As predicted, the crowds that converged on Washington, D.C. from throughout the nation to witness the first Black American president's inauguration broke attendance records.
The crowd estimated to have surged beyond 1 million people began assembling as early as six hours before the 11 a.m. program began.
On Washington's Seventh Street, spectators reportedly broke through police barriers in their urgency to reach a security checkpoint to enter the grounds of the swearing-in.
But officials reported an orderly combination of entrance, exiting and general conduct in areas where the inauguration was witnessed, for the main part of the day.
Resident John Wagner attended Obama's ceremony as his fourth inauguration.
"We live in Washington, we came here in '77," he told an international publication. "We have never seen anything like this. This is history. I volunteered for Obama so I wanted to be here. It's about hope for the future, that's the biggest thing and getting the country back on track again."
“YES WE WILL!: BET’S INAUGURATION CELEBRATION” premieres Tuesday night at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Hosted by Nick Cannon, BET’s televised ball includes performances by Jazmine Sullivan and Common. Inaugural programming begins at 11 a.m. (ET/PT) Tuesday and features live coverage from Washington, D.C., BET News Specials, a special “106 & Park,” and the BET movie premiere of “Selma, Lord, Selma.”