President Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States at noon on January 20, 2009 in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. before a crowd of over a million people, becoming the first African-American to become President.

BARRACK OBAMA -- 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:

One January 20, 2009, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Only 42 individuals have held this office before (i.e. one, Grover Cleveland, held the office twice). The above photograph shows President-Elect Obama meeting with President George W. Bush shortly before Obama took office. Prior to being elected President, Obama served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois. In the Democratic primaries, Obama's primary opponent was U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton. This presented the possibilty that if the Democratic candidate won election, the new U.S. President would either be the first Black-American to be elected president or would be the first woman to be elected president. As it was, Obama won the Democratic nomination and went on to defeat his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, the Republic candidate, to become the first Black-American to be elected President of the United States. Barack Obama is also the first U.S. President to be born in Hawaii.