It may have been some years ago since Barack Obama became the first black president of the United States of America, but that doesn’t mean it’s an event in history that has been forgotten. Online casino operator Betway Insider recently put together a list of some of the largest televised events of the past and the inauguration of Barack appeared on the list alongside the marriage of Harry and Meghan, man landing on the moon and the Live Aid concerts. In terms of the number of people that watched the event, the swearing-in of Obama caught the attention of television networks all over the world.
Barack As President
On the 20th of January 2009, Barack Hussein Obama was officially sworn in as the president of the United States. Not only was he the 44th ever president, but he became the first-ever black president in America. He received the most votes in November 2008 and it was a few months later on a cold winter’s day that he officially was sworn in.
Before he became president, he was a Junior US senator and won a series of votes in order to be successful. Firstly, he won a Democratic battle with Hillary Clinton, senator of New York and then he beat the republican candidate, getting more votes than Arizona senator John McCain.
There are many theories as to why Barack was so loved in these early stages – a theme that continued throughout his presidential career. However, for many, it was his message of hope that made all the difference. The world was having a tricky time, with America on the edge of a recession. Obama confidently declared “Yes We Can” as his campaign slogan, giving Americans hope and confidence that he would be able to bring about much-needed change to the country.
Inauguration Day
There are many things that those attending the inauguration day will remember, however, the fact that it was freezing cold is going to be something unforgettable. Of course, it was a winter’s day in January so a cold spell was to be expected but this day in Washington seemed bitterly cold!
On the day itself, many people chose to attend Washington and show their support for their new and much-loved president. This isn’t anything new, 1.2 million people were said to have added when Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president in 1965. However, on this day in 2009, this record was broken as it is estimated that 1.8 million people attended the city to witness the proceeding. Crowds of people lined the streets from the Capitol Building to the National Mall and beyond. Undoubtedly an amazing atmosphere to be a part of and certainly something that cemented just how popular Obama was with the people of America.
Although the day ran reasonably smoothly, things got off to a slow start and the ceremony did start slightly late. Things started at just after 12 pm with Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. starting the process to administer the presidential oath of office to the president-elect. Making it a real family affair, Barak chose to swear in by placing his hand on a bible held by his wife Michelle; the first of many times when she would be right by his side. He used the same bible as Abraham Lincoln – a really important piece of history.
His Inaugural Address
It must be hard to know what to say as part of your inaugural address – knowing that not only is the whole world listening but that it is a speech that will be documented in the history books forever. His speech lasted for around 20 minutes and touched on many of the issues that he knew were at the forefront of the minds of the people of America. Issues that he touched on included:
• The economic crisis America was facing
• Terrorism and war
• The state of healthcare
• Schools and education
• The confidence lost in America’s promise
Of course, in a 20-minute speech, he could not possibly have all of the answers, but it gave America confidence that he knew of these issues and that they were going to be tackled now that he was in charge.
He talked of making changes for America but did not exaggerate or give false hope. Instead, he spoke with optimism of being able to make a difference, but with a caution that things were tricky. “The challenges we face are real,” Obama declared. “They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America, they will be met. He went on to talk about the fact that he knew things were difficult, but that everyone had a civic responsibility and to embrace things and do their own part to make a change – “What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility, a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize grandly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. That is the price and promise of citizenship.”
He also touched on the fact that he was the first black president and how even just a few years ago things may have been very different. He talked about the fact that “a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.” – A reminder of the change in history that was happening in front of them.
The Celebrations
After all of this was done, he headed to Statuary Hall and attended the traditional inauguration lunch. After this, Michelle and Barack were part of a 15,000 people parade that travelled down Pennsylvania Parade – with a heap of people there to watch it happen. It was a busy night for celebrations as America’s new power couple attended at least 10 official celebration events that evening – after all, it really was a feat worth celebrating!
It wasn’t just America that celebrated – Kenya (where Obama’s father lives) declared the day a public holiday and the school in Jakarta that Barack once attended held a midnight ball to celebrate. In Japan, a city called Obama took the opportunity to have its own party and celebrations with a large firework display, hula dancing and bellringing.
No doubt plenty of households across America will have had their own gatherings to watch the inauguration happen and celebrate this massive moment in American history.
Public Attention
As you might imagine, an event of this magnitude attracted the attention of America and the rest of the world. In fact, it is estimated that 1 billion people tuned in from countries across the world to watch the inauguration happen live – that is around 14 out of every 100 people on earth. With 14% of the world tuned in to watch Barack become the country’s first black president there was definitely a pressure for him to get things right – and judging by the reactions he got at the time he hit the nail straight on the head.
He must have gotten things right as he was a popular president of America and in fact, remained at the top until the 20th of January 2017. His time as President of the United States only came to an end because he had already been elected twice and that is the maximum that the US Constitution allows. However, that doesn’t mean that Barack and his family have stopped petitioning for change and with 132 million followers on Twitter alone, it shows that people really do care what he has to say. He definitely keeps on top of world affairs and doing what he can to make a change. A recent tweet says “The Inflation Reduction Act that just passed the Senate is a major accomplishment. Not only will it reduce inflation and lower the cost of prescription drugs – but it also happens to be the most consequential piece of climate legislation in American history”, which he shared alongside a NY times post about the latest Climate, Tax and Health Care Package to have been announced.
Barack may not be president anymore, but he will forever be in the history books for being the first ever black American president, with many hoping that he will be the first of a long time of black men that are able to rule the country and do some good with their time. 14% of the world’s population watched as Barack confidently took the stand and was sworn in as the next American president – but with the world population growing at a rate of knots and political interest on the rise who’s to say how many people will tune in to watch the next president be sworn in – we’ll have to wait and see.
