The clock is ticking. The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States is but a few days away and the excitement is building up as American prepare for probably the biggest American presidential inauguration in history. News reports and internet entries point to the number of people planning to go to Washington , DC to witness this historic inauguration live, overbooking hotels as early as November. Indeed, the excitement over the Barack Obama presidency is unparalleled.
According to Wikipedia, the 2009 Presidential inauguration events will start with a train ride on January
Obama Inauguration Schedule / 2009 Presidential Inauguration Schedule
According to various internet sources, the 2009 Presidential inauguration schedule / Obama inauguration schedule will kick off in Washington with its first event on January 18 with an official welcome to visitors on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. This is similar to the event hosted by then incoming President George W. Bush in 2001 which featured popular musicians such as Ricky Martin. This year, Barack Obama's welcome will be star-studded and broadcast free over HBO for those who cannot make it to Washington. Here are some details:
President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration events kick off on Sunday, January 18th with a celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. Performers include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder. Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington are reading historical passages. Reverend Gene Robinson, an openly gay bishop, will deliver the invocation prayer.
The day after, January 19, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and citizens across the country will engage in community service projects to commemorate Dr. King's legacy. For their part, the President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families, joined by Americans in communities all across the country, will participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the Washington, D.C. area. No further details have yet been released about the specific activities Obama and Biden, together with their families, will participate in.
On the eve of the inauguration, there will be a youth concert at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C. The concert will be free, but tickets are required.
President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, together with their families will participate in the traditional presidential inauguration ceremonies and events on January 20, 2009. Festivities will begin at 10 AM on the west front of the U.S. Capitol and will have the following details according to Wikipedia:The program by the Congressional leaders includes music by vocalist Aretha Franklin, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill. Some of the musical selections are by composer John Williams. Poet Elizabeth Alexander will speak. Other inauguration participants include the "The President's Own" (the United States Marine Band) and the United States Navy Band.
Vice President-elect Biden will take his oath first from Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States John Paul Stevens, then Obama will take his oath of office from Chief Justice Roberts. Obama is to be sworn on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration in 1861, and will use the phrase "so help me God" at the end of the oath. The swearing in will be followed by the very first 21-gun salute to the new President from the members of the armed forces, as well as the first playing of four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail to the Chief". Obama will deliver his inaugural speech afterward.
Evangelical pastor Rick Warren will deliver the invocation. His selection has been widely debated, as Warren opposes abortion and same-sex marriage. But Obama's choice of liberal civil rights activist Joseph Lowery of the United Methodist Church to deliver the benediction has received scant attention. The selection of the two Christian clergy members provides balance of a social conservative and a liberal civil rights activist.
After Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States at 12 noon and gives his inaugural speech, he will then escort outgoing president, George W. Bush, to a departure ceremony. A luncheon follows in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. The inaugural parade will follow after lunch at around 2:00 PM. It proceeds through the 15 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue between the Capitol building and the White House. It typically lasts two to three hours. Here are further details:
The inaugural parade will travel down Pennsylvania Avenue, in front of the White House. Because of the threat that the President-elect may face on January 20, it is more than likely that Obama will be traveling down Pennsylvania Avenue by motorcade; it was tradition for the President-elect to walk instead of being driven. It is scheduled to extend for over two hours in the afternoon following the inauguration. It will include 15,000 people, 240 horses, dozens of marching bands, two drum and bugle corps, and one mariachi band from Espanola, New Mexico. He has invited the 9-time Drum Corps International (DCI) World Champion The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, the eight-time finalist Colts Drum and Bugle Corps from Dubuque, Iowa, as well as the high school marching band from Punahou School, his high school in Hawaii to perform in the inaugural parade.
More details will be added to this as they are revealed in the next few days so keep checking back. We will also try top get some information about the inaugural balls (there are a number of them). For more details about the 2009 Presidential inauguration, you can check out Wikipedia. The Washington Post also has an inauguration blog that keeps track of the latest inauguration news, including updates on events..
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