Anderson Cooper was in the National Mall with at least 800,000 others today for Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama's public swearing-in ceremony. The festivities coincidentally fell on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The celebrations were exquisite, the styles glamorous, and the performances worthy of the momentous occasion – and the night is still young.

After he took his oath of office, the president addressed the nation and called on Americans to come together for a common purpose. The overarching theme was equality. For the first time in an inaugural speech, a president called for gay rights, which received a loud applause from the crowd.

Among the many symbolic traditions, the commander in chief used two Bibles, instead of one, for the swearing-in by Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts. President Obama chose to place his hand on the Bible Abraham Lincoln used for his first inauguration, and a Bible used by King.

Read President Obama's address below and tune in to AC360° at 10 p.m. ET for insight from political insiders and historians, and relive the best moments from the 57th presidential inauguration. Anderson will also speak with inaugural poet Richard Blanco.

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