Enthusiastic spectators flocked to Washington for Monday’s inauguration, where they braved chilly temperatures and heavy security to witness the ceremonial start of President Obama’s second term.
Spirits were high among the approximately one million revelers, as they took in a day of pageantry and patriotic music.
“America’s possibilities are limitless,” President Obama said in his second inaugural address. “We possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it — so long as we seize it together.”
The speech was 2,137 words long and took 15 minutes to deliver. You can read the official transcript here.
(READ the story from the Washingon Times – WATCH some of the highlights below, after an ad from ABC)
Notable historians were asked about the significance of second inaugurals for an impressive video presented by the White House.