12 Things to Know About Michelle Obama
Get a closer look at America's first lady.
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Meet Michelle Obama - First Lady Michelle Obama is one of the headliners at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, where she will rally Americans to get behind her husband's re-election campaign. Keep reading for 12 fun facts about her life so far. — Britt Middleton Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, 48, was born in Chicago on Jan. 17, 1964. Her father, Fraser Robinson III, was a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department, and her mother, Marian, was a homemaker. The family lived in a brick bungalow on Chicago's South Side. (Photo: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Brains and Beauty - Mrs. Obama excelled in school (both she and her older brother, Craig, skipped second grade) and she graduated salutatorian of her high school class in 1981. (She attended Whitney M. Young High School, the first magnet school in Chicago.) She was classmates with Jesse Jackson's daughter Santita. (Photo: Courtesy of Obama for America)
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A Tall Drink of Water - Mrs. Obama is 5-foot-11. Her husband, Barack, is 6-foot-1. (Photo: Michelle Obama/Facebook)
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Head of the Class - Obama pursued sociology and African-American studies at Princeton University and graduated cum laude in 1985. She earned her law degree from Harvard, which is also the alma mater of her future husband, in 1988. (Photo: Courtesy of BarackObama.com)
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Chance Encounter - After graduating from Harvard, she went on to work at Chicago law firm Sidley Austin. She was assigned to mentor Barack Obama, then a rising name in the Chicago community, and they started dating. They married on Oct. 3, 1992, and have two daughters, Malia, 14, and Sasha, 11. (Photo: Courtesy http://pinterest.com)
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Working It - The "Let's Move" campaign was the first lady's first initiative in office. Geared toward encouraging kids to exercise and to help parents make healthier food choices for their children, the "Let's Move" campaign celebrated its two-year anniversary this year. Beyoncé and Keri Hilson were among the stars who lent their names to the campaign. (Photo: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
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Top Guns - As a fitness enthusiast, Mrs. Obama has inspired countless news articles about how she maintains her fitness as a busy mother of two. Her super-toned arms have even inspired their own Twitter account. (Photo: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
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Busy First Lady - She joined millions of children in breaking the Guinness world record for jumping jacks, is the author of a best-selling book about the White House garden and has helped some 50,000 veterans and military spouses find jobs through her Joining Forces initiative. (Photo: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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Fashion Star - Like Jacqueline Kennedy before her, Mrs. Obama is constantly praised for her fashion sense. She's a fan of budget-friendly lines including J. Crew and H&M, but has also been criticized for donning pricey designer duds. "She has occasionally sported things like $515 Lanvin sneakers while volunteering at a food bank, and a $6,800 J. Mendel jacket at a Buckingham Palace reception with Queen Elizabeth II during the Olympic Games in London," according to the Associated Press. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
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Her Own Path - Though she has yet to speak of plans to run for office herself, the first lady's heart has always been in public service. In 1991, she served as assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago's City Hall before becoming the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service, in 1993. (Photo: Courtesy of The Intergenerational Initiative)
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