President Barack Obama takes the Oath of Office on AstroTurf 12

Shortly after noon, in front of millions of onlookers, on the steps of the Capital Building in Washington, D.C., Barack Hussein Obama took the oath of office and officially became the 44th president and the first African-American to be elected.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. administered the oath as Obama's wife, Michelle, and daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, looked on.

Construction for the stage at the Capital began on September 24, 2008. The wooden platform can accommodate 1,600 people and was designed by the Architect of the Capital's Office.

The podium where President Obama took the Oath of Office and delivered his inaugural address was surrounded by blue, AstroTurf 12®, the latest generation of the all nylon turf that started the synthetic turf industry over 40 years ago.