On Wednesday, January 20, Joseph R. Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. It was a breezy, chilly day in Washington, D.C. Biden gave a speech with bold claims. He promised to end an “uncivil war” in an extremely divided country. Biden said, “We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this… if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.” President Biden also promised to fight for all Americans. He said, “I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.” 

To see President Biden’s full speech, click here. 

There were some things about this year’s inauguration very different compared to previous years. There were very few spectators who attended the inaugural ceremony. Due to the pandemic, the number of people was limited to around 1,000. This number is significantly lower than Obama’s 1.9 million attenders in 2009 and Trump’s 600,000 attenders in 2017. 

Vice President Kamala Harris was also sworn in on Wednesday. She will be known as the first black, Indian-American, female to serve as vice president. She was sworn in by U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor.

Other highlights to the inaugural ceremony were the performers. Lady Gaga sang the national anthem, and Garth Brooks performed “Amazing Grace.” Jennifer Lopez sang a remix of “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful.”

Garth Brooks Performance

Lady Gaga’s Performance

Jennifer Lopez’s Performance

Amanda Gorman made her big debut. She was the first ever youth poet laureate. She recited the poem, ‘The Hill We Climb’. “The poem was powerful and she was very well spoken”, said Ellie Clark ‘23. The closing lines of the poem said, 

“When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid

The new dawn blooms as we free it

For there is always light,

if only we’re brave enough to see it

If only we’re brave enough to be it.” 

For a gallery of Inauguration photos from TIME Magazine, click here.