Major events during Obama's first year in office
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On Jan. 20, 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.
The followings are the major events during Obama's first year in office:
-- On Jan. 22, Obama signed a presidential decree and three executive orders to radically overhaul America's handling of terror suspects, including closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison, a review of military trials for terror suspects and a ban on harsh interrogations.
-- On Feb. 4, Obama imposed a 500,000 U.S. dollar cap on senior executive pay for the most distressed financial institutions that took government bailout money.
-- On Feb. 17, Obama signed into law a 787-billion-dollar economic stimulus package, which was designed to jolt the ailing U.S. economy by providing government spending and tax cuts. It was the largest recovery package unveiled by a U.S. government since the New Deal of Roosevelt.
-- On Feb. 27, he announced a plan to withdraw most troops from Iraq within 18 months. According to the plan, the U.S. combat mission would end by Aug. 31, 2010, and all U.S. troops would be removed by the end of 2011.
-- On March 27, Obama announced a comprehensive new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to which, the U.S. government would add U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and seek additional military trainers from NATO.
-- On June 4, Obama visited Egypt and delivered a speech at Cairo University calling for a new beginning to the U.S.-Muslim relationship. He said the U.S. wished to establish "a partnership" with Islamic countries, and work together with them to face common challenges.
-- On June 17, Obama officially unveiled new "rules of the road" for the country's outdated financial system, the most significant regulatory transformation since the Great Depression in the 1930s. The financial regulatory reform plan was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 11.
-- From July 6-8, Obama visited Russia for the first time as president and met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The two sides reached broad consensus on reduction of strategic offensive arms, counter-terrorism in Afghanistan and nuclear nonproliferation.
-- From July 27-28, the first China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue opened in Washington. The two countries reached broad consensus on a series of issues, such as bilateral ties, economic and financial cooperation, coordinated efforts in dealing with major international and regional issues, and the strategic and economic dialogue mechanism.
-- On Sept. 17, Obama announced the abandonment of the Bush-era controversial missile defense shield program in Eastern Europe, but unveiled a "phased, adaptive approach" for missile defense on the continent.
-- From Nov. 15-18, Obama paid his first state visit to China. The two countries issued a joint statement, pledging to build a "positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship in the 21st century," and take tangible steps to forge a partnership to jointly combat common challenges.
-- On Dec. 1, Obama unveiled his new Afghanistan strategy when speaking at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York State. Under the new strategy, the U.S. would send 30,000 additional troops to the country by the summer of 2010, and U.S. troops would begin to withdraw from Afghanistan in July of 2011.
-- On Dec. 24, the U.S. Senate passed a landmark healthcare bill, which would expand healthcare insurance coverage to 94 percent of Americans. The bill had been passed by the House of Representatives on Nov. 7.
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