Obama's First Inauguration
President Barack Obama and his First Lady Michelle Obama, walk along the inaugural parade route on Inauguration Day in 2009.
Photograph by Carol Robinson, MyShot

On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as president, becoming the first Black leader of the United States.
Grades
6 - 12+
Subjects
Social Studies, U.S. History
Contents
1 Image
President Barack Obama and his First Lady Michelle Obama, walk along the inaugural parade route on Inauguration Day in 2009.
Photograph by Carol Robinson, MyShot
On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold office. More than one million people are estimated to have filled the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States, to witness the inauguration.
In a ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, Obama took the oath of office on the Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration in 1861. The former Illinois senator became the 44th U.S. president, completing a peaceful transfer of power from his predecessor, George W. Bush.
(1809-1865) 16th American president.
official building used by the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C.
activities to celebrate or commemorate an event.
to make a formal beginning or start.
national park composed largely of grassy lawns, stretching roughly between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
public promise a person makes before taking a job or responsibility.
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 |
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 |
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 |
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.
Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society
Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society
Feb. 12, 2021
For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. She or he will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.
If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.
Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.
Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.
Celebrate the achievements of African Americans past and present during Black History Month. This collection of resources includes features of prominent figures such as President Barack Obama and war heroine Mary Seacole. Read about part of Indiana's leg of the underground railroad, which many enslaved people used to run to freedom. Explore hands-on activities, maps, and more that will give students of all backgrounds new perspectives on this important part of American culture.
U.S. presidential inaugurations are celebrated in many ways, with some standard traditions.
In an attempt to move the country forward after the Watergate scandal, President Gerald R. Ford chose to pardon former President Richard Nixon.
Huge crowds of people can be seen all across the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in this satellite image captured on the morning of President Obama's 2009 inauguration.
Celebrate the achievements of African Americans past and present during Black History Month. This collection of resources includes features of prominent figures such as President Barack Obama and war heroine Mary Seacole. Read about part of Indiana's leg of the underground railroad, which many enslaved people used to run to freedom. Explore hands-on activities, maps, and more that will give students of all backgrounds new perspectives on this important part of American culture.
U.S. presidential inaugurations are celebrated in many ways, with some standard traditions.
In an attempt to move the country forward after the Watergate scandal, President Gerald R. Ford chose to pardon former President Richard Nixon.
Huge crowds of people can be seen all across the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in this satellite image captured on the morning of President Obama's 2009 inauguration.
Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students.