Joe Biden's inauguration: celebs and ceremonies on a historic day

Katy Perry delivered the ending to a festive, colorful and historic day. She brought 'Fireworks' to the National Mall in Washington DC.

President Joe Biden's inauguration was an event loaded with the spectacle so typical of American culture. A ceremony in which Biden called for "One Nation!" at a time when the United States went through a phase of undeniable division. The first day of his presidency, one year ago, displayed solemnity, a few moving performances by pop stars, a beautiful poem, and a star-studded evening gala. Let's go back to that historic day.

"Being American is more than a pride we inherit.
It’s the past we step into and how we repair it.
We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it.
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.
And this effort very nearly succeeded.
But while democracy can be periodically delayed,
it can never be permanently defeated."

A star was born on the Capitol: the poet Amanda Gorman.

"Congratulations to my friend, President Joe Biden. This is your moment." Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States, did not want to miss the inauguration of the 46th president and the vice-president during his own tenure. He appears in this photo with the 43rd president, George W. Bush; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; and his wife Michelle Obama.

'Michelle Obama' was trending on Inauguration Day. Her monochrome, "head-to-toe plum ensemble" as Harper's Bazaar describes it, had everyone electrified that day.

In the National Mall, the esplanade in front of the Capitol where usually a general audience gathers to see the inauguration, there were 191,500 flags on January 20, 2021. The event was closed due to coronavirus precautions and the flags symbolized all of those citizens who would otherwise have attended.

Kamala Harris became the first female woman of color in the position of vice-president in U.S. history. She was sworn in by Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

Jill Biden took over the role of First Lady from Melania Trump. It was really Douglas Emhoff, however, who made history by becoming the first Second Gentleman of the United States.

The colorful monochrome outfits of the ceremony's participants inspired many Twitter users to make their own rainbow montage of the event. This one was first spotted on the account of Jay Hosfelt, @HossFross. Many tweets referred to 'the coat' as the protagonist of the day.

But wait, who's the man in the green? He's another protagonist of the inauguration ceremony.

Vermont's Senator Bernie Sanders, an opponent of Joe Biden in the Democratic primaries for the presidency, attended the inauguration ceremony in an outfit that was markedly different from the colorful and stylish brand coats on the podium.

The famous politician seemed to be freezing in the winter cold. "FeeltheBrrrr," people joked, in a reference to his supporters' rallying cry: "Feel the Bern."

Besides laughs, there were also plenty of endearing and moving scenes at the inauguration ceremony.

(Photo: Joe Biden's children Hunter and Ashley hugging the president and the First Lady)

"In tears watching this extraordinary moment for women in the U.S. and the world. Vice President @KamalaHarris," Oprah Winfrey tweeted.

Along with a picture of her daughter watching Kamala Harris getting sworn in, actress Mindy Kaling (of Indian descent, like Harris) said: "It matters. Happy Inauguration everyone."

"Today I am hopeful for great change and a positive reset," Jennifer Hudson tweeted. "I am praying for @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris as they face the many challenges ahead. Thank you for spreading the mission of love and acceptance!"

Actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger thought of the moments he'd shared with the new president. "I’m rooting for you @JoeBiden⁩. Your success is the country’s success."

Joe Biden was sworn in as president by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. The sunny weather cooperated perfectly with this historic event.

After the Oath of Office, Joe Biden gave a big kiss to his wife, Dr Jill Biden, and he celebrated the moment with his children, Ashley and Hunter.

The Oaths of Office by the President and Vice President had been preceded by a beautiful performance of pop star Lady Gaga. Excited but without losing her composure, she lifted the American anthem to an artistic level.

They were in charge of accompanying Lady Gaga for the national anthem. The United States National Marine Band played the prelude to Joe Biden's inauguration.

Jennifer Lopez performed the classic Woody Guthrie song 'This Land is Your Land.' She did so with superb vocal quality. In the middle of the song, JLo launched a message in Spanish for the whole country: "Una nación con libertad y justicia para todos" ("A nation with freedom and justice for all"). It was one of the examples of the ceremony's inclusiveness.

JLo was still engaged to baseball star Alex Rodriguez at the time... Amazing how much can change in a year!

Jennifer Lopez, back with Ben Affleck: here's the whole story

Inclusiveness was also a major theme in Joe Biden's inaugural address. The president called for a rebuilding of the nation with everyone together. "We will once again be a leading force for the good of the world," he said. Referring to the assault on the Capitol of two weeks earlier, he added: "We have to be much better than what we've seen these days."

Following Biden's speech, country singer Garth Brooks took off his black cowboy hat and sang 'Amazing Grace.' He invited the audience to sing the last verse with him, which made for a touching moment. Brooks was so excited after the performance that he hugged a few former presidents without wearing his safety mask.

"There is no time to lose when it comes to addressing the crises we face. That's why I'm heading to the Oval Office today to get down to business and offer bold action and immediate relief to American families." Joe Biden's first tweet on the @Potus account on Twitter was straightforward and forceful.

In the evening of Inauguration Day, a gala with music and messages from all over the country was broadcast from the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall. Bruce Springsteen opened the event with a sober ballad. It was noticeably cold in wintertime Washington DC.

Actor Tom Hanks was the host of the entire event, and he returned frequently to address the TV audience. Unlike others, the Oscar-winning star did not wear an overcoat - just a suit. "Get him a coat!" was a frequent outcry on social media. And also: "tom hanks survived covid only to die at the inauguration of hypothermia."

American pop and rock stars like Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, Foo Fighters and Demi Lovato (photo) sang from different locations in the 'Celebrating America' gala.