A new era has officially started, not only for our neighbours south of the border but also for the landscape of global politics.
After taking the Oath of Office, Joe Biden is officially the 46th President of the United States of America. This was the third swearing-in ceremony the President has been part of, having been sworn in twice as Vice President under President Barack Obama.
The Bible used by President Biden while taking the oath was one that has been in the Biden family for 127 years.
President Joe Biden celebrating with Vice President Kamala Harris after she took the Oath of Office. (Image Credit: C-SPAN)
Just before Biden officially took office, Kamala Harris was sworn-in as the Vice President. Harris, a lawyer and former Senator from California, is the first woman to hold the second-highest office in the country. The Vice President was sworn-in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina Supreme Court Justice.
Notably absent from the inauguration was now-former President Donald Trump. He broke from 150 years of tradition by leaving Washington D.C. earlier in the day. Former Presidents Obama, Clinton, and George W. Bush were on Capitol Hill for the ceremony, as was now-former Vice President Mike Pence.
Prior to the ceremony, Lady Gaga performed the national anthem. Other musical guests for the Inauguration Day celebrations included Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks.
Due to COVID-19, the number of people in attendance was drastically reduced from past inaugurations, with a focus on making Wednesday optimized for everyone to take part virtually from home.
One other notable change was the spacing of chairs on the Capitol to allow for physical distancing.
Today, we begin anew. Tune in for #Inauguration2021. https://t.co/HxfU8q5riA
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 20, 2021
