title: French Republican calendar

text: The calendar was abolished by an act dated 22 Fructidor an XIII (9 September 1805) and signed by Napoleon, which referred to a report by Michel-Louis-Étienne Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély and Jean Joseph Mounier, listing two fundamental flaws.


title: French Republican calendar

text: The report also noted that the 10-day décade was unpopular and had already been suppressed three years earlier in favor of the seven-day week, removing what was considered by some as one of the calendar's main benefits. The 10-day décade was unpopular with laborers because they received only one full day of rest out of ten, instead of one in seven, although they also got a half-day off on the fifth day (thus 36 full days and 36 half days in a year, for a total of 54 free days, compared to the usual 52 or 53 Sundays). It also, by design, conflicted with Sunday religious observances.


title: French Republican calendar

text: Another criticism of the calendar was that despite the poetic names of its months, they were tied to the climate and agriculture of metropolitan France and therefore not applicable to France's overseas territories.


title: French Republican calendar

text: The "18 Brumaire" or "Brumaire" was the coup d'état of Napoléon Bonaparte on 18 Brumaire An VIII (9 November 1799), which many historians consider to be the end of the French Revolution. Karl Marx's 1852 essay "The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon" compares the coup d'état of 1851 of Louis Napoléon unfavorably to his uncle's earlier coup, with the statement "History repeats ... first as tragedy, then as farce".


title: French Republican calendar

text: Another famous revolutionary date is 9 Thermidor An II (27 July 1794), the date the Convention turned against Robespierre, who, along with others associated with the Mountain, was guillotined the following day. Based on this event, the term "Thermidorian" entered the Marxist vocabulary as referring to revolutionaries who destroy the revolution from the inside and turn against its true aims. For example, Leon Trotsky and his followers used this term about Joseph Stalin.


title: French Republican calendar

text: The seafood dish Lobster Thermidor was named after the 1891 play "Thermidor", set during the Revolution.


title: French Republican calendar

text: The Convention of 9 Brumaire An III, 30 October 1794, established the École normale supérieure. The date appears prominently on the entrance to the school.


title: French Republican calendar

text: The French composer Fromental Halévy was named after the feast day of 'Fromental' in the Revolutionary Calendar, which occurred on his birthday in year VIII (27 May 1799).


title: French Republican calendar

text: Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" series included a story called "Thermidor" that takes place in that month during the French Revolution.


title: French Republican calendar

text: The "Liavek" shared world series uses a calendar that is a direct translation of the French Republican calendar.


title: French Republican calendar

text: Sarah Monette's "Doctrine of Labyrinths" series borrows the Republican calendar for one of the two competing calendars (their usage splits between social classes) in the fictional city of Mélusine.


title: French Republican calendar

text: Jacques Rivette's 1974 film "Celine and Julie Go Boating" refers to the calendar and its hours of the day.


title: French Republican calendar

text: Alain Tanner's 1979 film "Messidor" presents a haphazard summer road trip of two young women in Switzerland.


title: French Republican calendar

text: The character of Ash Crimson from "The King of Fighters" takes many of his move names from this calendar, such as Pluviose, Ventôse, Thermidor, Fructidor, and Floréal.


title: French Republican calendar

text: In the French version of "Pokémon X and Y", the radial streets of Lumiose City are named "Avenue Floréal" (in English, Vernal Avenue), "Avenue Thermidor" (Estival Avenue), "Avenue Ventôse" (Hibernal Avenue) and "Avenue Vendémiaire" (Autumnal Avenue).


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The Nicaraguan Revolution () encompassed the rising opposition to the Somoza dictatorship in the 1960s and 1970s, the campaign led by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) to oust the dictatorship in 1978–79, the subsequent efforts of the FSLN to govern Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, and the Contra War, which was waged between the FSLN-led government of Nicaragua and the United States–backed Contras from 1981 to 1990. The revolution marked a significant period in the history of Nicaragua and revealed the country as one of the major proxy war battlegrounds of the Cold War, attracting much international attention.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The initial overthrow of the Somoza regime in 1978–79 was a dirty affair, and the Contra War of the 1980s took the lives of tens of thousands of Nicaraguans and was the subject of fierce international debate. Because of the political turmoil failing economy, and decreasing government influence, during the 1980s, both the FSLN (a leftist collection of political parties) and the Contras (a rightist collection of counter-revolutionary groups) received large amounts of aid from the Cold War superpowers (respectively, the Soviet Union and the United States).


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Peace process started with Sapoá Accords in 1988 and the Contra War ended after the signing of the Tela Accord in 1989 and the demobilization of the FSLN and Contra armies. A second election in 1990 resulted in the election of a majority of anti-Sandinista parties and the FSLN handing over power.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Following the United States occupation of Nicaragua in 1912 during the Banana Wars, the Somoza family political dynasty came to power, and would rule Nicaragua from 1937 until their ouster in 1979 during the Nicaraguan Revolution. The Somoza dynasty consisted of Anastasio Somoza García, his eldest son Luis Somoza Debayle, and finally Anastasio Somoza Debayle. The era of Somoza family rule was characterized by economic development albeit with rising inequality and political corruption, strong US support for the government and its military, as well as a reliance on US-based multinational corporations.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: In 1961 Carlos Fonseca Amador, Silvio Mayorga, and Tomás Borge Martínez formed the FSLN (Sandinista National Liberation Front) with other student activists at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua (UNAN) in Managua. For the founding members of the FSLN, this was not their first experience with political activism. Amador, first General Secretary of the organization, had worked with others on a newspaper "broadly critical" of the Somoza reign titled "Segovia".


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Consisting of approximately 20 members during the 1960s, with the help of students, the organization gathered support from peasants and anti-Somoza elements within Nicaraguan society, as well as from the communist Cuban government, and the socialist Panamanian government of Omar Torrijos, and the social democratic Venezuelan government of Carlos Andrés Pérez.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: By the 1970s the coalition of students, farmers, businesses, churches, and a small percentage of Marxists was strong enough to launch a military effort against the regime of longtime dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle. The FSLN focused on guerrilla tactics almost immediately, inspired by the campaigns of Fidel Castro and Ché Guevara. Penetrating the Northern coast of Nicaragua, the Río Coco/Bocay-Raití campaign was largely a failure: "when guerrillas did encounter the National Guard, they had to retreat...with heavy losses." Further operations included a devastating loss near the city of Matagalpa, during which Mayorga was killed, which led Fonseca to a "prolonged period of reflection, self-criticism and ideological debate." During this time, the FSLN reduced attacks, instead focusing on solidifying the organization as a whole.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Fonseca died in combat in November of 1976. After his death, the FSLN split into three factions which fought separately: Tendencia GPP (Guerra Popular Prolongada) (English: Prolonged People's War), which followed Maoist ideas; Tendencia Proletaria (English: proletarian), which followed Marxist-Leninist ideas; and Tendencia Tercerista (English: third), which pursued politically left-wing nationalism, social democracy, and liberation theology.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: In the 1970s the FSLN began a campaign of kidnappings which led to national recognition of the group in the Nicaraguan media and solidification of the group as a force in opposition to the Somoza Regime. The Somoza Regime, which included the Nicaraguan National Guard, a force highly trained by the U.S. military, declared a state of siege, and proceeded to use torture, extrajudicial killings, intimidation and censorship of the press in order to combat the FSLN attacks. This led to international condemnation of the regime and in 1978 the administration of U.S. president Jimmy Carter cut off aid to the Somoza regime due to its human rights violations (Boland Amendment). In response, Somoza lifted the state of siege in order to continue receiving aid.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Other opposition parties and movements also started a process of consolidation. In 1974, "Unión Democrática Liberal" (UDEL) was founded by Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal; the alliance included two anti-Somoza liberal parties as well as some conservatives and even the Nicaraguan Socialist Party.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: On 10 January 1978, the editor of the Managua newspaper "La Prensa", and founder of the Union for Democratic Liberation (UDEL), Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal was murdered by suspected elements of the Somoza regime, and riots broke out in the capital city, Managua, targeting the Somoza regime. Following the riots, a general strike on 23–24 January called for the end of the Somoza regime and was, according to the U.S. State Department staff at the U.S. Embassy, successful at shutting down around 80% of businesses in not only Managua but also the provincial capitals of León, Granada, Chinandega, and Matagalpa.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: On 22 August 1978 the FSLN staged a massive kidnapping operation. Led by Éden Pastora, the Sandinistan forces captured the National Palace while the legislature was in session, taking 2,000 hostages. Pastora demanded money, the release of Sandinistan prisoners, and, "a means of publicizing the Sandinista cause." After two days, the government agreed to pay $500,000 and to release certain prisoners, marking a major victory for the FSLN. Revolts against the state continued as the Sandinistas received material support from Venezuela and Panama. Further support would stem from Cuba in the form of "arms and military advising."


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: In early 1979 the Organization of American States supervised negotiations between the FSLN and the government. However, these broke down when it became clear that the Somoza regime had no intention of allowing democratic elections to take place.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: By June 1979 the FSLN controlled all of the country except the capital, and on 17 July President Somoza resigned and the FSLN entered Managua, giving full control of the government to the revolutionary movements. Somoza fled to Miami, his Nationalist Liberal Party became practically "decapacitated" and many of its functionaries as well as business figures overtly compromised with somocismo chose the exile. The Catholic church and the professional sectors generally approved of the new reality.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Immediately following the fall of the Somoza regime, Nicaragua was largely in ruins. The country had suffered both war and, earlier, natural disaster in the devastating 1972 Nicaragua earthquake. In 1979, approximately 600,000 Nicaraguans were homeless and 150,000 were either refugees or in exile, out of a total population of just 2.8 million.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: In response to these issues, a state of emergency was declared. President Carter sent US$99 million in aid. Land and businesses of the Somoza regime were expropriated, the old courts were abolished, and workers were organized into Civil Defense Committees. The new regime also declared that "elections are unnecessary", which led to criticism from the Catholic Church, among others.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The Revolution ended the burden the Somocista regime had imposed upon the Nicaraguan economy and which had seriously deformed the country, creating a big and modern center, Managua, where Somoza's power had emanated to all corners of the territory. Somoza had developed an almost semifeudalist rural economy with few productive goods, such as cotton, sugar and other tropical agricultural products. All sectors of the economy of Nicaragua were determined, in great part if not entirely, by the Somozas or the officials and others surrounding the regime, whether by directly owning agricultural brands and trusts, or actively putting them into local or foreign hands. It is famously stated that Somoza himself owned 1/5 of all profitable land in Nicaragua. While this is not correct, Somoza or his adepts did own or give away banks, ports, communications, services and massive amounts of land.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The Nicaraguan Revolution brought immense restructuring and reforms to all three sectors of the economy, directing it towards a mixed economy system. The biggest economic impact was on the primary sector, agriculture, in the form of the Agrarian Reform, which was not proposed as something that could be planned in advanced from the beginning of the Revolution but as a process that would develop pragmatically along with the other changes (economic, political, etc.) that would arise during the Revolution period.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Economic reforms overall needed to rescue out of limbo the inefficient and helpless Nicaraguan economy. As a "third-world" country, Nicaragua had, and has, an agriculture-based economy, undeveloped and susceptible to the flow of market prices for its agricultural goods, such as coffee and cotton. The Revolution faced a rural economy well behind in technology and, at the same time, devastated by the guerrilla warfare and the soon to come civil war against the Contras.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Article 1 of the Agrarian Reform Law says that property is guaranteed if it laboured efficiently and that there could be different forms of property:


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The principles that presided Agrarian Reform were the same ones for the Revolution: pluralism, national unity and economic democracy.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: In 1985, the Agrarian Reform distributed of land to the peasantry. This represented about 75 percent of all land distributed to peasants since 1980. According to Project, the agrarian reform had the twofold purpose of increasing the support for the government among the campesinos, and guaranteeing ample food delivery into the cities. During 1985, ceremonies were held throughout the countryside in which Daniel Ortega would give each peasant a title to the land and a rifle to defend it.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The Nicaraguan Revolution brought many cultural improvements and developments. Undoubtedly, the most important was the planning and execution of the Nicaraguan Literacy Campaign "(Cruzada Nacional de Alfabetización)". The literacy campaign used secondary school students, university students as well as teachers as volunteer teachers. Within five months they reduced the overall illiteracy rate from 50.3% to 12.9%. As a result, in September 1980, UNESCO awarded Nicaragua with the "Nadezhda K. Krupskaya" award for their successful literacy campaign. This was followed by the literacy campaigns of 1982, 1986, 1987, 1995 and 2000, all of which were also awarded by UNESCO. The Revolution also founded a Ministry of Culture, one of only three in Latin America at the time, and established a new editorial brand, called "Editorial Nueva Nicaragua" and, based on it, started to print cheap editions of basic books rarely seen by Nicaraguans at all. It also founded an "Instituto de Estudios del Sandinismo" (Institute for Studies of Sandinismo) where it printed all of the work and papers of Augusto C. Sandino and those that cemented the ideologies of FSLN as well, such as Carlos Fonseca, Ricardo Morales Avilés and others. The key large scale programs of the Sandinistas received international recognition for their gains in literacy, health care, education, childcare, unions, and land reform.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The Heritage Foundation, a conservative American think tank with close ties to the Reagan administration, charged the Sandinista government with numerous human rights violations, including censorship of the press and repression of the country's Miskito and Jewish populations. It charged that the government censored the independent newspaper "La Prensa," though French journalist Viktor Dedaj, who lived in Managua in the 1980s, contended that "La Prensa" was generally sold freely and that the majority of radio stations were anti-Sandinista. The Heritage Foundation also claimed that the Sandinistas instituted a "spy on your neighbor" system that encouraged citizens to report any activity deemed counter-revolutionary, with those reported facing harassment from security representatives, including the destruction of property.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The Heritage Foundation also criticized the government for its treatment of the Miskito people, stating that over 15,000 Miskitos were forced to relocate, their villages were destroyed, and their killers were promoted rather than punished. The Los Angeles Times also noted that "...the Miskitos began to actively oppose the Sandinistas in 1982 when authorities killed more than a dozen Indians, burned villages, forcibly recruited young men into the army and tried to relocate others. Thousands of Miskitos poured across the Coco into Honduras, and many took up U.S.-supplied arms to oppose the Nicaraguan government."


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Investigations conducted by the United Nations, the Organization of American States and Pax Christi between 1979 and 1983 refuted the Foundation's allegations of anti-Semitism. Some Jewish people had property expropriated for their collaboration with the Somoza regime, but not because they were Jewish. The prominent Sandinista Herty Lewites, who served as Minister of Tourism in the 1980s and mayor of Managua in the 2000s, was of Jewish descent.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Amnesty International also noted numerous human rights violations by the Sandinista government. Among what they found: they contended that civilians "disappeared" after their arrest, that "civil and political rights" were suspended, due process was denied detainees, torture of detainees, and "reports of the killing by government forces of those suspected of supporting the contras".


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The Sandinistas were also accused of mass executions. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights investigated abuses by Sandinista forces, including an execution of 35 to 40 Miskitos in December 1981, and an execution of 75 people in November 1984.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Although the Carter Administration had attempted to work with FSLN in 1979 and 1980, the more right-wing Reagan Administration supported a strong anti-communist strategy for dealing with Latin America, and so it attempted to isolate the Sandinista regime. As early as 1980–1981 an anti-Sandinista movement, the "Contrarrevolución" (Counter-revolution) or just "Contras", was forming along the border with Honduras. Many of the initial Contras were former members of the Somoza regime's National Guard unit and many were still loyal to Somoza, who was living in exile in Honduras.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: In addition to the Contra units who continued to be loyal to Somoza, the FSLN also began to face opposition from members of the ethnic minority groups that inhabited Nicaragua's remote Mosquito Coast region along the Caribbean Sea. These groups were demanding a larger share of self-determination and/or autonomy, but the FSLN refused to grant this and began using forced relocations and armed force in response to these grievances.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Upon taking office in January 1981, Ronald Reagan cancelled the dispersal of economic aid to Nicaragua, and on 6 August 1981 he signed National Security Decision Directive number 7, which authorized the production and shipment of arms to the region but not their deployment. On 17 November 1981, President Reagan signed National Security Directive 17, authorizing covert support to anti-Sandinista forces.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: An armed conflict soon arose, adding to the destabilization of the region which had been unfolding through the Central American civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala. The Contras, heavily backed by the CIA, secretly opened a "second front" on Nicaragua's Atlantic coast and Costa Rican border. With the civil war opening up cracks in the national revolutionary project, the FSLN's military budget grew to more than half of the annual budget. The "Servicio Militar Patriótico" (Patriotic Military Service), a compulsory draft, was also established.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: By 1982 Contra forces had begun carrying out assassinations of members of the Nicaraguan government, and by 1983 the Contras had launched a major offensive and the CIA was helping them to plant mines in Nicaragua's harbors to prevent foreign weapons shipments from arriving. The 1987 Iran–Contra affair placed the Reagan Administration again at the center of secret support for the Contras.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The 1984 election took place on 4 November. Of the 1,551,597 citizens registered in July, 1,170,142 voted (75.41%). The null votes were 6% of the total. International observers declared the elections free and fair, despite the Reagan administration denouncing it as a "Soviet style sham". The national averages of valid votes for president were:


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The Esquipulas Peace Agreement was an initiative in the mid-1980s to settle the military conflicts that had plagued Central America for many years, and in some cases (notably Guatemala) for decades. It built upon groundwork laid by the Contadora Group from 1983 to 1985. The agreement was named for Esquipulas, Guatemala, where the initial meetings took place. The US Congress lobbying efforts were helped by one of Capitol Hill's top lobbyists, William C. Chasey.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: In May 1986, a summit meeting, Esquipulas I, took place, attended by the five Central American presidents. On 15 February 1987, Costa Rican President Óscar Arias submitted a Peace Plan which evolved from this meeting. During 1986 and 1987, the Esquipulas Process was established, in which the Central American heads of state agreed on economic cooperation and a framework for peaceful conflict resolution. The Esquipulas II Accord emerged from this and was signed in Guatemala City by the five presidents on 7 August 1987.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Esquipulas II defined a number of measures to promote national reconciliation, an end to hostilities, democratization, free elections, the termination of all assistance to irregular forces, negotiations on arms controls, and assistance to refugees. It also laid the ground for international verification procedures and provided a timetable for implementation.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: Sapoá Accords at March 23, 1988 initiated the peace process in Nicaragua. Name comes from the location, town of Sapoá near Costa Rican border. Sandinismo in 1988 had reached economical end point since Cold War (1985–1991) was coming to an end as Soviet Union was near the peak of Era of Stagnation limiting its support to Sandinistas. This in turn limited Sandinista government options to continue the conflict to favourable end and forcing them to negotiation for peace.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: The Accords was mediated by João Clemente Baena Soares at the time as Secretary General of the Organization of American States and then Archbishop of Managua Miguel Obando y Bravo Since Nicaraguan conflict was one of the proxy war between Soviet Union and United States, peace process management relied also on then Soviet ambassador Vaino Väljas mediation depending on the recent US-Soviet agreements since US did not have any Ambassador assigned to Nicaragua from July 1, 1987 till May 4, 1988.


title: Nicaraguan Revolution

text: "Since the very moment of inception, under the political guidance and technical and financial support from the government of the US, the existence of UNO was marked by grave structural deformations, derived from its own nature. In its conformation concurred the most diverse currents of the Nicaraguan political and ideological range: from the liberal-conservative -traditionally anticommunist and pro-US, to marxist-leninists from moscovian lineage, openly declared supporters of class struggle and enemies of capitalism in its superior development stage".


title: Edward Mordake

text: Edward Mordake (sometimes spelled Mordrake) is the apocryphal subject of an urban legend who was born in the 19th century as the heir to an English peerage with a face at the back of his head. According to legend, the face could whisper, laugh or cry. Mordake repeatedly begged doctors to remove it, claiming it whispered bad things to him at night. Mordake committed suicide at the age of 23.


title: Edward Mordake

text: An account described Mordake's figure as one with "remarkable grace" and with a face similar to that of an Antinous. The second face on the back of Mordake's supposedly femalereportedly had a pair of eyes and a mouth that drooled. The duplicate face could not see, eat, or speak, but was said to "sneer while Mordake was happy" and "smile while Mordake was weeping". According to legend, Mordake repeatedly begged doctors to have his "demon face" removed, claiming that at night it whispered things that "one would only speak about in hell", but no doctor would attempt it. This then led to Mordake secluding himself in a room before deciding to take his own life at the age of 23.


title: Edward Mordake

text: The first known description of Mordake is found in an 1895 article in "The Boston Post" authored by fiction writer Charles Lotin Hildreth. The article describes a number of cases of what Hildreth refers to as "human freaks", including a woman who had the tail of a fish, a man with the body of a spider, a man who was half-crab, and Edward Mordake. Hildreth claimed to have found these cases described in old reports of the "Royal Scientific Society". According to an article in "USA Today", the only known "Royal Scientific Society" was founded in 1970 by Jordanian monarchs. Nothing could be found in the records of the similarly named Royal Society of London. Like many publications of the time, Hildreth's article was not factual, and was likely published by the newspaper to increase reader interest.


title: Edward Mordake

text: The 1896 medical encyclopedia "Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine", co-authored by Dr. George M. Gould and Dr. David L. Pyle, included an account of Mordake. The account was copied directly from Hildreth's article, and was credited only to a "lay source". The encyclopedia described the basic morphology of Mordake's condition, but it provided no medical diagnosis for the rare deformity. An explanation for the birth defect may have been a form of craniopagus parasiticus (a parasitic twin head with an undeveloped body), a form of diprosopus (bifurcated craniofacial duplication), or an extreme form of parasitic twin (an unequal conjoined twin).


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: Beverly Hills Cop II is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tony Scott, written by Larry Ferguson and Warren Skaaren, and starring Eddie Murphy. It is the sequel to the 1984 film "Beverly Hills Cop" and the second installment in the "Beverly Hills Cop" film series. Murphy returns as Detroit police detective Axel Foley, who reunites with Beverly Hills detectives Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to stop a robbery/gun-running gang after Captain Andrew Bogomil (Ronny Cox) is shot and seriously wounded.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: Despite it making less money than the first film and receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film was still a box office success, grossing $276.5 million. Aside from box office success, the film was nominated for an Oscar and for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, for Bob Seger's "Shakedown".


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: Beverly Hills Police Captain Andrew Bogomil, Detective Billy Rosewood, and Sergeant John Taggart are trying to figure out who is behind the "Alphabet Crimes", a series of mostly high-end-store robberies distinguished by their monogrammed envelopes with an alphabetical sequence the assailants leave behind. Complicating matters is the new "political" state of the Beverly Hills Police Department, headed by incompetent, egotistical and verbally abusive new police chief Harold Lutz, who is doing everything he can to stay on Mayor Ted Egan's good side. Furious when Rosewood calls the FBI to help solve the case, Lutz holds Bogomil responsible as commanding officer and suspends him, despite Bogomil's efforts to convince the chief that Rosewood was only following a hunch. Lutz also punishes Taggart and Rosewood by placing them on traffic duty. On the way home, Bogomil is shot and injured by Karla Fry, the chief enforcer of Maxwell Dent, who is secretly the mastermind behind the Alphabet Crimes. After hearing about the shooting on a news report, Axel Foley secretly abandons his current undercover duties and immediately flies out to Beverly Hills to help find out who shot Bogomil, finding Taggart and Rosewood all too happy to assist him.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: Posing as an undercover FBI agent to get past Lutz with the aid of Detective Jeffrey Friedman, Axel soon makes the connection between the robberies and Dent. He first finds out that the ammunition fired at one of the robberies was made by a gunsmith for Charles Cain, the manager of a gun club owned by Dent. Axel has Bogomil's daughter Jan use her connections as an insurance agent to find out about Dent's financial dealings. Dent is robbing his own businesses on purpose in order to finance firearms transactions with an arms dealer named Nikos Thomopolis and is discreetly using Cain as the front man for his operations. Bogomil was shot because his investigation was on the correct track into the case.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: Having foiled a robbery attempt at a bank depot, Axel tricks Dent's accountant Sidney Bernstein into letting him use his computer, discovering that Dent and Karla are planning to leave the country. Axel also learns from Jan that all of Dent's businesses have had their insurance coverage canceled and are about to go bankrupt except his racetrack. Hurrying to the racetrack, Axel solves the latest riddle sent to the police, and is convinced that this riddle was made easily solvable in order to implicate Cain as the Alphabet Bandit and throw the authorities off Dent's trail.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: The trio arrive but are unable to prevent the robbery and find Cain, shot by Karla, among those killed. While Lutz announces publicly that the Alphabet Crimes have been solved, Axel notices some red mud at the stables, which leads him, Taggart and Rosewood to Dent's oil field, where Dent is making his final arms deal with Thomopolis. The three get into a shootout with everyone involved in the deal. Rosewood destroys one shipment with a rocket-propelled grenade as the truck is leaving the scene, while Axel destroys another truck shipment with grenades. Dent confronts Axel in the warehouse, but Axel gets distracted by one of Dent's henchmen on the roof above him and Dent gets away. Dent then crashes through the wall in his car and Axel shoots Dent through the windshield. The car hits Axel and goes down a hill, erupting in flames. Karla appears and is about to kill Axel, but Taggart makes it in time to save Axel and shoots her dead.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: Just as the last criminals are about to flee, the police arrive and arrest the remainder of Dent's goons and Thomopolis. Lutz and Mayor Egan come as well. Lutz is furious at Rosewood and Taggart for their insubordination and attempts to arrest Axel. However, both Taggart and Rosewood, frustrated, stand up to an infuriated Lutz and prove that Dent was the real Alphabet Bandit and the rest of the alphabet crimes were about the arms deal. They are also able to convince Mayor Egan of Lutz's incompetence, and the mayor fires Lutz for his abusive attitude towards his own men and for jeopardizing the investigation.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: Mayor Egan chooses Bogomil to replace Lutz as the new Police Chief. Axel returns to Detroit, but only after he is told off by Inspector Todd over the phone, after Egan called Todd to congratulate him on allowing Axel to assist them on this case.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: Paramount Pictures had planned a television series based on the first film. Murphy turned down the series but was willing to do a sequel. Producers Simpson and Bruckheimer hired Tony Scott to direct due to his success with the 1986 blockbuster film "Top Gun". The film was originally to be set and filmed in London and Paris; however, the script was re-written after Murphy expressed a reluctance to film outside the United States.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: Eddie Murphy's salary to star in the movie was $8 million. The budget of the movie was $27 million. Ronny Cox was going to have more screen time in the film, but couldn't due to his role in Robocop.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: The song "Hold On" as sung by Keta Bill plays during the scene wherein Axel, Rosewood and Taggart confront Dent at the Playboy Mansion. However, the film's soundtrack album, released by MCA Records, includes only a different version sung by Corey Hart, with different lyrics. The film introduced George Michael's controversial song "I Want Your Sex", a number 2 hit on the "Billboard" Hot 100. It also includes "Cross My Broken Heart" by The Jets (a Top 10 hit on the "Billboard" Hot 100) and "Shakedown" by Bob Seger (which became a 1 hit on that same chart), as well as "Better Way" performed by James Ingram. The Pointer Sisters scored a moderate hit with "Be There" (#42 on the Hot 100), their single from the soundtrack. It was the second time the sisters had contributed to the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise; they'd notched a top 10 single with "Neutron Dance" from the "Beverly Hills Cop" soundtrack. Harold Faltermeyer's 1988 album, "Harold F", includes a song called "Bad Guys", which is used as part of the film's score—an instrumental section of the song plays during the opening jewelry store robbery scene, and also during several other scenes throughout the film.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: The soundtrack debuted at 8 on the "Billboard" 200 albums charts and spent 26 weeks on the charts, a far cry compared to the 49 weeks spent by the first film's soundtrack. Despite this, one song from the album, "Shakedown", was nominated for an Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. However, another song from the album, "I Want Your Sex", won the Razzie Award for Worst Song, despite it going on to achieve a platinum certification for sales by the Recording Industry Association of America.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: "Beverly Hills Cop II" was one of the most anticipated films of 1987 and became a box office success upon release, despite not making as much as "Beverly Hills Cop". The film debuted at number one at the US box office, earning $33 million on its opening weekend, a sales mark that would result in the film achieving that year's highest-opening weekend debut, as well as the highest grossing opening weekend of all time at the time. "Beverly Hills Cop II" grossed $153,665,036 in the United States and Canada, becoming the third biggest hit domestically at the box office that year, after "Fatal Attraction" and "Three Men and a Baby", and grossed $276.5 million worldwide, the second highest-grossing film worldwide that year, behind "Fatal Attraction".


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: The film received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 46% "rotten" rating, based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Eddie Murphy remains appealing as the wisecracking Axel Foley, but "Beverly Hills Cop II" doesn't take him – or the viewer – anywhere new enough to justify a sequel". On Metacritic, the film has a score of 48 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: Desson Howe of "The Washington Post" called it "a sequel that's as good as the original, if not better." Roger Ebert gave the film one star out of four and wrote, "What is comedy? That's a pretty basic question, I know, but "Beverly Hills Cop II" never thought to ask it." Janet Maslin of "The New York Times" wrote that the film is a skillful clone of the first film that can't match that one's novelty or excitement. "Variety" called it "a noisy, numbing, unimaginative, heartless remake of the original film." Sheila Benson of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote, "It's hard to believe that the group who came up with the hard, clean edges of "Top Gun", sleek and unfeeling though it may have been, could make a picture as crude, as muddled, as destructo-Derbyish as this one."


title: Beverly Hills Cop II

text: ""Beverly Hills Cop II" was probably the most successful mediocre picture in history," Murphy said. "It made $250 million worldwide, and it was a half-assed movie. "Cop II" was basically a rehash of "Cop I", but it wasn't as spontaneous and funny."


title: Richard Karn

text: Richard Karn Wilson (born February 17, 1956) is an American actor, author and former game show host. He starred as Al Borland in the ABC series "Home Improvement" and as Fred Peters in the Hulu series "Pen15". He was the fifth host of "Family Feud" from 2002 to 2006.


title: Richard Karn

text: Richard Karn Wilson was born in Seattle, Washington, on February 17, 1956. His father Gene was a Seabee who served in World War II. Richard graduated from Roosevelt High School and the University of Washington Professional Actor Training Program, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. Karn also gained drama experience in Scotland at the Edinburgh Festival.


title: Richard Karn

text: After earning his drama degree in 1979, Karn moved to New York City, where in less than one week he was hired to do a commercial for Michelob beer that was featured during Super Bowl XIV. When he joined the Screen Actors Guild, he was informed there was already a Richard Wilson, prompting him to drop his last name.


title: Richard Karn

text: In 1989, his wife Tudi convinced him to move to Los Angeles. He found a place for them to live by managing an apartment complex, catering events at a Jewish synagogue on the side. After receiving a traffic citation, Karn attended a traffic school and sat beside an agent who told him about casting for the new television show "Home Improvement". The role of Al Borland had already been given to Stephen Tobolowsky, but when taping was scheduled, Tobolowsky was busy with another movie and the role had to be recast. Karn was a guest star in the pilot episode but became a regular cast member when the show was picked up by the network.


title: Richard Karn

text: In 2002, Karn replaced Louie Anderson as the fourth host of the game show "Family Feud". Karn left "Family Feud" in 2006 and was replaced by John O'Hurley.


title: Richard Karn

text: In 2002, Karn made an appearance in The Strokes' music video for "Someday", which featured segments of the band on a fictional showing of "Family Feud" against the band Guided by Voices.


title: Richard Karn

text: On October 6, 2008, Karn replaced Patrick Duffy as host of Game Show Network's "Bingo America". Karn served as a substitute host on GSN Radio.


title: Richard Karn

text: From 1994 through 1999 Karn hosted an annual celebrity golf tournament in Seattle. In July 2002 the Karn Invitational celebrity golf event was held at Echo Falls Golf Club in Snohomish, Washington.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: Víctor Valdés Arribas (; born 14 January 1982) is a Spanish football coach and former professional player, who played as a goalkeeper. Valdés was considered fiercely competitive and demanding, demonstrating great mental strength and concentration to be alert during long spells of ball domination, and was superb at one-on-ones.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: He spent most of his professional career with Barcelona in La Liga, and is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the club's history, having appeared in 535 official games for the club and won 21 major titles, notably six La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League championships. Valdés also won the Zamora Trophy a record five times. He currently holds the club records as goalkeeper with most appearances in the league and in official competition, breaking Andoni Zubizarreta's records during the 2011–12 season. After leaving Barcelona at the end of his contract in July 2014, he joined Manchester United in January 2015. He played rarely at United, and after a brief loan at Standard Liège, he moved on to Middlesbrough. After being released by Middlesbrough at the end of the 2016–17 season, Valdés retired from professional football.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: Valdés made his full international debut in 2010 and earned 20 international caps. He was part of the Spain squads which won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, and also finished second at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: Born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Valdés started his career with FC Barcelona's youth team when he joined from Peña Cinco Copas on 1 July 1992. That September, he moved with his family to Tenerife and had to leave the club, but returned three years later. After returning, he made quick progress through the youth teams.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: Valdés made his first team debut against Legia Warszawa in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on 14 August 2002. The early part of the 2002–03 season saw Valdés play deputy to Argentine international Roberto Bonano, but the arrival of Radomir Antić as the new manager in January 2003 saw regular first-team opportunities for Valdés.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: In the 2003–04 season, he emerged as first-choice goalkeeper, and in the 2004–05 season, he played in almost all of Barcelona's matches, helping Barcelona to their first league title in six years. He also won the Zamora Trophy as the best goalkeeper in Spain that season.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: In the 2005–06 season, Valdés helped Barça to the continental double in Europe. He played a big part in Barça's 2005–06 UEFA Champions League winning campaign and in the final against Arsenal, he denied Thierry Henry twice from point-blank range to help his side win 2–1 at the Stade de France. His efforts saw him singled out for praise from Barcelona manager at that time Frank Rijkaard. The "Zamora" title, however, eluded him, as Valdés came third after Santiago Cañizares and the winner, José Manuel Pinto.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 17 June 2007, in the last match of La Liga, Valdés matched a goalkeeping record held by former Barcelona goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta by starting, and never being substituted, in all 38 matches of the La Liga season.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: Valdés set the Barcelona club record for not conceding a goal in European competition with a clean sheet against Rangers on 7 November 2007, which saw him re-write the Barça record books after not conceding a goal for 466 minutes. Valdés was beaten twice by Lyon captain Juninho through a 45-yard free kick and a late penalty kick at the Stade de Gerland, ending his streak. In the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, however, Barça failed to win a major trophy. On 3 February 2008, Valdés captained Barcelona for the first time in a 1-0 league win at home against Osasuna. On 1 April 2008, Valdés made his 250th appearance for Barcelona.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 27 May 2009, Barcelona beat Manchester United 2–0 in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to complete an unprecedented treble of La Liga, Champions League, and Copa del Rey. In the match, Valdés made two saves from attempts by Cristiano Ronaldo in both halves. In the first half, he saved a long-range free kick, and in the second half, he saved the other from Ronaldo, coming from a tight angle following a low cross from Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 16 May 2010, Valdés won his fourth league title as Barcelona clinched a second successive Spanish league title with Pep Guardiola's side, ending the season with 99 points.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 29 August 2011, Valdés played his 410th match with Barcelona and equaled Andoni Zubizarreta's record as Barcelona's goalkeeper with the most appearances.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: In 2012, Valdés made a goalkeeping error against Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España that culminated in Ángel Di María scoring a decisive goal and narrowing down Barcelona's two-goal advantage. Real Madrid went on to win the Super Cup in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 1 May 2013, in a 3–0 Champions League semi-final loss to Bayern Munich at Camp Nou, Valdés made his 100th appearance in the competition, becoming the 17th player to do so. Later that month, Valdés announced that he would not renew his Barcelona contract, which was due to expire at the end of the 2013–14 season. He cited the pressure of representing the club and stated that he had declared his wish to leave early enough for the club to find a replacement.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 26 March 2014, in a 3–0 victory against Celta Vigo, Valdés tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the 22nd minute of the match and was substituted off, and was ruled out for the rest of the season, ending his Barcelona career and ruling him out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: In January 2014, prior to the conclusion of his contract with Barcelona, Valdés signed a pre-contract agreement to join Ligue 1 side Monaco at the end of the season; however, Valdés' injury led to Monaco pulling out of the agreement. On 23 October 2014, Manchester United offered Valdés the chance to complete his rehabilitation from a knee injury and to work his way back to fitness with the club. He was offered a contract in January 2015, and on 8 January signed an 18-month deal, with the option of a further year, as backup for compatriot David de Gea. As part of a compensation package for reneging on their deal with Valdés, Monaco agreed to pay the difference between the £150,000 weekly wage he stood to earn with them and the lower salary offered by Manchester United.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: Valdés played his first match since his knee injury on 26 January, featuring for United's Under-21 team in a 2–1 home win over Liverpool. Before the game, he gave a team talk based on the teachings of his former manager Guardiola. He made his first-team debut on 17 May against Arsenal at Old Trafford, replacing the injured De Gea for the final 16 minutes and conceding an own goal by Tyler Blackett for a 1–1 draw. A week later he made his first start for the team in their last game of the season away to Hull City, keeping a clean sheet in a goalless draw which relegated the opponents.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 15 July 2015, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal announced that Valdés had been placed on the transfer list after it was claimed he had refused to play in a reserve game. The following month, he was not given a squad number for the upcoming season. A transfer to Turkey's Beşiktaş fell through as personal terms could not be agreed. Despite subsequently being named in Manchester United's Premier League squad, reports confirmed Valdés was only named to conform to Premier League rules and not being offered a way back.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 23 January 2016, Manchester United announced that Valdés would be moving to Belgian club Standard Liège on a six-month loan deal. He made his debut a week later in a 2–0 win at OH Leuven in the Belgian Pro League. On 20 March, Valdés won the 2016 Belgian Cup Final, beating Club Brugge 2–1. His loan spell was cut short on 29 April after the club decided to allow more youth players the opportunity to play in games at the end of the season.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 7 July 2016, Valdés signed a two-year deal on a free transfer at recently promoted Middlesbrough, managed by compatriot Aitor Karanka. On 13 August 2016, Valdés made his debut in a 1–1 draw against Stoke City. On 22 October 2016, Valdés kept his first clean sheet of the season in a 0–0 draw against Arsenal. The club entered the relegation zone in March 2017 after a 2–0 loss to Stoke City, with Karanka sacked later that month. Valdés, as well as fellow goalkeeper Brad Guzan, left the club on 1 July 2017. Although he had offers from several clubs in Spain to prolong his career, Valdés retired from professional football in August 2017; after remaining without a club for the first half of the 2017–18 season, he later confirmed his official retirement in January 2018.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 16 August 2005, Valdés was called up for a friendly game against Uruguay, but did not take the field. After being overlooked by various coaches of the Spanish national side for several years, on 20 May 2010, he was included by Vicente del Bosque in Spain's final 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa as the second-choice goalkeeper behind captain Iker Casillas wearing the number 12 shirt.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 3 June 2010, Valdés earned his first cap, starting in a friendly match between Spain and South Korea at Tivoli-Neu in Innsbruck, Austria. Valdés was part of the Spanish squads that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, despite not playing in either tournament.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: He was also in the Spanish squad which reached the final of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. His sole appearance in a major tournament came in their last group game, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 win over Nigeria at the Estádio Castelão in Fortaleza.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: In his prime, Valdés was considered to be a successful and generally high quality goalkeeper, albeit somewhat inconsistent, and is regarded as one of Barcelona's best ever goalkeepers. An authoritative presence in the area, with good reflexes, handling, positioning, and shot-stopping abilities, he was known for his agility and composure in goal, as well as his ability to produce decisive saves, in particular after not being tested for long stretches of time; however, he was also prone to errors on occasion, in particular in his early career. In addition to his goalkeeping abilities, he was known in particular for his vision, footwork, distribution, control and skill with the ball at his feet, which enabled him to play the ball out on the ground or launch an attack from the back; throughout his career, he also stood out for his intelligence, ability to read the game, and his speed and bravery when coming off his line to claim the ball on the ground in one on one situations, and also excelled at anticipating opponents outside his area who had beaten the offside trap, and often functioned as a sweeper-keeper.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: On 1 June 2018, Valdés returned to football as a manager by acquiring his UEFA Pro Licence alongside compatriots such as Xavi, Raúl and Xabi Alonso. Valdés started coaching amateur side ED Moratalaz's youth ranks, where he achieved two regional titles. On 19 July 2019, Valdés returned to Barcelona to coach its Juvenil A side. His return, however, was short-lived, as he was sacked on 7 October due to a private scandal with La Masia director Patrick Kluivert. Despite dismissal, Valdés returned to the touchline in May 2020, when he was appointed the manager of UA Horta. He left in January 2021 in order to 'focus on Joan Laporta's presidential project' as reported by "El Mundo Deportivo". Laporta's idea is to make Valdes part of the new board if he wins the presidential election in March 2021.


title: Víctor Valdés

text: Valdés was born to José Manuel Valdés and Águeda Arribas and has two brothers, Ricardo and Álvaro. He married his long-time partner, Colombian model Yolanda Cardona, in June 2017. The couple have two sons, Dylan and Kai, and a daughter, Vera.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States took place on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, marking the start of the four-year term of Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice president. The 59th presidential inauguration took place on the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Biden took the presidential oath of office, before which Harris took the vice presidential oath of office.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The inauguration took place amidst extraordinary political, public health, economic, and national security crises, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; outgoing President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, which provoked an attack on the United States Capitol; Trump's second impeachment; and a threat of widespread civil unrest, which stimulated a nationwide law enforcement response. Festivities were sharply curtailed by efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the potential for violence near the Capitol. The live audience was limited; members of the Congress attended with one guest of their choosing, resembling a State of the Union address. Public health measures such as mandatory face coverings, testing, temperature checks, and social distancing were used to protect participants in the ceremony.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: "America United" and "Our Determined Democracy: Forging a More Perfect Union"—a reference to the Preamble to the United States Constitution—served as the inaugural themes.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The inauguration marked the formal culmination of the presidential transition of Joe Biden, who had become president-elect after defeating Donald Trump on November 3, 2020. The victory of Biden and his running mate, Harris, was formalized by the Electoral College vote, which took place on December 14, 2020. In accordance with of the United States Constitution, Harris resigned her seat in the U.S. Senate effective noon on January 18, 2021. Trump repeatedly falsely disputed the legitimacy of the election, but committed to an orderly transition of power exactly two months after losing.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Upon his inauguration, Biden became the oldest president at 78 years and 61 days, older upon taking office than Ronald Reagan, who left office at 77 years and 349 days. He also became the first president from Delaware, the second Catholic after John F. Kennedy, the second non-incumbent vice president to be elected president after Richard Nixon in 1968, the fifteenth vice president to serve as president. Harris became the first woman to hold a nationally elected office, first African American, and first Asian American vice president.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The swearing-in ceremony for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris was planned by the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, a bipartisan committee composed of United States Senators Roy Blunt (chairman), Mitch McConnell, and Amy Klobuchar, and United States Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Kevin McCarthy. The committee is overseen by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: On December 8, 2020, Republican members of the committee voted against a resolution that would have publicly recognized Biden as the president-elect and Harris as the vice president-elect. After Biden and Harris's win was certified by the Electoral College, Blunt and several other Republican senators finally acknowledged him and her as the president-elect and vice president-elect, stating that he will facilitate communications with Biden's presidential inaugural committee to prepare for the inauguration.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The 2021 Presidential Inaugural Committee organized several other inauguration‑related events at the direction of the president‑elect and vice president‑elect of the United States. The committee was led by Jim Clyburn, Eric Garcetti, Cedric Richmond, Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Gretchen Whitmer (co-chairs), Tony Allen (chief executive officer), Maju Varghese (executive director), Yvanna Cancela and Erin Wilson (deputy executive directors), David A. Kessler (chief medical adviser), and Adrienne Elrod (director of talent and external affairs). The committee hired Stephanie Cutter and Ricky Kirshner, who produced the largely virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention, along with Glenn Weiss to organize the inaugural programming.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies chose the inaugural theme "Our Determined Democracy: Forging a More Perfect Union" to highlight the inaugural ceremony as a "hallmark of American governance and democracy" and stress the peaceful transition of power.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Allen, Biden Inaugural Committee CEO, said the events would "look different amid the pandemic" but maintain inaugural traditions while engaging Americans in a safe manner. This included several virtual concerts and events hosted by celebrities, featuring live musical performances and speeches that spanned five days—Saturday, January 16, 2021, through the evening of Inauguration Day. The committee's inaugural theme was "America United" and its official YouTube channel and other social media featured exclusive content related to the ceremonies.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: On September 3, 2020, the Capitol Police Board announced that public access to the West Front of the United States Capitol would be restricted from September 7, 2020, to February 28, 2021, to "allow for the safe and secure construction of the Inaugural platform, stands, and other infrastructure necessary to support the event". Construction began on September 29, 2020. The traditional "first nail ceremony" commemorating the start of construction of the inaugural platform was not held because it coincided with the death and state funeral of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court justice. The platform can support 1,600 spectators. However, far fewer were permitted for this event, due to attendance restrictions designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Another 1,000 people, often choirs and musical guests, are traditionally situated on risers above the platform, but these were not used at full capacity for this event.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Compared to past inaugurations, the drastic reduction in crowd size at Biden's inauguration was expected to reduce costs. Typically, presidential inaugurations cost about US$100 million. In September 2020, prior to implementing attendance restrictions, costs were estimated to exceed US$44.9 million, with the District of Columbia's costs incurred in connection with the event being reimbursed by the federal government. However, the storming of the Capitol two weeks prior to the inauguration on January 6, along with threats of nationwide unrest, significantly increased the need for security. John Sandweg, a former Homeland Security Department official, remarked that the United States Secret Service likely has a surplus of funds because of lower-than-usual expenses during the 2020 campaign season, when presidential nominating conventions were mostly virtual and the travel of presidential candidates was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The storming of the United States Capitol on January6 raised concerns about the security of the inauguration. However, Biden chose not to move the ceremony indoors, indicating that he believed a public, outdoor ceremony was necessary to demonstrate strength. In response, organizers and officials made an unprecedented effort to secure the Capitol during the ceremony and deter people from visiting Washington, D.C., during the week of the inauguration over concerns of political violence. While several individuals were arrested near the Capitol in the days preceding the event for carrying illegal weapons, disobeying police, and trespassing, and a fire near a homeless encampment prompted an evacuation of the grounds, the ceremony proceeded without incident. A heightened security presence remained in the city through the end of the month.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The inauguration, like all ceremonies since the first inauguration of George W. Bush in 2001, was designated a National Special Security Event (NSSE). However, following the attack and reports of subsequent threats to disrupt Biden's inauguration and incite nationwide unrest, the Secret Service launched a security operation that surpassed any in modern U.S. history. The Secret Service established a Multi-Agency Command Center (MACC) to coordinate security—formed six days earlier than planned—composed of agents and representatives from many government agencies (such as the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Defense Department, Park Police, and D.C. Metro Police) and private companies (including a gas company, CSX railroad, and Amtrak). Combined efforts included:


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: On the Saturday before the inauguration, "America United: An Inauguration Welcome Event Celebrating America's Changemakers", opened the inaugural program through a series of musical performances and political speeches. The live-streamed event opened with an original performance of "Everybody Deserves To Be Free" by the Resistance Revival Choir, a group of female and non-binary protest singers, featuring a lead vocal by soul artist Deva Mahal.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The Pledge of Allegiance was then led by members of the Girl Scouts. Mexican American producer Cristela Alonzo hosted the program, remarking that Biden's inauguration will be "the beginning of the next chapter" in American history. New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland then recounted the history of America's indigenous peoples, and introduced Quechan Indian tribal nation leader Claudette White, who joined in the performance of a traditional song. After the performance, several female political organizers appeared and discussed the significance of Harris's election as the first female vice president. Alonzo then introduced actor Nik Dodani, who emphasized the importance of Biden's inauguration, and civil rights activist Janet Murguía, who spoke of the political successes of women of color in the 2020 presidential election. International, national, and local union leaders, including American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten and National Education Association president Rebecca S. Pringle, along with leaders representing firefighters, government and service sector employees, steel, auto, postal, food, and communications workers then hailed Biden's win as a success for workers in their respective industries, citing his support of their causes, such as the Fight for $15.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Actress Whoopi Goldberg then appeared and said she feels "optimistic" for the nation under Biden's and Harris's leadership, and actor and musician Darren Criss then performed a cover of "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher". Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta, Georgia, an early endorser of Biden's 2020 campaign, then joined, saying Biden "will ensure that all Americans... have their voices heard". Musical group the Black Pumas then performed their song "Colors" and said they are "looking forward to a new sense of optimism, unity and peace" for all Americans. Concluding the event, New York Congresswoman Grace Meng introduced Harris, who said that she "stands on the shoulders" of those who created opportunities for women, particularly African-American women, to participate and lead in politics.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The Biden Inaugural Committee released an official musical playlist of 46 songs (symbolizing Biden as the 46th president) that was curated by disc jockey D-Nice and music label Raedio, created by actress Issa Rae. The playlist was part of the committee's efforts to have Americans participate from home for the inauguration. The playlist, released on all major streaming platforms, included Biden, Harris, and their spouses' "walk-on songs", which were played when they appeared on stage at campaign rallies. According to "Rolling Stone", Biden's "walk-on song" was "We Take Care of Our Own" by Bruce Springsteen; Jill Biden's was "You Make My Dreams (Come True)" by Hall & Oates; Harris's was "Work That" by Mary J. Blige; and Emhoff's was "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals. Committee CEO Allen remarked that the musical selections "reflect the relentless spirit and rich diversity of America" and served as the "score to a new chapter" in American history as Biden and Harris begin their "important work to unite [the] country".


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: On the Sunday before the inauguration, Biden's inaugural committee organized the virtual "We the People" concert fundraiser co-hosted by actor Keegan-Michael Key and actress Debra Messing. Attendees of the live-streamed event had to donate to the Biden Inaugural Committee to be allowed entry. The concert opened with Biden and his wife, Jill, thanking supporters of his campaign and acknowledging the lives lost in the COVID-19 pandemic; Biden remarked that it is the "honor of [his] lifetime" to serve as president.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Musician Ben Harper was the first musical performance of the night, playing his song "With My Own Two Hands". Singer Michael Bivins made a video appearance and thanked viewers for their donations. Band AJR then performed their song "Bummerland". Singer Barbra Streisand then joined to congratulate Biden and Harris, calling for them to "restore the health" of the United States and world; she also performed her rendition of "Happy Days Are Here Again", an American standard. Messing introduced actor and former Barack Obama administration member Kal Penn, who reflected on the importance of the inauguration and hope of a "brighter future". Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, then joined via video link to thank supporters and list the issues they will face in leading the nation.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Rapper will.i.am then performed "American Dream", a charity single supporting his fundraising initiative for the i.am Angel Foundation to expand STEM education for underprivileged students. Actress and activist Sophia Bush later appeared to thank donors to the inaugural committee, and musician Carole King performed her Grammy Award-winning song "You've Got a Friend". Mexican actor Jaime Camil then delivered a short address on immigration, and James Taylor performed "America the Beautiful", which he also played at the 2013 inauguration. Actress Connie Britton reflected on political unity and the time she met then-Vice President Biden at the 2016 United State of Women Summit. Musical act Fall Out Boy performed their song "Centuries" in a pre-recorded video. Cher then addressed Biden's and Harris's win, saying that she is "thrilled" and "optimistic" for them to lead the nation; she then performed a cover of Miley Cyrus's song "I Hope You Find It". In concluding the event, DJ Cassidy addressed viewers and sampled music.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Two days before Inauguration Day, January 18, 2021, was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday that recognizes Dr. King's birthday. Biden and his inaugural committee encouraged Americans to engage in acts of community service and organized more than 2,500 virtual or socially distant volunteer events in 56 U.S. states and territories in partnership with AmeriCorps. The committee recommended several volunteer activities aimed at improving people's economic, health, and social well-being, including writing cards for those recovering from COVID-19, knitting sentimental items for the homeless, serving at "contactless" food and clothing donation drives, and participating in community cleanups. Biden and his wife volunteered at Philabundance, a non-profit food bank in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by helping box canned goods. Harris and her husband volunteered in Washington, D.C.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: On the evening of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Biden inaugural committee celebrated Dr. King's commitment to community service through virtual speeches and music in "United We Serve: A Celebration of the National MLK Day of Service". Co-hosts Sean Patrick Thomas and Lynn Whitfield introduced the event and commended the acts of volunteerism Americans participated in during the day of service; both Harris and her husband, Emhoff, appeared and discussed the importance of the inauguration and community service. Dr. King's son, Martin Luther King III, daughter-in-law, Andrea, and granddaughter, Yolanda, discussed community service; his youngest daughter, Bernice King, then spoke at a pulpit and remarked on her late father's practice of nonviolence. Musician Aloe Blacc performed his song "My Way"; cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed "Air and Simple Gifts", a composition he also performed at the 2009 inauguration in the presence of then-Vice President-elect Biden; Andra Day performed her song "Rise Up"; BeBe Winans sang Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech; Alejandro Fernández and band Maná performed "Decepciones"; and Chesca and Diane Warren performed "El Cambio", which was frequently played during Biden's campaign. Additional speakers included Al Sharpton, NAACP president Derrick Johnson, National Urban League president Marc Morial, Senators Cory Booker and Tammy Duckworth, Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids, actress Rosario Dawson, and several other academics and civil rights activists who spoke on the legacy of Dr. King.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Across the National Mall to 13th Street, a public art display composed of 191,500 U.S. flags and 56 pillars of light (representing the 50 U.S. states, D.C., and the five permanently inhabited U.S. territories), were installed, representing those who could not attend the inauguration in person due to the attendance restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The field was lit the evening of January 18.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: On Tuesday, January 19, Biden departed his home state of Delaware in a send-off ceremony at his late son Beau Biden's namesake Major Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center in New Castle; the event included remarks from Delaware Governor John Carney, Biden, his wife Jill, and a benediction by Rabbi Michael S. Beals of Congregation Beth Shalom in Wilmington. Later that day, Biden, Harris, and their spouses participated in a nationwide lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Inaugural organizers invited communities around the United States to light buildings and ring church bells at 5:30p.m. ET on the eve of the inauguration in a moment of "unity and remembrance" for those lost to the pandemic. The Lincoln Memorial lighting was held simultaneously, providing a moment of national reflection to help Americans find the spirit to rebuild after the pandemic. Cardinal Wilton Daniel Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, delivered the ceremony's invocation; gospel singer Yolanda Adams sang "Hallelujah" and Michigan nurse Lori Marie Key performed "Amazing Grace". Both Biden and Harris, in their addresses, emphasized the importance of national grieving, with Biden saying it's "how [Americans] heal". Several national landmarks participated in the lighting ceremony, including the Empire State Building, Space Needle, and other buildings in major U.S. cities, as well as on tribal lands. Washington National Cathedral tolled its bells four hundred times, each one in memory of a thousand Americans who had died, thus far, in the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) were celebrated in "AAPI Inaugural Ball: Breaking Barriers", a partnership between the inaugural committee, and advocacy organizations IMPACT and RUN AAPI. The event featured remarks and musical performances from Neera Tanden, Congresspeople Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Andy Kim, and Raja Krishnamoorthi; former Olympian Michelle Kwan; actors Kal Penn, John Cho, Kumail Nanjiani, and Chloe Bennet; and musical performances by Japanese Breakfast, Ari Afsar, Raja Kumari, and others.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: African Americans were celebrated in "We Are One", hosted by Terrence J, through "inspiring stories and entertaining performances". Politicians Stacey Abrams, congresspeople Jim Clyburn, Cedric Richmond, Joyce Beatty, Senator Cory Booker, and Senator-elect Raphael Warnock appeared. Actors and actresses, including Leslie Jones and Kim Fields, were also featured; musical acts Tobe Nwigwe, DJ D-Nice, Frankie Beverly, The O'Jays, Rapsody, and Step Afrika!, among others, performed. The event also included a Battle of the Bands, featuring several historically black college marching bands from around the nation. Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority president Glenda Glover and Howard University president Wayne A. I. Frederick delivered remarks.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Hispanic and Latino Americans were celebrated in "Latino Inaugural 2021: Inheritance, Resilience, and Promise", hosted by Eva Longoria, in partnership with many Hispanic advocacy groups, including the Hispanic Federation. Entertainment figures John Leguizamo, Rita Moreno, Edward James Olmos, Ivy Queen, and Becky G appeared along with many civil and voting rights advocates and U.S. senators Ben Ray Luján, Bob Menendez, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Alex Padilla (Harris's senatorial designate). Musical performers included Gilberto Santa Rosa, Gaby Moreno (featuring David Garza), who performed "Fronteras", Lin-Manuel Miranda and Luis Miranda paid tribute to Puerto Rico through the song "En Mi Viejo San Juan", Mariachi Nuevo Santander, who performed American folk song "This Land is Your Land"; and All-Star Tejanos United, an act from Roma, Texas, performed "America the Beautiful: A Salute to the Latino Imprint". The Wailers performed the Emilio Estefan production "One World, One Prayer", featuring relatives of Jamaican musician Bob Marley.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Biden originally planned to travel to Washington, D.C., from Wilmington, Delaware, on an Amtrak passenger train, which he routinely took during his time as a U.S. Senator. However, on January 14, this plan was canceled due to security concerns. On January 20, 2017, after completing his tenure as vice president, Biden departed the city on an Amtrak "Acela" train bound for his namesake station in Wilmington.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Biden and his wife spent the night of January 19 at Blair House, the President's Guest House—a custom for incoming presidents. Traditionally, the president-elect meets with the outgoing president at the White House on the morning of their inauguration after a church service. Since Trump did not attend the inaugural ceremony—becoming the first outgoing president to not attend since Andrew Johnson in 1869—and did not communicate with Biden directly since the second presidential debate of the 2020 campaign, this tradition was not upheld. Before each of his inaugurations as vice president, Biden attended a Catholic Mass celebrated by Kevin O'Brien. In 2013, this service was at the vice president's residence. Biden and his wife, along with the second family attended a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by O'Brien at the Cathedral of St. Matthew in Washington. Biden extended invitations to the four congressional leaders from both parties—Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)—and all four accepted.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Trump departed for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, the morning of the inauguration out of Joint Base Andrews aboard Air Force One. Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, landed on the tarmac in helicopter Marine One. Cannons fired in salute, after a military band played "Hail to the Chief", in front of a modest crowd of a few hundred aides and other loyalists. Trump's White House had issued invitations for the event to many present and former administration officials. Several invitees who have been critical of Trump, such as Don McGahn, John F. Kelly, and Anthony Scaramucci, declined to attend.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Trump was only the fifth outgoing United States president not to attend their elected successor's inauguration, after John Adams in 1801, John Quincy Adams in 1829, Martin Van Buren in 1841, and Andrew Johnson in 1869.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Before departing, Trump delivered short remarks at a podium bearing the presidential seal, telling his supporters "we will be back in some form." A number of songs played as he boarded the airplane, many of which featured prominently at Trump rallies; this included "Macho Man" and "Y.M.C.A.", as well as "Fortunate Son", "Funeral for a Friend", and "Billie Jean". As Air Force One lifted off, Frank Sinatra's "My Way" played—the song Trump and his wife danced to during his inaugural ball four years prior.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Trump delivered his official farewell address, a recorded online video, the day before the inauguration. Without naming Biden, he referred to the "inauguration of a new administration", saying that "we pray for its success at keeping America safe and prosperous." In keeping with tradition, Trump left Biden a letter of support in the "Resolute" desk. When asked about the letter, Biden said it was "generous", but refused to provide details. Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence attended Biden's inauguration, then departed for his home state of Indiana, where a group of supporters, including his brother, Indiana Congressman Greg Pence, welcomed him.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Beginning two hours before the outset of the inaugural ceremony, actress Keke Palmer hosted "Our White House: An Inaugural Celebration for Young Americans", a livestream aimed at engaging youth in the day's events. Jill Biden addressed viewers in a pre-recorded message, and historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Erica Armstrong Dunbar discussed the ceremony's significance; a Nickelodeon special on White House pets and "PBS NewsHour" student interviews aired, along with other curated educational content.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The transfer of power included the transition of official administration Twitter accounts, @POTUS and @VP. Members of the Biden administration also assumed ownership of a number of institutional accounts, including @WhiteHouse, @FLOTUS for First Lady Jill Biden, @SecondGentleman for Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and @PressSec for White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. New executive branch websites were initialized; previous administrations' websites reside in the National Archives.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Most traditional inaugural festivities were conducted virtually, primarily modeled after the 2020 Democratic National Convention. The ceremony took place outdoors on the West Front of the United States Capitol, the site of every inauguration since Ronald Reagan's in 1981. While members of Congress, in previous years, would receive 200,000 tickets to distribute among constituents, on this occasion, each member was allotted one guest ticket, with many taking their spouses. Only about three thousand people were to be permitted into the secure perimeter areas, and the total live attendance for the scaled-down event was to be just over a thousand, with guests seated both on the inaugural platform and in front of the platform.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The decision to limit attendance was made by the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies based on consultation with public health experts. According to historian Jim Bendat, COVID-19 prevention and security measures instituted for Biden's inauguration would make it the smallest ceremony since Franklin D. Roosevelt's fourth inauguration in 1945, when the inaugural was held at the White House before an audience of just a thousand people due to Roosevelt's poor health and the ongoing world war.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Outgoing President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump refused to attend the ceremony, the first time an incumbent skipped their successor's inauguration since Andrew Johnson refused to attend Grant's first inauguration in 1869. Former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama (whom Biden served under as vice president), along with respective former first ladies Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama, attended. Former president Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter did not, due to their advanced age and inability to travel. Outgoing vice president Mike Pence (who succeeded Biden as vice president in 2017) and second lady Karen Pence also attended. Apart from Pence and Biden himself, Dan Quayle was the only other living former vice president who attended the ceremony, as Walter Mondale (who died 3 months after Biden's inauguration), Al Gore and Dick Cheney were absent. For the first time in more than two decades, not every U.S. Supreme Court justice attended: Justices Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer, and Samuel Alito, the oldest members of the Court, opted not to attend in light of the COVID-19 health risks, while the other six justices attended. Other attendees included the family members of Biden and Harris, Biden's Cabinet nominees, various ambassadors to the United States, and other dignitaries. For the first time, the representative of Taiwan in the United States (the country's "de facto" ambassador) was invited to attend a presidential inauguration, with Hsiao Bi-khim attending the ceremony.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets played ruffles and flourishes. The U.S. Marine Band (nicknamed "The President's Own") played a medley of patriotic music by Sousa, Bagley, and others; heralded the entry of dignitaries to the inaugural platform with works including a newly commissioned "Fanfare for Tomorrow" written by Peter Boyer, "Hail, America" to introduce then-President-elect Biden; "Hail, Columbia" (the official anthem of the vice president) to introduce then-Vice President Pence and after Harris was sworn in, and "Hail to the Chief" (the official anthem of the president) after Biden was sworn in. The band had appeared at every presidential inauguration since Thomas Jefferson's in 1801. Courtney Williams, Senior Chief Musician and concert moderator for the U.S. Navy Concert Band, returned as the platform announcer for his fourth consecutive inauguration.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Senator Amy Klobuchar opened the ceremony with a short speech, saying the storming of the Capitol two weeks prior "awakened us to our responsibilities as Americans"; she declared the inaugural day "the day when our democracy picks itself up, brushes off the dust, and does what America always does: goes forward as a nation".


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Leo J. O'Donovan, a Catholic priest and former president of Georgetown University, invoked the "gracious and merciful God" in praying for Biden and Harris to "care for the common good with malice toward none and with charity for all", and quoted Archbishop John Carroll, Pope Francis, and the Epistle of James. Lady Gaga then sang the national anthem, wearing a custom design gown and brooch by Schiaparelli. The Georgia firefighters' union leader Andrea Hall led the Pledge of Allegiance, using American Sign Language in addition to speaking. Jennifer Lopez performed her renditions of "This Land Is Your Land" and "America the Beautiful", and during the bridge she translated the last stanza of the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish: ""¡una nación, bajo Dios, indivisible, con libertad y justicia para todos!""


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: After the inaugural address (see below), Garth Brooks performed "Amazing Grace" (including the verse "When we've been there ten thousand years"), and asked the public to join him in singing the final verse; and National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman recited her poem "The Hill We Climb". At 22, Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet. Silvester Beaman, a Methodist pastor of Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Delaware, and a friend of Biden, delivered the benediction paraphrasing Isaiah 11 by replacing both in the messianic role of the "shoot from the stump of Jesse", and in the yet-to-be-reconciled role of the "wolf" and "lamb", with references to "We the People"—saying, for example, "We will not kill or destroy on all your Holy Mountain," and "We will not learn hate anymore."


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Biden was sworn in on a Bible that has been in his family since 1893—the same one he used during his senatorial and vice presidential swearing-in ceremonies—held by his wife. It is a late 19th-century edition of the Douay–Rheims Bible, with commentary by George Leo Haydock. The Bible is large—five inches (12.7cm) thick—and has a Celtic cross on the front. Biden's inauguration marked the first time a Catholic Chief Justice administered the oath to an incoming Catholic president. Harris was sworn in on two Bibles held by her husband, one belonging to Regina Shelton, a person important to her and her sister Maya Harris, and another belonging to former Supreme Court Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor administered the oath of office to Harris at 11:40a.m., with 20 minutes remaining in Pence's term. Sotomayor became the first woman to administer an inaugural oath twice after she administered Biden's at his 2013 swearing-in. Harris recited the following:


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Chief Justice John Roberts then administered Biden's oath of office at 11:47a.m., with 13 minutes remaining in Trump's term. Biden recited the following, as prescribed by the Constitution:


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Upon completing the oath, the U.S. Army Band ("Pershing's Own") played four ruffles and flourishes, but a 21-gun cannon salute was not rendered, which caused a brief delay in the proceedings before Biden was able to deliver his inaugural address. The 21-gun cannon salute for President Biden was later rendered at the wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The flag of the Vice President of the United States was present at the beginning of the inauguration ceremony, indicating the presence of the then-incumbent vice president Mike Pence. At noon the flag continued to fly for the new incumbent Kamala Harris. When the noon hour arrived, the flag of the President of the United States was raised by the military sentry, indicating the presence of the newly sworn incumbent president.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The presidential nuclear football, which can authorize a nuclear attack while away from a command center, was discreetly given to military aides of the new administration during the ceremony; however, Trump's absence did not change the automatic deactivation of his and Pence's nuclear access and activation of Biden and Harris'.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: The inaugural address was 2,514 words long and took 21 minutes to deliver, between 11:52a.m. and 12:13p.m., with 7 minutes remaining in President Trump’s term and in the first 13 minutes of President Biden’s term. Biden's inaugural speech was regarded as laying out his vision to unite the nation prefaced by the various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic strife, climate change, political polarization, and racial injustice. Biden composed the speech with the assistance of speechwriter Vinay Reddy, senior advisor Mike Donilon, then-incoming Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and chief of staff Ron Klain. His speech was described by the "New York Times" as a "direct rebuttal" in tone to Trump's inaugural address (in which Trump spoke of "American carnage"), as Biden called for an end to the "uncivil war" of political, demographic, and ideological American cultures through a greater embrace of diversity.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: In the speech, Biden repeated his campaign pledge to "fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did". Focusing on the struggles of American citizens, Biden expressed sympathy, but stressed that distrust and fighting amongst one another would not better their conditions. He cited the Civil War, Great Depression, world wars, and September 11 attacks as moments in American history where citizens' "better angels" prevailed, saying that the solution—unity—must again be invoked to rise from the "cascading" crises of the present; this unity, he proclaimed, exists in the "common objects" that define America: "opportunity, liberty, dignity, respect, honor, and... truth".


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Biden vocalized his opposition to disinformation and politicians who seek to gain from its weaponization—a passive reference to Trump, who frequently made false or misleading statements while in office. He explicitly decried white supremacy and nativism, calling them an "ugly reality" of American life he vows to defeat that clouds the "American ideal" set out in the U.S. Declaration of Independence—that all Americans are equal. Biden pledged that the United States would "engage with the world once again"; "repair our alliances"; and act as a "trusted partner for peace and security". His decision, for example, to reinstate American participation in the Paris Agreement via executive order, which Trump withdrew from, signaled his commitment to a global policy on climate change.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Biden also discussed the historical significance of Harris's ascension to the vice presidency, recounting the movements for civil rights and women's suffrage that permitted African Americans and women to participate in politics; he celebrated their inauguration as a "triumph" for democracy, affirming a peaceful transfer of power exactly two weeks after the violent storming of the Capitol. Near the conclusion of his speech, Biden held a moment of silence for those who died in the COVID-19 pandemic. Quoting the Gene Scheer composition "American Anthem", he implored Americans to consider their legacy in answering the "call of history" to protect "democracy, hope, truth, and justice", "secure liberty", and make America a "beacon to the world", insisting that generations of their descendants will judge them on their actions. In closing his speech, Biden promised to "always level" with the American people and govern exclusively in their interest.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: After the swearing-in ceremony, Biden, Harris, and their spouses participated in a Pass in Review on the East Front of the United States Capitol featuring members of the United States Armed Forces. Traditionally, before the Pass in Review, the new president would escort the outgoing president to a helicopter, Marine One, where they would officially depart Washington, D.C. However, Trump's decision to not attend Biden's inauguration and rather depart prior to the event's outset broke this custom. The congressional luncheon, a tradition witnessed since the 1897 inauguration of William McKinley, was canceled due to public health concerns, the first time since the 1977 inauguration of Jimmy Carter. However, Biden and Harris were presented several gifts in the Capitol rotunda, including "Landscape with Rainbow" by Robert S. Duncanson, two lead Lenox crystal vases cut by Peter O'Rourke, two flags that had been flown over the Capitol during the inaugural ceremony, and portraits of them taking their oaths of office.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Later in the afternoon, Biden participated in a signing ceremony, proclaiming the day a National Day of Unity and declaring his nominations for Cabinet and sub-Cabinet positions to Congress. In the evening, Harris performed her first vice presidential duty by swearing in Senators-elect Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock who, respectively, won the January5 regular and special Georgia Senate runoff elections that yielded a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, along with Alex Padilla, who was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to fill Harris's vacated seat.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Following the Pass in Review, Biden and Harris, along with former presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama, and all their spouses, participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Presidential historian Timothy Naftali noted that the ceremony was significant because Congress had decided on Inauguration Day in 1921, almost a hundred years prior to Biden's, to bury an unidentified soldier who died in World War I at the spot. Naftali additionally remarked that the gathering of Biden and former presidents to honor the unknown soldiers who died in war served as a "visual message of unity, at a time of anxiety, pain and suffering in [the] country".


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Following the wreath laying ceremony, a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, NW escorted Biden and Harris to the White House which included every branch of the U.S. military, along with drumline bands from Biden and Harris's alma maters, the University of Delaware and Howard University, respectively. The Virtual Parade Across America, organized by the Biden Inaugural Committee, was hosted by actor Tony Goldwyn, reflecting the "diversity, heritage, and resilience of the country" in the event's musical acts, poets, dance troupes, and more. Viewing stands outside the White House that were originally constructed for members of the public were dismantled because they were ultimately deemed unnecessary for the revised plans. The live parade was announced by Charlie Brotman, who has served as the inaugural parade announcer during almost every ceremony since former President Dwight D. Eisenhower's second inauguration.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: Comedian Jon Stewart, musicians Andra Day, Nile Rodgers, and Kathy Sledge, along with several choirs and athletes (including former Olympians Nathan Chen, Allyson Felix, and Katie Ledecky) appeared in a "virtual roll call". The parade included 1,391 virtual participants, 95 horses, and nine dogs. Frontline healthcare workers and several distinguished students and educators who helped their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic were honored as "heroes" during the ceremony. Choreographer Kenny Ortega led a dance featuring 275 recorded segments from participants around the country; the Ryan Martin Foundation, a "wheelchair basketball program", joined the parade virtually. Musical act New Radicals reunited for the first time in two decades to conclude the parade with their hit song "You Get What You Give". The song was used by Harris's husband, Emhoff, during 2020 campaign rallies, and was referred to by Biden in his autobiography, "Promise Me, Dad", as his family's "rallying "theme song"" during his late son Beau's terminal battle with glioblastoma. The band's leader, Gregg Alexander, said he hoped the group's performance of the song was a "tiniest beacon of light in such a dark time".


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: "Celebrating America" was a television special hosted by Tom Hanks that aired the evening of the inauguration across most major television networks and other cable and streaming outlets. The event featured many musical guests and celebrities, including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, Dave Grohl, Tim McGraw, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John Legend, Demi Lovato, and Katy Perry. The Biden Inaugural Committee raised over $61.8 million for the event from various companies, unions, and individuals.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: At 10:00 a.m. on the morning of January 21, the National Prayer Service took place at Washington National Cathedral. A virtual service, Biden and his family participated from the White House. More than thirty religious leaders of various faiths participated; William Barber II preached, calling for a "third reconstruction" of America in his homily.


title: Inauguration of Joe Biden

text: A series of protests and counter-protests related to the results of the 2020 presidential election began in December 2020. After the storming of the Capitol, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser requested the Interior Department to cancel city demonstration permits and reject demonstration applications during the inauguration, but the agency declined to do so. The National Park Service designated two adjacent areas—portions of the John Marshall Park and Navy Memorial—exclusively for "First Amendment activities" (protests). The U.S. Park Police limited demonstration attendance to a maximum of one hundred individuals in each location and required participants be screened via magnetometers. The left-wing groups ANSWER Coalition and D.C. Action Lab were granted permits and staged demonstrations within attendance limits.