Biden placed his hand on a family heirloom, a 5-inch-thick Bible, that has been passed down for 128 years as he recited the 35-word oath of office, pledging to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution." Chief Justice John Roberts administered the ceremony, finalizing the process at 11:49 a.m., just 11 minutes before the official transfer of presidential authority. Following Biden's oath, Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, using a Bible once owned by Thurgood Marshall, a civil rights figure and Supreme Court justice. Harris's inauguration marked her as the highest-ranking woman in US history, the first Black American, and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the second-highest office in the nation. In his Inaugural Address, Biden proclaimed that "democracy has prevailed" after facing challenges from former President Donald Trump, who attempted to overturn the election results and incited a mob to storm the Capitol building two weeks prior. Biden urged Americans to set aside their differences and unite in tackling the coronavirus pandemic, economic hardships, and issues of racism. Biden emphasized the need to end the division between red and blue, rural and urban, and conservative and liberal in his 21-minute address. He called for opening souls instead of hardening hearts, showing tolerance and humility, and trying to understand the perspectives of others. Biden stressed the importance of unity, acknowledging that it may seem like a far-fetched idea but pointing out that Americans have overcome polarization in the past and can do so again. He urged for coming together, reducing conflict, and creating a more peaceful atmosphere. "Unity is essential for peace, progress, and stability. This moment of crisis and challenge requires us to come together. The stormy and divisive Trump presidency ended with a ceremony on a chilly, breezy day, as Trump left Washington before his successor's inauguration, defying tradition once again." President Joe Biden was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., completing the process 11 minutes before the authority of the presidency formally changed hands. The former President Trump flew to Florida to live at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The Senate will soon open Trump's impeachment trial for inciting the Capitol attack. The sight of the newly installed president and vice president at the same Capitol where the attack occurred highlighted the surreal nature of the day. In contrast to the usual joyful and hopeful tone of most inauguration events, the 59th Inauguration Day in the United States highlighted the country's troubles. Amid concerns of potential violence, Washington was heavily guarded by 25,000 National Guard troops, along with numerous police officers and a significant portion of downtown blocked off. Due to the ongoing pandemic, Americans were advised to stay away, resulting in a surreal scene of the new president addressing a sparsely populated National Mall adorned with flags in place of a crowd. Reuters reported that many traditional inauguration events were canceled due to the pandemic, such as the lunch with congressional leaders, the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, and the evening balls. Instead, President Biden will review military units at the Capitol and then be escorted to the White House by marching bands from various military branches, as well as university drum lines. A virtual “Parade Across America” will showcase performances from all states and territories. To promote national unity, Biden will be joined by former presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton to lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery. The first and second couples will participate in a televised evening program hosted by Tom Hanks, replacing the usual formal dances. If the grandeur and formality were limited by the current challenges, Biden's determination to quickly undo the Trump administration's policies remained strong. He had plans to sign 17 executive orders, memorandums, and proclamations later in the day, aimed at reversing many key aspects of the previous administration. This was a significant rejection of his predecessor and a more extensive set of actions on Inauguration Day than seen in recent history. Some of the actions included implementing a national mask mandate for federal workers and property, extending eviction protections and student loan relief, rejoining the Paris climate agreement, halting construction of the border wall, lifting the travel ban on certain Muslim-majority countries, strengthening protections for young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and stopping oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. Rarely has a new president taken such swift action to undo his predecessor's policies on his first day in office as Biden did, aiming to show a clear departure from Trump. While some of the orders were more symbolic than impactful, actual change will need to come through legislation. Biden is set to introduce an immigration reform plan that includes a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented individuals, which will need to be debated and approved by Congress. Biden's message is that democracy has triumphed. Watch President Joe Biden's Inaugural Address. "Democracy has won." President Joe Biden's Inaugural Address can be viewed at https://t.co/EPzTya587f pic.twitter.com/BotK2BwfBN. Capturing the attention of Congress will be difficult, as Trump's trial is expected to occupy the Senate for an extended period. Currently, the Senate seemed unlikely to approve any of Biden's Cabinet nominees on his Inauguration Day, deviating from tradition. Trump had two Cabinet secretaries confirmed on his first day in office, whereas Obama and Bush each had seven. With Harris being inaugurated, the Senate, which was evenly split with 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, now shifts to the Democrats due to her tiebreaking vote as the chamber's president. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York is now the Democratic majority leader and plans to have two separate tracks to consider both nominations and legislation while also conducting the Trump trial. Biden aimed to have a different tone in his Inaugural Address compared to his predecessor, focusing on conciliation rather than provocation. Biden began working on his speech before Thanksgiving with the help of his longtime adviser, Mike Donilon, historian Jon Meacham, speechwriter Vinay Reddy, and his sister and important sounding board, Valerie Biden Owens. Flags were used to symbolize individuals who could not be present at Joe Biden's presidential inauguration on the National Mall in Washington on January 20, 2021. Despite calling for unity, Biden used his speech to address racism following the George Floyd killing and Capitol siege. Without mentioning Trump by name, he emphasized the importance of truth and the consequences of lies, especially after the former president's numerous false statements. Biden's inauguration marked a stark contrast to his predecessor in terms of age, gender, and race. Biden, a seasoned senator and former vice president with deep ties to Washington, values his ability to work across party lines and aims to build relationships with Republicans, including Sen. Mitch McConnell. Known for his talkative nature and friendly demeanor, as well as occasional gaffes, Biden practices a style of politics that combines empathy with personal connections. At 78, he is the oldest president in American history and while some allies acknowledge his age may impact his performance, he has overcome doubts and obstacles to win the presidency after decades in politics. Despite his center-left beliefs, Biden is open to shifting his stance to align with the political center. The more liberal faction of his party remains doubtful, and he may face challenges in maintaining his electoral coalition, which was primarily united by a shared dislike for Trump. Biden takes office with strong public approval, as 57% of Americans have a favorable view of him, a higher rating than Trump ever had. Despite this support, most of the public believes the country is heading in the wrong direction, and a significant portion do not believe Biden won the election legitimately due to Trump's baseless claims. Biden and Harris bring increased diversity to the highest levels of government. Biden, the second Catholic president after John F. Kennedy, and Harris, who shattered gender and racial barriers as vice president, have assembled a Cabinet with record numbers of women and people of color, as well as the first openly gay leader of a statutory Cabinet department. On Jan. 20, 2021, a member of the National Guard used his smartphone to capture the scene at the US Capitol during Biden's inauguration. Biden began his public day by attending a service at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle with his wife, Jill Biden, Harris, and her husband, Doug Emhoff, as well as congressional leaders from both parties, including McConnell, after spending the previous night at Blair House. A National Guard member used his smartphone to film the scene at the US Capitol during President Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021. This deviated from the usual tradition where new presidents attend a worship service at St. John's Church, located near the White House. St. Matthew's Church holds its own presidential significance, having hosted Kennedy's funeral. Attendees at the Capitol swearing-in ceremony included three former presidents and their wives, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama, along with former Vice President Dan Quayle. Besides Justices Roberts and Sotomayor, four other Supreme Court members were in attendance: Justice Elena Kagan and Trump's three appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, were warmly welcomed at the Capitol for their display of respect during the transition of power, despite Trump's rejection. This marked Pence's first visit since he was hurried out of the Senate chamber to avoid the pro-Trump mob, some of whom threatened him. Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, and Garth Brooks performed at the ceremony, with other stars like Kerry Washington, Bruce Springsteen, and Demi Lovato set to join Tom Hanks for the "Celebrating America" performance later in the evening. The celebrity celebration will be interspersed with demonstrations of focusing on governmental matters. Biden will sign his orders and memorandums in the Oval Office at 5:15 p.m. followed by a virtual swearing-in of his staff half an hour later. At 7 p.m., Jen Psaki, the new White House press secretary, will hold her first daily briefing, allowing reporters to question the White House regularly again after it had become rare under Trump. The Bidens will then spend their first night in the White House, marking the end of a journey that officially began in 1987 and unofficially much earlier. These were not the circumstances the new president may have anticipated when starting on this path to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, but history always brings surprises.