Second inauguration of Barack Obama 1937, the 4-year term of the President and Vice President have ended and begun at noon on January 20, as prescribed by the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Because January 20, 2013, fell on a Sunday, both Obama and Biden were officially sworn in privately, and then again the following day in a public ceremony. This was the seventh time since the start of James Monroe's second term in office, in 1821, that the oath of office was officially administered in a Sunday private ceremony. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office to the President on
African-American candidates for President of the United States Senator Obama was identified as a potential candidate for president of the U.S. after his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. The distinct possibility of an African American becoming elected was realized as the Democratic primary elections got under way in early 2008. Barack Obama emerged as a serious contender for the nomination and was the first African American to win the nomination of a major party in a United States presidential election. As the Democratic Party's nominee he went on to win the general election on November 4, 2008. On January 20, 2009 he was sworn in as