Barack Obama is sworn in as the first black president

Barack Obama sworn in as the 44th President of the United States at 12:01 PM EST on January 20, 2009, in an inaugural ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

President Obama, became the first black president in the history of the United States.

President Obama was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts before an estimated crowd of 2 million people in Washington D.C. and billions of television viewers world wide.

President Barack Obama began his first speech as president "My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors."