In the summer of 1989, Michelle Robinson heard the stories of a sharp intern named Barack Obama who’d just finished his first year at Harvard law. She was assigned Barack's mentor when he came to her Chicago firm for a summer job.
- Her first impression of Barack wasn't great; after seeing a photo of him in the law firm directory she decided he had a big nose. “I thought, this is probably just a Black man who can talk straight. That’s why they’re excited about him,” Michelle said to supporters in a speech. Then he took her to church basements and she saw him in action. “He was able to articulate a vision that resonated with people, that was real. And right then and there, I decided this guy was special. The authenticity you see is real, and that’s why I fell in love with him.”
- She declined Barack's first invitations to go out on a date, saying it would be inappropriate.
- Her father and brother had always said you could tell a lot about someone's character on the court, so before agreeing to date Barack, she asked her brother to take him on on the basketball court.
- On their first date Barack took her to see Do The Right Thing, a Spike Lee movie set in Harlem.
- Barack proposed at a Chicago restaurant and the ring arrived on a tray with the dessert.
- Michelle and Barack became husband and wife on October 18, 1992.
- Their first dance at their wedding was to "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole.
- Santita Jackson, Jesse Jackson's daughter and Michelle's high school classmate, sang at the wedding.
- Barrack Obama calls her wife "My Rock".
- Michelle uses a webcam to stay in touch with Barack while separated.
- Michelle made Barack promise to quit smoking if he stood for president.
- Michelle cut back from her six-figure salary with the University of Chicago hospital system to help her husband with his campaign.
- Michelle makes Barack do the dishes.
