Obama inauguration

The Obama inauguration signaled the conclusion of the Bush administration by the swearing-in ceremony of president-elect Barack Hussein Obama, and Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. as Vice President, on Tuesday January 20th, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. EST. 1.8 million people came to Washington D.C. to watch it, the largest crowd ever assembled for a presidential inauguration since Lyndon B. Johnson's inauguration speech in 1965.

Controversy

• While inviting a Christian to give an inaugural prayer is not so controversial, the gay community is in an uproar over the invite to evangelical pastor Rick Warren. Pastor Warren voted for Prop 8 in his home of California.

• Rev. Sharon Watkins of Protestant Christian denomination will also give an opening prayer. She is the first woman pastor of a religious faith to give an inaugural prayer.

• Openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson from New Hampshire will say an inaugural prayer. Bishop Robinson was among those responsible for the breakup of the American Episcopal Church over the issue of gay pastors.

• Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America, is invited to give an inaugural prayer. Mattson's group says it does not condone terrorism. The Holy Land Foundation and five of its former leaders were convicted of funneling millions of dollars to Hamas, for which the ISNA funded and supported.

• In an additional break with Obama's predecessors, no Catholic or Jewish speaker is invited to give an inaugural prayer.