WASHINGTON (CNN)  -- A dream come true, a part of history, an accomplishment for all of us.



Margret Forsythe, left, and Evadey Minott came to Tuesday's inaugural events from Brooklyn, New York.



Millions of people gathered on the Mall in Washington on Tuesday to celebrate the inauguration of the 44th U.S. president, Barack Obama.



"This is America happening," said Evadey Minott of Brooklyn, New York. "It was prophesied by [the Rev. Martin Luther] King that we would have a day when everyone would come together. This is that day. I am excited. I am joyful. It brings tears to my eyes."



L.J. Caldwell of Somerset, New Jersey, said Obama's inauguration capped five decades of struggle for African-Americans.



"When you think back, Malcolm [X] fought. Then we come a little further, Rosa Parks sat. Then come up a little further and Martin [King Jr.] spoke. Then today, President Obama ran and we won."  Watch Obama say Americans have "chosen hope over fear" »



Kim Akins, 43, of Chicago, Illinois, who lives just blocks from Obama's home, made the trek to Washington with her 8-year-old daughter, Chloe.



Vanessa Reed, of Centerville, Virginia, took her daughters to spot on the inaugural parade route.



"I was going to take my daughter here if it was the last thing I did," she said. "It's breathtaking. ... It's overwhelming."



Vanessa Reed, of Centerville, Virginia, who brought her two young daughters to the inauguration, reflected on Obama's speech as she sat with her daughters across from the presidential reviewing stand at the end of the parade route.



"It was beautiful. It spoke to the issues of the moment," said Reed, who worked for the Obama campaign. "I am proud this country saw what we saw in him."



Not as impressed, her youngest daughter, Brooke.



"It was so boring," the 4-year-old said.



Patrick Bragg, 44, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, contemplated the day as he tried to stay warm standing over steam vents on H Street.



Patrick Bragg says he rode a bike 18 miles to get to downtown Washington on Tuesday morning.



"I've been sitting here thinking -- it's really beautiful," said Bragg, who said he rode a bike 18 miles from Bethesda, Maryland, to attend Tuesday's ceremonies. "This is what I would consider the true representation of all of America. Obama gives everyone space at the table."



Some of those attending Tuesday recalled how they were part of the effort that culminated in the historic day.



"You remember why you are doing it all, why you were working so hard on the campaign making phone calls, knocking on doors and getting slammed in the face sometimes," said iReport contributor Vanessa Palmer of the University of South Florida in Tampa.



Howard University student Shakuwra Garrett, 18, said she felt like "a part of history."



"I can carry this with me the rest of my life," Garrett said. "It's an accomplishment for all of us."



The accomplishment crossed borders and oceans for some of those at Tuesday's inauguration.



"The dream came true," said Fatima Cone, 39, who came to the U.S. from Ivory Coast, where her mother wears an Obama T-shirt.



She conveyed the excitement her family feels in West Africa.



"The fight is the same for all blacks. It's the same story. It's the same fight wherever you come from," Cone said.



Canadians Peter and Susan Butler drove down from Toronto, Ontario, to see the event and "support the American people." iReport.com: Are you in Washington? Share your story



"This is a world event," Susan Butler said. "We can tell our grandchildren we were here."



Brtion Simon Ginty called
Who was elected in this story? What did the woman from New York say? What did the New York woman say? What did Obama's election show according to a woman? What ethnicity was the person who said, "This is a world event"? What did the Canadian say?
Barack Obama. "This is America happening," "This is America happening," a day when everyone would come together. Canadians "This is a world event,"
question: Who was elected in this story?, answer: Barack Obama. | question: What did the woman from New York say?, answer: "This is America happening," | question: What did the New York woman say?, answer: "This is America happening," | question: What did Obama's election show according to a woman?, answer: a day when everyone would come together. | question: What ethnicity was the person who said, "This is a world event"?, answer: Canadians | question: What did the Canadian say?, answer: "This is a world event,"