When you think back , Malcolm -LSB- X -RSB- fought . Then we come a little further , Rosa Parks sat . Then come up a little further , and Martin -LSB- King Jr. -RSB- spoke . Then today , President Obama ran , and we won . '' Watch Obama say Americans have `` chosen hope over fear '' '' iReporter Barbara Talisman , 48 , of Chicago , watched Tuesday from a spot on the Mall near the American Museum of Natural History . `` The historical significance of today and importance of our work made it necessary for me to be here and not at home . I want to be a witness , '' Talisman said . Kim Akins , 43 , of Chicago , Illinois , who lives just blocks from Obama 's home , made the trek to Washington with her 8-year-old daughter , Chloe . Vanessa Reed of Centerville , Virginia , took her daughters to a spot on the inaugural parade route . `` I was going to take my daughter here if it was the last thing I did , '' she said . `` It 's breathtaking . ... It
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- They came from all corners of the world , braved fiercely cold temperatures and stood together on the Mall in Washington to share in one historic moment -- when Barack Obama became the 44th president and the first African-American elected to the post . Crowds at the inaugural parade cheer and snap photos of President Obama on Tuesday . Millions of people packed the Mall early Tuesday to watch Obama 's inauguration and later hit the parade route to catch a glimpse of the new president . For many , the inauguration was the realization of a dream they never thought could be fulfilled . This is America happening , '' said Evadey Minott of Brooklyn , New York . `` It was prophesied by -LSB- the Rev. Martin Luther -RSB- King that we would have a day when everyone would come together . This is that day . I am excited . I am joyful . It brings tears to my eyes . '' Obama 's speech : How did he do ? L.J. Caldwell of Somerset , New Jersey , said Obama 's inauguration capped five decades of struggle for African-Americans . ``