Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", he has released 21 studio albums during a career spanning six decades, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Springsteen is a pioneer of heartland rock, combining a commercially successful rock sound with poetic and socially conscious lyrics reflecting the issues of working class American life. He is known for his descriptive lyrics and energetic concerts, which sometimes last over four hours.
"My Country, 'Tis of Thee", also known as simply "America", is an American patriotic song, the lyrics of which were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The song served as one of the de facto national anthems of the United States before the adoption of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the official U.S. national anthem in 1931. The melody used is adopted from the national anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save the King".
Yleisradio Oy, abbreviated as Yle, translated into English as the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is Finland's national public broadcasting company, founded in 1926. It is a joint-stock company, which is 99.98% owned by the Finnish state and employs around 3,200 people in Finland. Yle shares many of its organisational characteristics with its British counterpart, the BBC, on which it was largely modelled.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the largest of the many reflecting pools in Washington, D.C.. It is a 2,030-by-167-foot rectangular pool located on the National Mall, directly east of the Lincoln Memorial, with the World War II Memorial and Washington Monument to the east of the reflecting pool.
Donald Leo Mischer is an American producer and director of television and live events and president of Don Mischer Productions.
Between 73 and 79 days after the presidential election, the president-elect of the United States is inaugurated as president by taking the presidential oath of office. The inauguration takes place for each new presidential term, even if the president is continuing in office for a second term.
"The Rising" is the title track on Bruce Springsteen's 12th studio album The Rising, and was released as a single in 2002. Springsteen wrote the song in reaction to the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City. It gained critical praise and earned Grammy Awards for Best Rock Song and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, as well as a nomination for Song of the Year. Rolling Stone named it the 35th best song of the decade, and VH1 placed it 81st on its list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '00s". It was used as the first credit song to end the broadcast of the 2002 World Series on Fox Sports.
Rob Mathes is an American record producer, music arranger, composer, songwriter, and performer. He also writes bluesy spiritual-pop music.
Following his victory in the 2008 United States presidential election, then-President-elect Barack Obama gave his victory speech at Grant Park in his home city of Chicago, on November 4, 2008, before an estimated crowd of 240,000. Viewed on television and the Internet by millions of people around the globe, Obama's speech focused on the major issues facing the United States and the world, all echoed through his campaign slogan of change. He also mentioned his maternal grandmother Madelyn Dunham, who had died just two nights earlier.
The first inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The 56th inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in the city, marked the commencement of the first term of Barack Obama as president and Joe Biden as vice president. Based on combined attendance numbers, television viewership, and Internet traffic, it was one of the most-observed events ever by the global audience at the time.
"America's Song" is a patriotic song written by will.i.am, David Foster and George Pajon, Jr. The song is performed by will.i.am, Seal, Bono, Mary J. Blige, and Faith Hill, with David Foster appearing on piano. The song's live debut, at the Kennedy Center, was broadcast live on a special edition of The Oprah Winfrey Show aired on January 19, 2009, in honor of the next day's inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States.
The Lincoln Bible is a Bible that was owned by William Thomas Carroll, a clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court. The bible was used by President Abraham Lincoln at his inauguration in 1861. It was also used by President Barack Obama at his inaugurations in 2009 and 2013, as well as by President Donald Trump at his inauguration in 2017. The bible was returned to Carroll after Lincoln's first inauguration. He later gave it to the Lincoln family sometime after Lincoln's assassination. Mary Harlan Lincoln would later donate the Bible to the Library of Congress in 1928.
One million invitations to Barack Obama's inauguration were sent out in the first week of January 2009. Printed between December 11, 2008, and January 2, 2009, the invitations invited people to celebrate Barack Obama's inauguration as the forty-fourth President of the United States. The invitations have kept the same basic design of a gold seal and black script since the 1949 inauguration of Harry S. Truman, but this invitation was produced in a green manner, using recycled paper, by companies certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Barack Obama, then-president of the United States, delivered a speech at the Together We Thrive: Tucson and America memorial on January 12, 2011, held in the McKale Center on the University of Arizona campus.
Michael Ashton Stevens was an American producer, writer and director who won seven Emmy Awards.
The second inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States was the 57th inauguration, marking the commencement of his second and final term, with Joe Biden as vice president. A private swearing-in ceremony took place on Sunday, January 20, 2013, in the Blue Room of the White House, followed by a public inauguration ceremony on Monday, January 21, 2013, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Mary Jorie Millben is an American singer, actress and media personality. Millben has performed for three consecutive U.S. Presidents: George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. In addition, Millben has been a featured soloist for notable international royalty including Queen Noor of Jordan and Princess Basmah bint Saud Al Saud. Millben is the founder and CEO of JMDE Enterprises. She is featured in the online series Impact Now. Millben is a 2010 Helen Hayes Award Nominee.
"Land of Hope and Dreams" is a 1999 song written by Bruce Springsteen and performed by Springsteen and the E Street Band. After being performed on tour and released on multiple live albums, a studio recording was released for the first time on Wrecking Ball in 2012.
Celebrating America is a television special which aired as part of the post-inaugural events following the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, 2021. Hosted by actor Tom Hanks and produced by Ricky Kirshner, Glenn Weiss, and Stephanie Cutter, the special featured musical performances and speeches from various Americans, including those from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
