A Day in History

Barack Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2009 in Washington, D.C., will be like no other, as millions of Americans descend on Washington—or gather around television sets at home or computer screens at work—to witness history. They'll listen to the first African-American president address the country at a time of immense challenges—an economy in distress, a growing health-care crisis and a world in turmoil. But before those problems are tackled, Inauguration Day will offer a time to pause, to look back on Obama's historic journey to the White House and to anticipate his administration with a sense of urgency—and hope.