Timeline: the Barack Obama files
Updated on 17 January 2008
What happened to Barack Obama in the 12 months before his electrifying win in the Iowa Democratic caucus? Try our interactive timeline.
Born in 1961, Barack Obama's glittering career led him, via Harvard Law School and Chicago University, to a place in the US Senate in 2004.
Two years later, in February 2007, Obama declared his intention to run for the US presidency. 11 months on, his win in the Iowa Democratic caucus galvanised the presidential race.
Whoever wins the Democratic nomination - be it Obama or Hillary Clinton - the Illinois senator's involvement in the 2008 presidential campaign has transformed American politics.
Click here to use our interactive timeline.
Requires Adobe Flash player.