Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th President of the United States at noon EST today, the first black man in history to hold the office. Visible nervous, and with his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia at his side, the normally smooth Obama mangled his swearing-in oath but went on to deliver an inspiring speech to the throngs that attended the ceremony in a very chilly Washington D.C.
The lavish $170 million inauguration, parade, concerts, and numerous balls will be attended by a litany of Hollywood and TV stars including Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Jessica Alba, Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Sheryl Crow, Herbie Hancock, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder.
Other celebs including Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington are expected to deliver historical readings.
One of the 10 balls Tuesday evening will be shown live on ABC television from 8 to 10 p.m. ET. "The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration" is billed by planners as "the premier event of the inauguration evening."
As with every American transition of power, President and Mrs Bush will move out of the White House just as the Obamas are moved in. and unlike the Clintons in 2001, the Bushes aren't stealing everything that isn't nailed down.
