Barack Obama, President of the United States, turns 53 on Monday and we wanted to wish him a happy birthday in the best way we knew how.
Granted, we’re already at a disadvantage when it comes to presidential birthday wishes, because Marilyn.
Still, we continue undeterred!
To celebrate “44” turning the big 5-3, here are a few of Obama’s world records to remind him what he’s accomplished before blowing out the candles on another year.
MOST EXPENSIVE ELECTION
Similarly to how every Olympics or World Cup seems to cost more than the ones before it, presidential election costs continue to skyrocket in the U.S. No surprise, then, that Obama helped contribute to the most expensive election in history: the 2012 presidential and congressional elections cost a total of some $6 billion among all candidates – an average of $30.33 spent per second through the entire campaign.
MOST EXPENSIVE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
Evidently, the bills on Capitol Hill include those of the dollar variety too.
While Obama shared the most expensive election record with his running mates and opponents, this one belongs just to Barry. The federal government estimated Obama’s first inauguration to cost $49 million, of which a substantial amount came from private donations.
MOST HEAVILY GUARDED PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
And a lot of that money went to ensuring the man of the hour saw no harm.
The 2009 inauguration enlisted 40,000 security troops, 155 teams of plainclothes officers and 99 federal, state and local agencies working with Washington police. The President was protected by the largest amount of bulletproof glass ever to surround an American official, while more than 100 streets were closed to traffic and flight restrictions imposed over the city. The total cost of the security operation was reported at $75 million.
MOST TWITTER FOLLOWERS FOR A POLITICIAN
Help put a smile on the President's face: Sign @OFA's birthday card. http://t.co/FMTQFSqGZ1pic.twitter.com/wC7056f87y
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 3, 2014As the most tech-savvy president in American history - Obama is the first prez to use e-mail daily - it’s no surprise Obama has some social media clout. His 44+ million tweeps far surpass that of any politician (by comparison, David Cameron boasts fewer than 800,000, while the verified " President of Russia" account nets less than 300K) and place him consistently among the top 10 of all Twitter users. The only other politician - technically - in the top 100 is the Dalai Lama. And yet Paris Hilton still hovers near the top 50.
MOST PEOPLE TO DO JUMPING JACKS IN 24 HOURS
The leader of the free world isn’t the only one who’s gotten in on the record-breaking action – Obama’s success has infected the Mrs.
First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off this record – organized by National Geographic Kids – by leading 464 children in 1 minute of jumping jacks on the White House lawn on 11 October 2011. After 24 hours, 300,265 people across 1,050 locations worldwide took part in the successful "Let's Jump!" record campaign.
So, you get the point – his new name should be Ba-records Obama at the rate he’s gone, amirite?! Happy birthday Mr. President…we’ll get started on sending you the largest greeting card any minute.
And for the latest on all things world record, visit Guinness World Records on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and our brand-new Instagram. Plus check out Guinness World Records on YouTube to subscribe for the latest record-breaking videos!
