1. Michelle Obama The woman of substance

2. MICHELLE ROBINSON OBAMA The Early Years

3. Born on January 17, 1964 Michelle Robinson was raised in a one- bedroom apartment on Chicago's South Shore.

4. Michelle's father died in 1990 two years before she married Barack,

5. Michelle Robinson majored in sociology at Princeton University graduating with cum laude honors in 1985.

6. From there she attended Harvard where she earned her law degree in 1988, one year ahead of her husband-to-be, Barack, whom she hadn't met yet but attended the same law school.

7. MICHELLE AND BARACK MEET

8. After graduating from Harvard, Michelle accepted a position at a downtown Chicago law firm. In 1989 she was asked to mentor a summer associate from Harvard name Barack Obama.

9. Barack didn't have much interest in corporate law, but did have a lot of interest in Michelle.

10. love prevailed and they were married on October 18, 1992.

11. Interestingly Barack and Michelle waited almost seven years before having children.

12. Their first daughter name Malia Ann Obama was born in 1999 with Natasha (often called "sasha") following two years later in 2001.

13. “When asked about what made her fall in love with him she replied "for the same reason many other people respect him; his connection with people.”

14. She told Ebony magazine in March 2006, "I never worry about things I can't affect, and with fidelity... that is between Barack and me, and if somebody can come between us, we didn't have much to begin with."

15. MICHELLE'S ROBINSON OBAMA'S CAREER Former associate dean at the University of Chicago; a member of six boards of directors including the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and Tree House Foods; Vice President, Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

16. MICHELLE ‘S INFLUENCES ON BARACK'S POLITICAL CAREER

17. Michelle's professional relationships were helpful when her husband in 2004, then a state senator, ran for the United States.

18. In this 2004 race, Obama had the support of influential black business leaders, some of whom had closer ties to his wife than they did to him

19. MICHELLE OBAMA THE MOM & WIFE

20. Michelle has mastered being a mother, career woman and the wife of a politician.

21. Michelle as a ‘Style Icon’

30. “You can't make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen. We just weren't raised that way.”

31. “All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do - that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be.”

32. “I mean, people are serious about moving this country in a different direction. And that makes me feel good to know that, you know, I'm not alone in my frustration.”

33. “Before we can work on the problems, we have to fix our souls. Our souls are broken in this nation.”

34. “No matter what the outcome is, we have to keep our eyes on the bigger picture. We need some kind of change. We can't cut off our noses to spite our faces.”

35. “I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history - knowing that my piece of the American dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me.”

36. “Barack is one of the smartest people you will ever encounter who will deign to enter this messy thing called politics.”

37. The women with rock- steady determination