Inauguration Day 2009
President Barack Obama takes the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Tuesday.
Obama: America's 44th President
- World celebrates Obama’s presidency
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- Obamas kick off galas with ‘At Last’
- Kennedy suffers seizure
- Republicans find inauguration alternatives
- Day signals sharp break with past
- Jayhawks excited about Obama
- Obama takes office
- Obama takes reins of presidency as first African-American president
- Joe Biden becomes nation's 47th Vice President
- The text of Barack Obama's inaugural address
- More than a million turn out for inauguration, parade
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- Michelle Obama picks white gown
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- PHOTO GALLERY: Busy day in Washington, D.C., as millions celebrate Obama inauguration
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- PHOTO GALLERY: Inauguration Balls
Obama’s inauguration
Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009 — the first African-American elected to the position. Many locals will make the trip to Washington, D.C., to watch the historic event. Others will watch from here in Kansas.
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Washington — “At Last” may have been just what President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were thinking Tuesday night as they glided through their first inaugural dance to the Etta James classic.
The Obamas were the star attraction at the Neighborhood Ball, the first of 10 inaugural celebrations they planned to attend, going into the early hours of Wednesday. The celebrations marked the end of a long day of formal inaugural events and the two-year campaign that put them in the White House.
The president pulled his wife close and they danced a slow, dignified two-step while, offstage, Beyonce sang. The president spun first lady Michelle Obama once in a half-turn.
Obama cut loose in a faster groove a few minutes later, as Shakira, Mary J. Blige, Faith Hill and Mariah Carey sang along with Stevie Wonder to his “Sign, Sealed, Delivered.” The song was played at nearly all of Obama’s rallies throughout the campaign.
“You could tell that’s a black president from the way he was moving,” comedian Jamie Foxx joked following the dance.
The president wore white tie, while Michelle shimmered in a white, one-shouldered, floor-length gown. It was embellished from top to bottom with white floral details and made by 26-year-old New York designer Jason Wu.
“First of all, how good looking is my wife?” Obama asked the crowd of celebrities and supporters.
At the Obama Home States ball, the president pulled the first lady much closer than he did on their first dance. At one point, he wrapped both arms around her waist and locked his fingers together at the small of her back.
In a sign, perhaps, of the tough economic times, guests who already paid anywhere from $75 for a ticket to thousands more for a package deal had to buy their own drinks served in small plastic cups. Beer went for $6, cocktails for $9 and champagne for $12.
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