Obama Inaugurated — First African American President; 1.8 Million at National Mall

Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President on January 20, 2009, becoming the first African American to hold the office. An estimated 1.8 million people attended the National Mall ceremony. Obama inherited two wars, a collapsing economy (-5.4% GDP growth in Q4 2008), and an unemployment rate rising toward 10%. He entered office with a 67% approval rating and a Democratic supermajority in the Senate.