January 20
Obama Inaugurated
On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama took the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol before a crowd of nearly two million people. His inauguration, on the day after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, was a historic moment that many Americans had thought they would never see.
Kamala Harris Inaugurated as Vice President
On January 20, 2021, Kamala Harris was sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States. She was the first woman, first Black person, and first South Asian person to hold the office. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor administered the oath of office.
Colin Powell Becomes Secretary of State
On January 20, 2001, Colin Powell became the 65th U.S. Secretary of State, the highest-ranking African American in the history of the U.S. government at that time. He had previously served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Amanda Gorman Reads at Presidential Inauguration
On January 20, 2021, 22-year-old Amanda Gorman delivered her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Her performance made her a global literary sensation, and her books topped bestseller lists. She was the first National Youth Poet Laureate.