inaguaration+of+Barack+Obama+LB

Inaguration of Barack Obama
The inaguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. This set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joseph R. Biden as Vice President. Combining all the attendace numbers, telivision viewership and internet traffic, it was among the most observed events ever by the global audience.

"A New Birth of Freedom", a phrase from the Gettysburg Address, served as the inagural theme to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth year of Abraham Lincoln. Obama referred to ideals expressed by Lincoln about renewal, continuity and national unity during his speeches. Obama mentioned these ideals in his speech to stress the need for shared sacrifice and a new sense of responsibility to answer America's challenges at home and abroad.

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. on January 17, 2009. The inaugural events held in King, Jr. Day, the swearing-in ceremony, luncheon and parade, inaugural balls, and the interfaith inaugural prayer service. The presidential oath as administered to Obama during his swearing-in cerimony on January 20 strayed slightly from the oath of office prescribed in the United States Constitution, which led to its re-administration the next evening.