On January 20, 2021, the U.S. Capitol building, mobbed only 14 days earlier, served as the backdrop for Joe Biden to be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, and Kamala Harris to be sworn in as the 49th Vice President. It was a momentous occasion that will go down in history, as she becomes the first woman, woman of color, and daughter of an immigrant to ever be Vice President.

At the celebration of Biden’s inauguration, there were three previous presidents, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush Jr, as well as the previous Vice President Pence; unsurprisingly, former-President Trump was not in attendance.

Additionally, many Congress members, governors, and government officials were at the celebration—with masks—to support the change of power. It was a jovial day celebrating change and pushing forwards, as well as persisting through this pandemic. 

The inauguration was unlike ever before, and even though there were far fewer spectators there to celebrate in person, there were many people watching from their homes.

One of the standout speakers of the day was National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, who performed her work titled “The Hill We Climb.” Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, and Garth Brooks provided A-list talent in the form of patriotic performances. 

After the inauguration and the presidential parade, immediate action was taken. Harris introduced three new Democrats to the Senate, and Biden made fifteen priority decisions that were effective immediately such as rejoining the World Health Organization (W.H.O), and the Paris Climate Accord, and stopping funding for the wall that was being built on the southern border of the U.S.

In all of American history, no president has ever made so many changes on the day of their inauguration in such a tumultuous time

Following the official inauguration, a celebration hosted by Tom Hanks occurred at night, where more celebrities like Demi Lovato, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, and Luis Fonsi gave performances. The night was topped by a “sparkling” performance of “Firework” by Katy Perry, which included an extremely impressive fireworks display (there might not be any left in the country). 

It was truly a great day. President Trump is history, and with his term ending on such a sour note, he will likely hide from the press in the future. His reign of brutality, idiocy, and injustice is over. Now we have a chance to bring the country back up on its feet and actually fight through this pandemic, rather than making up excuses. This inauguration had more security than any other inauguration before due to the abominable events on the 6th of January, which will forever be tied to Trump. 

The night before the inauguration, 400 lights were lit by the Lincoln Memorial to represent the 400,000 deaths in the United States. Later, President Biden and Vice-President Harris hung a wreath with three former presidents at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Across the country, people lit lights and came together to remember the ones that they have lost, which was a beautiful sight to see. Sadly, Mr. Trump never recognized all the people that died during his presidency, at least not in any grand way like Biden and Harris did.

It is my belief that President Biden and Vice-President Harris are much better suited to lead us out of this pandemic than Mr. Trump, and they can remove many of Mr. Trump’s decisions. The inauguration was truly a day to remember.