His Excellency, the President of the United States Barack Obama heads the list of the roster of prominent personalities who will celebrating their birthdays this August.
Barack Hussein Obama II, born August 4, 1961, is the 44th and current US President and the first African-American to hold the office. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, he is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He served three terms in the Senate representing the 13th District of Illinois from 1997 to 2004, running unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives in 2000.
In 2004, Obama received national attention during his campaign to represent Illinois in the US Senate with his victory in the March Democratic Party primary, his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July, and his election to the Senate in November. He began his presidential campaign in 2007, and in 2008, after a close primary campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won sufficient delegates in the Democratic Party primaries to receive the presidential nomination.
He then defeated Republican nominee John McCain in the general election, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He was reelected president in November 2012, defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney, and was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2013.
Early in his term in office, Obama signed into law economic stimulus legislation in response to the Great Recession in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Other major domestic initiatives in his presidency include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare,” the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010; the Budget Control Act of 2011; and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. In May 2012, he became the first sitting US president to publicly support same-sex marriage and in 2013 his administration filed briefs which urged the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 and California’s Proposition 8 as unconstitutional.
In foreign policy, Obama ended US military involvement in the Iraq War, increased troop levels in Afghanistan, signed the New START arms control treaty with Russia, ordered US military involvement in Libya, and ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.
Other celebrities who will be celebrating their birthdays are:
August 1 – GMA Kapuso actor Cesar Montano and former entertainment producer Vilma Guinto Peroro;
August 2 – Metro Manila Film Festival Best Actor Dingdong Dantes;
August 3 – Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha who is now in the Philippines to render live concerts to her fans;
August 4 – Forever Young officer Zeny Herrera who will be celebrating her 80th birthday with a Luau Hawaiian party at the Macro Event Center Hall in Fremont, and Filipina choreographer Maribeth Bichara;
August 6 – Mr. Pure Energy and ASAP host Gary Valenciano;
August 8 – 24 Oras co-host Mel Tiangco of GMA 7;
August 9 – San Ramon ballroom queen Dr. Nora Ebio, singer Mark Bautista, Oueen of Queens Corazon de Guzman, and actress/TV host Mariel Rodriguez;
August 11 – ABS-CBN2 CEO and Chairman of the Board Gabby Lopez;
August 12 – Actor Aga Muhlach, GMA 7 Primetime Queen Marian Rivera, and ASAP mainstay Iza Calzado;
August 13 – Leus Business Development executive Ramon Petros;
August 15 – Filipina caregiver Elaine Estabrooks, and former restaurateur Guen Diaz;
August 17 – REMAX Westlake investment real estate associate Ching Evaristo who will be celebrating her 60th birthday with a grand dinner and dance celebration at the War Memorial Hall in Daly City, songwriter-singer-actor Ogie Alcasid, and singer Rachelle Ann Go;
August 19 – Filipina commercial and fashion model Jessica V. Apolinario, and Regal Films grand dame Lily Monteverde;
August 20 – Former beauty queen and actress Jean Saburit, successful businesswoman Zenaida “Baby” Evans, singer Malou Lozada who also manages her own band, and real estate agent Raquel Mapote;
August 22 – Multi-awarded actress Jean Garcia, Asia’s Queen of Songs Pilita Corrales, former Mutya ng Pilipinas winner Carolyn Magsibay, and Showtime co-host, actress and singer Nikki Gil;
August 24 – Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who is also the husband of Megastar Sharon Cuneta;
August 27 – Former Movie Queen Amalia Fuentes, who celebrating her 73rd birthday;
August 28 – Daly City Vice Mayor David Canepa who is turning 38;
August 29 – Medical assistant Nathan Munoz Roco;
August 30 – TV director Edgar “Bobot” Mortiz, and comedienne Pokwang;
August 31 – Veteran actor Karim Kiram.
To all celebrants, a very happy birthday!
