Joe Biden and Kamala Harris sworn-in as the President and the Vice President of the United States, despite desperate attempts by outgoing President Donald Trump by mounting legal challenges, spreading canards and even instigating a mob to storm US Congress. The inaugural day on January 20 was especially sweeter for India because the first woman Vice President of the United States has roots in India's Tamil Nadu.
Total electoral votes: 538
Majority: 270
Popular Biden
Biden walks into the White House with the most number of popular votes garnered by any of his predecessors. The veteran, who turned 78 on November 20, 2020, is the oldest US president. He has half a century of Democratic politics to draw from. A snapshot of his eventful life.
Joe Biden was born at Scranton, Pennsylvania as the first child of Catherine Eugenia Finnegan and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr.
Obama presents Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the country. Obama calls Biden his brother.
Biden announces his bid for presidency.
Democratic rival Bernie Sanders ends his bid in favour of Biden. Obama also endorses Biden.
Biden chosen as the official candidate by the Democrats.
Election results are deemed in favour of Biden.
The Senate officially declares Biden as the next president.
Biden takes over as the 46th president of the United States.
Biden's victory
Biden won
Trump won
Biden breaks record
Biden takes over with the most popular votes received by any president in US history. He garnered 8,12,81,888 popular votes in the election. This was also the presidential election where most Americans voted. (click on below bar chart to get more details)
Popular votes secured by the US presidents (1900–2020)
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Kamala Harris creates history
Kamala Harris has many firsts to her credit. She is the first woman Vice President of the United States. She is also the first African-American and the first Asian-American to reach the post.
Kamala born to Shyamala Gopalan and Donald J Harris in Oakland, California. Her mother was from Chennai and father from Jamaica. She received her school education partly in Canada, where her mother had moved for work.
Takes over as the first woman attorney general of California. She was also the first non-white person to reach the post. She served as second term starting 2014.
Harris announces her candidacy to the president election.
Harris withdraws her candidacy for a lack of funds. She endorses Biden in March 2020.
Biden picks Harris as his running mate.
Election results are deemed in favour of Biden and Harris.
Harris takes over as the first woman vice president of the United States.
Road to the White House
US presidents traditionally assume charge on January 20 since 1933. Until then the inauguration date was on March 4. In case January 20 falls on a holiday, the swearing-in will be a low-key affair in the White House Blue Room, with an elaborate inaugural ceremony reserved in the Capitol Building for the next working day, like how Obama was sworn in in 2013.
(Illustration: A scene from the Swearing-in of the President of the United States at US Capitol, Washington DC, on January 20, 2017)
The inaugural ceremony was held around 11 am US time (Indian Time 10 pm). Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took their oaths at the West front of the US capitol. Kamala Harris was sworn-in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, while Biden was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts. The traditional inaugural parade was not an option this year, given security fears and the coronavirus pandemic. So instead, the Biden Inaugural Committee thrown a 'Parade Across America' — a virtual celebration involving dancers, drum lines, singers and athletes from across the United States.
The road from the Capitol to the White House on which US presidents are led on
Biden's inauguration was a low-key affair in light of the COVID-19 situation. The inauguration ceremony streamed live on bideninaugural.org/watch/
Indian-Americans in Biden administration
Apart from Kamala Harris, US President-elect Joe Biden has either nominated or named at least 21 Indian Americans, including 13 women, to key positions in his administration. As many as 17 of them would be part of the powerful White House complex. This comes as a feat for the small ethnic community that constitutes 1% of America's population. It is also for the first time ever that so many Indian-Americans have been roped into a presidential administration ever before the inauguration. Biden is still quite far away from filling all the positions in his administration.
Here's a list of all the India-Americans nominated so far:
Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget
US Surgeon General
Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice
Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights
Policy Director to the First Lady
Digital Director of the Office of the First Lady
Deputy Press Secretary of the First Lady
Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Partnership Manager at the White House Office of Digital Strategy
Deputy Director at the US National Economic Council
Deputy Director at the US National Economic Council
Deputy Director in Office of Presidential Personnel
Director, Speechwriting
Assistant Press Secretary to the President
Senior Director for Technology and National Security, National Security Council
Senior Director for South Asia, National Security Council
Coordinator for Democracy and Human Rights
Senior Advisor for Climate Policy and Innovation in the Office of the Domestic Climate Policy
Policy Advisor for Testing for the White House COVID-19 Response Team
Associate Counsel, Office of the White House Counsel
Deputy Associate Counsel, Office of the White House Counsel