Inauguration of Joe Biden
59th United States presidential inauguration
The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States took place on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, on the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It was the 59th inauguration and marked the commencement of the only term of both Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice president. Biden took the presidential oath of office, before which Harris took the vice presidential oath of office.
"America United" and "Our Determined Democracy: Forging a More Perfect Union"—a reference to the Preamble to the United States Constitution—served as the inaugural themes.
The inauguration took place amidst extraordinary political, public health, economic, and national security crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic; outgoing President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, which provoked an attack on the United States Capitol on January 6; Trump's second impeachment; and a threat of widespread civil unrest, which stimulated a nationwide law enforcement response. Festivities were sharply curtailed by efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the potential for violence near the Capitol. The live audience was limited; members of the Congress attended with one guest of their choosing, resembling a State of the Union address. Public health measures such as mandatory face coverings, testing, temperature checks, and social distancing were used to protect participants in the ceremony.
At 78 years, 61 days of age, Biden became the oldest person to assume the presidency. However, four years later, in 2025, Donald Trump was re-inaugurated at 78 years, 220 days of age, surpassing this
record.
Context
The inauguration marked the formal culmination of the Joe Biden's presidential transition that began with his election on November 3, 2020, him becoming the president-elect.
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