Wikipedia:Today's featured article/January 20, 2013

Barack Obama taking the oath of office

The first inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2009. The inauguration marked the commencement of the first four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe Biden as Vice President. "A New Birth of Freedom", a phrase from the Gettysburg Address, served as the inaugural theme to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth year of Abraham Lincoln. In his speeches to the crowds, Obama referred to ideals expressed by Lincoln about renewal, continuity and national unity. The presidential oath as administered to Obama during the ceremony strayed slightly from the form prescribed in the constitution, which led to its re‑administration the next evening. In addition to a larger than usual celebrity attendance at the inauguration, the Presidential Inaugural Committee increased its outreach to ordinary citizens to encourage greater participation in inaugural events compared with participation in recent past inaugurations. Events included a first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball with free or affordable tickets for ordinary citizens. (Full article...)

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