Obama takes oath of office

WASHINGTON With a hand on Abraham Lincoln's inaugural bible, and before a crowd stretching across the National Mall toward where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of his dream of racial equality, the 47-year-old Obama was sworn in as the first black American president by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Roberts told him, "Congratulations, Mr. President."

Obama's wife, Michelle, and young daughters Sasha and Malia looked on. They were joined by people from around the world who gathered in huge numbers in the early morning Washington cold to see history made.