(CNN) -- As tens of thousands of people cheered Barack Obama's presidential victory at his home base in Chicago, Illinois, others were celebrating near his future house.



People celebrate the victory of President-Elect Barack Obama outside the White House early Wednesday.



At least 1,000 people gathered on Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House late Tuesday night, shouting "Obama! Obama!" and "Yes we can!" Uniformed Secret Service officers were overheard, saying they'd never seen anything like it.



In Boston, Massachusetts, thousands of people -- many of them college students -- hit the streets to celebrate the election of the country's 44th president. The sound of car horns could be heard across the city, CNN affiliate WCVB reported. iReport.com: See, share your reaction



Boston police said the celebrations were peaceful, but they closed some streets to control the crowds, WCVB reported.



In Chicago's Grant Park, where police estimated at least 200,000 had gathered to hear Obama claim victory, the crowd erupted in cheers and screams after news organizations projected him the winner.  Watch Obama address the crowd »



One of them, Brian Braddy of Chicago, said he is a Republican-turned-Democrat.



"I believe in [Obama] because he's younger, so he sees things differently, I hope," Braddy said.



Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey was also among the thousands in attendance at the Chicago celebration.



"It feels like hope won," Winfrey said. "It feels like it's not just victory for  ... Barack Obama. It feels like America did the right thing.



"It feels like there's a shift in consciousness. It feels like something really big and bold has happened here -- like nothing ever in our lifetimes did we expect this to happen. It feels like anything is now possible."



In Harlem, New York, hundreds had gathered to watch election returns on a large screen in a plaza near the Apollo Theater. Many cheered or started making calls to relatives and friends when Obama's victory was announced.



Many there said they couldn't believe an African-American had been elected president in their lifetimes.  People were celebrating in the streets into the night in other cities, including San Francisco, California and Seattle, Washington. iReport.com: Obama win celebrated in Antarctica



In Atlanta, the Rev. Bernice King, youngest daughter of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., hailed the first African-American president-elect. When asked what Obama's victory meant to her, she said it meant "that the work that my mother and father sacrificed for was not in vain."



"I was very touched tonight and moved to tears when I heard the announcement, and I know that this is something that my father would be proud of America for," King said. "He would be proud of the many young people who turned out at the polls to make this possible, and it's a new dawning ... in America."



Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's main rival for the Democratic nomination for president, said Obama's win is a "historic victory for the American people."  See what people are saying about Obama's victory »



"In quiet, solitary acts of citizenship, American voters gave voice to their hopes and their values, voted for change, and refused to be invisible any longer," she said.



Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, said "Americans spoke loud and clear and demanded change by electing Barack Obama as our next president."



"They understood his vision of a fairer and more just America and embraced it," Kennedy said. "They heard his call for a new generation of Americans to participate in government and were inspired. They believed that change is possible and voted to be part of America's future.



"Barack Obama is my friend and tonight, I'm very proud to call him my president. I look forward to working with him and Joe Biden on the many challenges facing our country here at home and
What date did the celebration occur? How many gathered in Chicago? What was Obama's victory? What did the crowd in Chicago gather for? Who hailed a historic victory? How many gathered outside thw White House? Who hails it as a victory for Americans? What did Oprah say? How many gathered outside the White House?
Wednesday. tens of thousands presidential victory Barack Obama's presidential victory Barack Obama's At least 1,000 people Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, "It feels like hope won," At least 1,000 people
question: What date did the celebration occur?, answer: Wednesday. | question: How many gathered in Chicago?, answer: tens of thousands | question: What was Obama's victory?, answer: presidential victory | question: What did the crowd in Chicago gather for?, answer: Barack Obama's presidential victory | question: Who hailed a historic victory?, answer: Barack Obama's | question: How many gathered outside thw White House?, answer: At least 1,000 people | question: Who hails it as a victory for Americans?, answer: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, | question: What did Oprah say?, answer: "It feels like hope won," | question: How many gathered outside the White House?, answer: At least 1,000 people