The President of the United States:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

With these words, Barack H. Obama will go down in history as the 44th President of the United States of America, a moment in history unlike any other.

Sound the bells! Blow the trumpets!

Here is my send-off to all of my Friends, Family, Students, and Understudies who are going to the Inauguration: My Best Wishes!

Eddie G. Griffin, BASG

Published: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2008

President of the United States of America
Barack H. Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.

Mr. President: Please Ratify UN Human Rights

Schedule: January 20 — Inauguration Day

FORECAST: According to the National Weather Service, a typical Inauguration Day's normal temperature for the noon hour is about 37°F under a partly cloudy sky with a 10 mph wind. They rate the chances of precipitation at 1 in 6 and the chances of snow at 1 in 20. On the plus side, if it does rain or snow, there is a strong likelihood (a 4 to 1 chance) it will only wet the pavement.

Time - Event
8:00 AM Gates open for ticketed attendees -- if you have tickets, it will be wise to arrive very early as crowds will be huge and security heavy.
10:00 AM Preliminary festivities begin, including music by The United States Marine Band, The San Francisco Boys Chorus, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.
11:30 AM If you have tickets to event, you must have passed through security by this time.
• Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
• Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
• Aretha Franklin will sing
• Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office
• Music composed by John Williams and performed by Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill.

12:00 Noon As specified by the U.S. Constitution (20th Amendment), presidential terms of office begin and end at 12:00 noon on January 20. Barack Obama will take the oath of office, which is this simple, 36-word, statement:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

12:05 PM (approx) President Barack Obama will give his inaugural address, speaking to the nation and world, for the first time, as President of the United States, followed by:
• Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
• Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
• The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"

1:00 PM (approx) Inaugural Luncheon. For details on the menu and invited guests, see the news release.

2:00 PM (approx) Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House. If you have tickets, you need to be in your seats by 1:00 PM.
The Presidential Inauguration Committee announced on January 9 that 5,000 tickets to the parade would go on sale through Ticketmaster at 1:00 PM that day. They sold out quickly -- no more are available.

Evening There are many inaugural balls held around Washington, DC. Some will be hosted by President Obama, others are just parties.

Balls Hosted by President Obama
For details, see the press release.
• Youth Inaugural Ball - Young Americans aged 18-35
• Obama Home States Inaugural Ball - Illinois and Hawaii invited guests
• Biden Home States Inaugural Ball - Delaware and Pennsylvania invited guests
• Eastern Inaugural Ball - CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT, PR, and USVI invited guests
• Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball - MD, VA, DC, NY, NJ, and WV invited guests
• Midwest Inaugural Ball - KS, IN, IA, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI, and MO invited guests
• Southern Inaugural Ball - AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, and TX invited guests
• Western Inaugural Ball - AK, CA, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY, AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT, OK, GUAM/AS invited guests
• Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, hosted by President Obama (New 1/5)
Washington Convention Center. Low Cost and open to public.
• Commander-in-Chief's Ball, hosted by President Obama (New 1/1)
For men and women in uniform only.
Unofficial Balls
• All American Ball
• Change Has Come Inaugural Gala
• NEW 1/9: "The Dream Come True" Inauguration Gala (7:30 PM EST – 1:30 AM)
• Hawaii State Society Inaugural Ball
• The Hill Ball
• Inaugural Purple Ball
• Link Live Inaugural Gal
• MTV Be the Change Inaugural Ball
• State Society of Arizona Inaugural Ball
• Unity Ball
• Blue Diamond Ball
• Hip Hop Inaugural Ball