In two separate, private ceremonies, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were officially sworn into office, marking the start of their second term in office.
President Obama took the oath, administered by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, in the Blue Room of the White House, using a bible that belonged to First Lady Michelle Obama’s paternal grandparents.
“I did it,” a smiling president said to his daughter Sasha seconds after reciting the oath of office.
Biden was sworn in by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in front of family and friends in a ceremony at the Naval Observatory. Biden took the oath using the Biden family bible.
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The quiet moments on Sunday were prelude to Monday’s public inaugural events when Obama and Biden will be sworn in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol before a crowd expected to reach into the hundreds of thousands and a television audience counted in the millions.
On Monday, Obama will deliver his second inaugural address from the Capitol; the public ceremony and speech live begins at 11:00 a.m. EST.
Below, the White House released this video of Obama speaking in his own words about what this inauguration means to him:
The Constitution mandates that the President takes the oath on January 20. Since that date falls on a Sunday this year, the public inauguration ceremony and festivities will take place tomorrow, January 21.
