity to strengthen our partnerships within the region. The Vice President also reaffirmed our commitment to rebalancing U.S. foreign policy toward the Asia-Pacific. When they arrived in New Delhi on Monday, they visited Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter and toured the Gandhi Smriti museum.
On Tuesday, the Vice President met with Indian Prime Minist Dr. Manmohan Singh, President Pranab Mukherjee, and Vice President Hamid Ansair where they discussed the relationship between the United States and India. Later, Vice President Biden spoke at a dinner hosted by Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari, where provided remarks about the importance partnership between the two countries. During the day, Dr. Biden visited the settlement of Kachhpura, where USAID Health and the Urban Poor Program has been stationed since 2011.
Speaking from the Bombay Stock Exchange on Wednesday, the Vice President spoke about moving both the U.S. and Indian economies forward – noting that American interests were very similar to Indian interests. Dr. Biden hosted a roundtable discussion to hear more about how groups are working to improve nutrition in India and visited The Dilaasa Crisis Intervention Department for Women, a center for female survivors of domestic violence.
Women at the Indian Institute of Technology met with Vice President Biden on Thursday for a roundtable discussion. The Vice President spoke about the importance of engaging women in science, technology, and engineering and explained what the U.S. is doing to promote STEM in the United States. Dr. Biden visited an all-girls school, where she taught a grammar lesson.
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Weekly Wrap-Up: “We’ve Got Your Back”
Watch the West Wing Week here.
“You’ve met the mission”: President Obama spoke in Annapolis, Maryland last Friday to deliver the commencement address to the U.S. Naval Academy’s class of 2013. In his address, the President congratulated the graduates for taking their oath, and praised them for meeting the mission of the Academy and proving themselves morally, mentally, and physically.
“So, Class of 2013, in your four years by the Bay, you’ve met every test before you. And today is the day that you’ve been counting down to for so long. You will take your oath. Those boards and gold bars will be placed on your shoulders. And as your Commander-in-Chief, I congratulate each of you on becoming our newest officers — ensigns in the United States Navy, second lieutenants in the United States Marine Corps.
The Savoy School: Actress Kerry Washington joined First Lady Michelle Obama at the Savoy School in Washington, D.C. on Friday. The school was selected for the Turnaround Arts Initiative at the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities last year. While visiting, the First Lady played freeze dance and checked out art projects created by a fifth grade class.
"When you work hard and you invest thousands of hours in anything, you get better. And that’s what you guys are learning here at Savoy. Hopefully you are learning that with your math, with your reading, with your dancing, with your singing, it's about the amount of effort that you want to put into anything."