President Obama steps into the White House

20 January 2009

Amidst unprecedented global optimism, President Barack Obama took oath of office as the 44th US president, and the first ever non-white elected to the White House, where ealier in the day he and his wife, Michele, had coffee with outgoing President George W Bush and Laura Bush.

The man, whose campaign theme was 'Yes, we can," was sworn in at 11.56 am on January 20 as the nation's 44th president.

President Obama also became the first-ever African-American chief executive on the steps of the west front of the Capitol in the presence of over an unprecedented crowd of over two million.

Placing his right hand on President Lincoln's Bible, Obama, 47, was administered the oath of office by Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, 53, who was administering his first presidential oath of office after being appointed to the bench three years ago by outgoing President Bush

Even as media outlets around the world pilloried outgoing US President George W Bush as the worst ever commander-in-chief in American history, they have been looking forward to President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration speech with the greatest of expectations. And he didn't disappoint.

Touching upon the twin perils of terrorism and recession imperiling the country today, the new President exhorted Americans to stand up and deliver on the promises of the nation's founding fathers.