The 56th inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in the city, marked the commencement of the first term of Barack Obama as President and Joe Biden as Vice President. Based on combined attendance numbers, television viewership, and Internet traffic, it was one of the most-observed events ever by the global audience. The inauguration was planned primarily by two committees: the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and the 2009 Presidential inaugural Committee.
About First inauguration of Barack Obama in brief
The 56th inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in the city, marked the commencement of the first term of Barack Obama as President and Joe Biden as Vice President. Based on combined attendance numbers, television viewership, and Internet traffic, it was one of the most-observed events ever by the global audience. The inauguration was planned primarily by two committees: the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and the 2009 Presidential inaugural Committee. The inaugural events held in Washington from January 18 to 21, 2009, included concerts, a national day of community service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the swearing-in ceremony, luncheon and parade, inaugural balls, and the interfaith inaugural prayer service. Obama and others paid homage to Lincoln in the form of tributes and references during several of the events, starting with a commemorative train tour from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Washington, D. C. Selected American citizens participated in the train tour and other inaugural events, and a philanthropist organized a People’s Inauguration Ball for disadvantaged people who otherwise would be unable to afford to attend the inaugural festivities. For the first time, the committee opened the entire length of the National Mall as the public viewing area for the swearing in ceremony, breaking with the tradition of past inaugurations. The presidential oath as administered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to Obama during his swearing- in ceremony on January 20 strayed slightly from the oath of office prescribed in the United States Constitution, which led to its re‑administration the next day.
Obama, who originally campaigned using the slogan ‘Change We Can Believe In’, was widely celebrated as the first African American president of the U.S. and a symbol of change from his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush. He inherited what Peter Orszag termed an ‘economic mess’ that became known as the late-2000s financial crisis. In his speeches to the crowds, Obama referred to ideals expressed by Lincoln about renewal, continuity and national unity. Obama wanted to give Americans reassurance that today, as in Lincoln’s time, ‘the country would find its way through any crisis’ The committee selected the inaugural theme, ‘A New Birth of Freedom’, to mark the 200thanniversary of the birth year of Lincoln and honor the Civil War era. The committee released the full schedule of the January 20 inaugural events on December 17, 2008, and referred to the President‑elect as ‘Hackack’, as in ‘Barack Obama’ Obama was formally elected by the Electoral College on December 15, 2008; the results were certified by a joint session of Congress on January 8, 2009; and the inauguration was held on January 18, 2009. The joint congressional committee began construction of the inaugural platform on September 24, 2008. The committee is overseen by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. The Joint Congressional committee chose the theme, which was selected by the committee to honor the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth.
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