Celebrate Michelle Obama’s Birthday With 15 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About The First Lady

Michelle Obama is celebrating her 50th birthday today, January 17. To mark the occasion, we’ve assembled 15 facts that you probably didn’t know about the First Lady.

Although some folks struggle with turning 50, Michelle Obama is taking her birthday in stride. She recently told People magazine that she doesn’t feel she’s peaked yet. Since Michelle feels that her life is “ever-evolving,” her 50th birthday is just another date on the calendar.

“I will be in my early 50s when I leave here, and I have so much more that I should do. I don’t have the right to just sit on my talents or blessings. I’ve got to keep figuring out ways to have an impact, whether as a mother or as a professional or as a mentor to other kids,” the First Lady explained to the publication.

She also told the folks at Parade during a recent chat, “I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman.”

Although everyone knows that Michelle Obama is turning 50 today, The Inquisitr decided to gather up a few little-known fun facts about the First Lady that may have slipped under the radar. Although a lot of this information might be familiar to some, you could walk away from this list with some details you didn’t already know.

1. Michelle Obama is a serious Stevie Wonder fan. In fact, Michelle previously stated that she and Barack Obama selected Wonder’s “You and I” as their wedding song. However, their first dance was to “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole.

2. During her journey through elementary school, Michelle Obama and her brother both skipped the second grade. She also followed her sibling to Princeton University.

3. When President Obama is away from home on business, the First Lady occasionally lets their Portuguese Water Dog Bo sleep in her bed. Michelle said she and her husband use webcams to stay in touch when he’s gone.

4. Although Michelle Obama loves exercise and working out, she didn’t participate in a lot of competitive sports because she couldn’t stand the thought of losing. However, the First Lady did spend a lot of time learning how to play the piano.

5. Michelle’s first impression of future husband Barack wasn’t the strongest. When she saw a picture of him in the law firm directory, she thought he had a very large nose. Before they started dating, she asked her brother to play basketball with Obama since the family believed you could learn a lot about a person on the court.

6. The First Lady once said that she works out like “a gladiator,” often waking up at 4:30 am to get her routine started. However, she flatly refused to take walks with her husband during the chilly winter months in Chicago.

7. Michelle Obama is pretty big fan of classic television shows. Not only does she frequently watch reruns of The Dick Van Dyke Show, she also has almost every single episode of The Brady Bunch committed to memory.

8. While she has likely received quite a few memorable Christmas presents over the years, the First Lady said her favorite holiday gift as a child was an Easy Bake Oven.

9. Michelle Obama once took her four-month-old daughter Sasha on a job interview. Although she thought bringing the baby to the meeting would effectively ruin her chances of landing the gig, she ended up scoring the position anyway.

10. The First Lady isn’t afraid to give her husband some honest advice. Prior to his speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, she gave Barack some friendly advice. Her words of wisdom: “Just don’t screw it up, buddy.”

11. Michelle Obama is currently tied with Eleanor Roosevelt as the tallest First Lady in history. Michelle stands at an impressive 5’11” in her bare feet. She’s also only one of three First Ladies to earn a master’s degree.

12. Although Barack asked Michelle out on a date several times, she initially refused his advances. When she finally agreed to accompany him out for an evening, they caught director Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing on the big screen.

13. Michelle Obama usually enjoys a breakfast of fruit, eggs and bacon. However, she’s also known to cook up a catch of shrimp linguini for President Obama. According to reports, this is her husband’s favorite meal. However, Barack is the one responsible for doing the dishes.

14. When Barack decided to run for the President of the United States, she made him promise one thing: to give up smoking. He hasn’t had a cigarette since that day.

15. Although the First Lady adores her daughters very much, Michelle previously stated that she doesn’t plan to have any more children going forward.

There you have it — 15 amusing facts about Michelle Obama that you can share with your friends and family on her 50th birthday. Did you learn anything new about the First Lady?

[Images via Wikimedia Commons]