Washington witnessed an inauguration that will never be forgotten, reports Anayat Durrani On the steps of the nation's Capitol, in proximity to where Martin Luther King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, the first black president of the United States was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. President Barack Hussein Obama delivered his nearly 20-minute inauguration speech before a cheering crowd of two million on the National Mall and countless numbers tuning in worldwide. They came by plane, train, bus and automobile. Crowds began to assemble down the National Mall Tuesday as early as 4am eager to witness history in the making. People danced, waved flags and signs in support of Obama, many of them moved to tears as he was sworn in. Obama's rise to presidency marks an amazing ascent to power. He was first elected to national office in 2004, winning a Senate seat. But he is most noted for delivering his powerful keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston that set his course as a rising star in the Democratic Party. There is much symbolism in Obama's historic inauguration. The swearing in ceremony took place the day following the national holiday to mark the birth of Martin Luther King. Obama assumes the office of the presidency less than a month before the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, a man greatly admired by Obama. Obama was sworn in using the same Bible that was used in President Lincoln's inauguration in 1861. Both Lincoln and Obama took office at particularly difficult periods in American history. Both men were born in other states but are lawyers from the state of Illinois. The symbolism of the day was never lost on Obama, and while he touched on the historical significance of the moment, he focussed more on the pressing issues facing America. Pastor Rick Warren addressed the crowd before Obama's swearing-in, calling the event a "hinge- point of history". President George W Bush and former presidents Bill Clinton, George H W Bush and Jimmy Carter were all present at the event and seated near Obama as he was sworn in and addressed the crowd. Following the inauguration ceremony, the Obamas escorted former president George W Bush and first lady Laura Bush to the stairs of the helicopter that would take them to their home state of Texas. The Bushes were given a private send-off in a closed hangar at Andrews Air Force base by White House staffers. After the inauguration ceremony, Obama entered the Capitol and signed his Cabinet nominations, and the Senate approved seven very mainstream nominees -- the secretaries of homeland security, agriculture, interior, energy, education, agriculture, and veterans' affairs and the director of the Office of Management and Budget. An interesting rumour is the possibility that Obama might name former Senate majority leader George Mitchell, whose mother was a Lebanese Arab, as his Middle East envoy. His first proclamation was to declare 20 January a national day of renewal and reconciliation, calling on citizens "to serve one another and the common purpose of remaking this Nation for our new century." Later, Obama's motorcade took him along Pennsylvania Avenue among cheering crowds towards the White House, a building partly constructed by slaves. The president and first lady spent the evening attending 10 official inaugural balls.
