Michelle Obama Turns 47; President Takes Her to Birthday Dinner

First lady Michelle Obama turned 47 on Monday and President Barack Obama took her to a fancy dinner at The Source, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant in the Newseum, the museum devoted to journalism.

Last year, Mrs. Obama was also taken out by her husband for a birthday dinner, to Restaurant Nora, one of the nicest special-occasion places in town.

In 2009, Mrs. Obama was busy getting ready for the inauguration -- the Obama administration is two years old this week -- and celebrated her birthday on the inauguration train traveling from Philadelphia to Washington.

Earlier in the day Monday, the first family marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day by volunteering at the Stuart Hobson Middle School, where they helped a mentoring program organized by Greater DC Cares' Mentoring Matters Initiative.

There the president said, "This is just an outstanding program, an example of what Martin Luther King's birthday should be all about. I want to thank all the mentees and mentors who are participating.

"Dr. King obviously had a dream of justice and equality in our society, but he also had a dream of service, that you could be a drum major for service, that you could lead by giving back to our communities. And that's what this program is all about and that's what these participants are all about.

"Michelle and I and the girls are extraordinarily proud that each year on Martin Luther King's birthday, this is how we celebrate . . . making sure that we're giving a little something back to the community. And I hope that all the projects that are taking place all across the country on this day are getting similar attention, because this is part of what America is all about. And after a painful week where so many of us were focused on tragedy, it's good for us to remind ourselves what this country is all about. This kind of service project is what's best in us and we're thrilled with everybody who is participating."