Michelle Obama is looking back at the day her and her husband Barack Obama's life – and that of their daughters Malia and Sasha – changed forever.
November 4th of this year, unbelievably, marked the 15th anniversary of when the former President was elected to the presidency, and he made history as the first Black president of the United States when he won both the popular vote and Electoral College in a race against the late Republican senator John McCain.
Just over a year before in February 2007, he was a 45-year-old junior United States senator from Illinois announcing a long-shot bid for the highest seat in the land.
In honor of the special day, the Obamas hosted a 15-year reunion with approximately 2,500 former staffers from their presidential campaigns and administration at Grant Park in Chicago, the same place they celebrated the historic win back in 2008.
Michelle took to Instagram after the event and shared a glimpse of her speech with her followers, and wrote a heartfelt tribute to all who have supported the family through the years.
"To all our Obama alumni who joined Barack and me in Chicago, as well as all those who couldn't make it, I just want to say thank you for everything you have done over the past 15 years," she wrote, adding: "Not just for me, not just for Barack, but for our country and our world."
The Becoming author continued: "You've shown us what's possible when you get involved not just in spite of the scale of the challenge, but because of it.
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"You've shown us change is possible – and that our hopes are more powerful than our fears," she went on, adding: "And in the years that have followed since Election Night in Grant Park, you've proven that again and again and again."
© GettyShe included a clip of her touching speech, where she told crowds: "Well, hello, Obama land… It's wonderful to be back with all of you tonight," endearingly noting: "You know, the lights are down, but I saw some familiar faces out there. And I hope this has been a spectacular few days for you all, hugging folks that you haven't seen in years, and reminiscing about that day 15 years ago.
© Getty"I know that we all have stories from that night. Maybe you were still knocking on doors in Pennsylvania or Florida or maybe Nevada. Maybe you were watching on TV when you got a call from your grandmother, you thought that this day would never come. Or maybe you found a moment to reflect outside of all the fuss."
© GettyShe further reminisced: "For me, one of my favorite stories from that night – I hope that Barack hasn't told it already because it's one of our favorites, for our family," and recalled sitting at the hotel with her family, when, after networks had called the election for Obama, "in a blur" their lives changed, and they experienced their first presidential motorcade.
Michelle then remembered going down a familiar, typically crowded street, and her daughter Malia, then ten years old, telling her President-elect dad that there was no one on the road, and thinking no one would be coming to his celebratory party.
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