First African American President

[hfojvt]

88. so I guess I am the first

to mention that it was NOT a state of the Union address where Wilson yelled.

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-09-10/politics/obama.heckled.speech_1_illegal-immigrants-illegal-aliens-rep-joe-wilson?_s=PM OLITICS

It was a special address about Health Care Reform to a joint session of Congress. As Wiki says about a SOTU

"The practice arises from a command given to the president in the Constitution of the United States:

“ He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. ”
— Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution

Although the language of the Constitution is not specific, by tradition, the President makes this report annually in late January."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union_address

Now I suppose any such address could be called a state of the union, since the Constitution does not specify a date, but most people mean "the January speech" when they say "State of the Union".