Barack Obama will be remembered for many things during his eight years as President and this will include injecting a newfangled dose of modern humour into the White House. From his quip-bursting White House Correspondents Dinner speeches to his mimicking of viral memes while navigating the late night TV circuit, the former President's wit was a defining feature of his tenure.

Now in typical Obama fashion, the Chicago native has jokingly thanked Michelle Obama for sticking with him now they have left the White House. Accepting the John F Kennedy Library Foundation's "Profile in Courage" Award at a ceremony in Boston, he paid tribute to the former First Lady for staying with him in civilian life.

"I also want to thank Michelle Obama for, after the presidency, sticking with me," he said prompting raucous laughter from the audience. "Because I think she felt an obligation to the country to stay on, but once her official duties were over, it wasn't clear."

"I love my wife. And I'm grateful for her, and I do believe that it was America's great good fortune to have her as First Lady."

The couple, both Chicago natives, met in the late 1980's at a local law firm called Sidley & Austin. At the age of just 25, Michelle was assigned as a mentor to an associate who was, you guessed it, Mr Obama.

Michelle initially pushed back when he first asked her out, once saying in an interview that she felt it would be ”tacky“ if they started going out because they were ”the only two black people“ at the company. But she did not resist for long and they started dating later that summer and by 1991 they were engaged and 1992 married.

Michelle Obama as the First Lady Show all 11 1 /11 Michelle Obama as the First Lady Michelle Obama as the First Lady NEW YORK - MARCH 9: Michelle Obama, wife of Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) addresses the crowd at a fundraising event at the Grand Hyatt March 9, 2007 in New York City. The mass fundraiser of Senator Barack Obama targeted a youthful demographic. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady WASHINGTON - JANUARY 4: U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) (2nd L) poses for with his wife Michelle (2nd R), Vice President Dick Cheney (R), daughters (C) Malia and Sasha during the reenactment of a swearing -in ceremony on Capitol Hill January 4, 2005 in Washington, DC. The 109th Congress was sworn in January 4. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 19: Senator Barack Obama and his wife Michelle arrive at the 36th NAACP Image Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on March 19, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady AMES, IA - FEBRUARY 11: Michelle Obama, wife of Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), listens with her daughter Sasha as the Senator addresses a crowd gathered at a campaign rally at Iowa State University February 11, 2007 in Ames, Iowa. Obama is wrapping up a two-day campaign swing through Iowa after announcing February 10, that he would seek the Democratic nomination for President. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady DES MOINES, IA - DECEMBER 08: Michelle Obama (L) and talk show host Oprah Winfrey embrace at a rally for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama December 8, 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa. Obama and Winfrey are scheduled to make two stops in Iowa before heading off to campaign events in South Carolina and New Hampshire tomorrow. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady CHICAGO - FEBRUARY 05: Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), arrives for a Super Tuesday event at the Hyatt Hotel Feburary 5, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. Polls showed Obama and his rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), in a virtual tie going into Super Tuesday, where primaries and caucuses are held in 24 states. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady US President Barack Obama (L) and his wife Michelle (2nd L) meet with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (2nd R) and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh (R) during an audience at Buckingham Palace in London, on April 1, 2009. US President Barack Obama visited Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday while his in London for the G20 summit. Obama and wife Michelle were hosted by the queen for a meeting, the day before the crunch summit on tackling the world economic crisis. AFP PHOTO/John Stillwell/WPA POOL (Photo credit should read JOHN STILLWELL/AFP/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 11: A screen shows the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, as girls participate in a live conversation with her and other school girls around the world, via a video link at the Mulberry School for Girls n OCtober 11, 2016 in London, England. A Global Conversation on Girl's Education was a digital conversation with adolescent girls around the world. The event took place in celebration of International Day of the Girl. Girls in Washington, D.C., Jordan, Peru, Tanzania, and the Mulberry School for Girls in the United Kingdom spoke with one another about the challenges they have faced and potentially overcome in attaining an education. (Kirsty Wigglesworth-WPA Pool/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Executive Director of Let's Move! and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy at The White House Debra Eschmeyer (L) looks on as First Lady Michelle Obama (C) helps a child harvest sweet potatoes from the White House Kitchen Garden during a harvesting event at the White House in Washington, DC, October 6, 2016. / AFP / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20: U.S. first lady Michelle Obama dances with students from turn around schools during a talent show at the East Room of the White House May 20, 2014 in Washington, DC. President Obamas Committee on the Arts and the Humanities held the first-ever White House Talent Show featuring performances by major artists and showcase the talents of students from schools participating in the Turnaround Arts program which helps to turn around low-performing schools and increase student achievement through arts education. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 06: First Lady Michelle Obama dances with members of the All Stars from from the television show "So You Can Dance" during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn April 6, 2015 in Washington, DC. President Obama and the first lady hosted thousands of children for the annual White House event dating back to 1876 that features live music, sports courts, cooking stations, storytelling, as well as the Easter egg roll this year. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Getty

Mr Obama also used his acceptance speech for the John F Kennedy Library Foundation’s award on Sunday to express his "fervent hope" Congress members would transcend party political lines when thinking about the imperative issue of healthcare in the US.

His words came just days after the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives narrowly approved a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare on Thursday. This is a victory for President Donald Trump who has called the 2010 law, which enabled 20 million more Americans to get health insurance, a "disaster."

During a reference to former President John F Kennedy's book on political courage, he said many Congress members risked and ultimately relinquished their seats when they cast a vote for the Affordable Care Act which was widely dubbed Obamacare.

"As everyone here now knows, this great debate is not settled but continues. And it is my fervent hope, and the hope of millions that, regardless of party, such courage is still possible,” Mr Obama said.

"That today's members of Congress, regardless of party, are willing to look at the facts and speak the truth even when it contradicts party positions."