Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, taking the oath of office at an inauguration unlike any other in the nation’s history.
Unlike past swearing-in ceremonies, the new president assumed office before a National Mall that has been cleared of observers — both for security reasons in the aftermath of this month’s Capitol siege, as well as to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Biden, 78, becomes the oldest president in American history and the 15th vice president to ascend to the presidency. He was a senator from Delaware for more than three-and-a-half decades, from 1973-2009, before serving as former President Barack Obama’s vice president, from 2009-2017.
