First inauguration of Barack Obama First inauguration of Barack Obama The first inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the first four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe Biden as Vice President. Based on the combined attendance numbers, television viewership, and Internet traffic, it was among the most-observed events ever by the global audience. "A New Birth of Freedom", a phrase from the Gettysburg Address, served as the inaugural theme to commemorate the
Christine Griffin 28, 2005, and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on November 4, 2005. Griffin was sworn in on January 3, 2006, to serve the remainder of a five-year term expiring July 1, 2009, and became the first female member of the commission with a physical disability. As commissioner, Griffin advocated for increasing the number of disabled workers in the federal government. In January 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Griffin as acting vice chairman of the commission. Griffin served until December 2009. President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Griffin as deputy director of the United States Office of