Skip links
Skip to Content
play
Live
Show navigation menu
Navigation menu
News
Show more news sections
Middle East
Africa
Asia
US & Canada
Latin America
Europe
Asia Pacific
Israel War on Gaza
Features
Opinion
Video
More
Show more sections
Economy
Ukraine war
Coronavirus
Climate Crisis
Investigations
Interactives
In Pictures
Science & Technology
Sport
Podcasts
play
Live
Click here to search
search
In Pictures
Gallery
Americans choose first black president
Almost 120 million people across the US voted after polls opened on Tuesday [AFP]
Published On 6 Nov 2008
6 Nov 2008
facebook
twitter
whatsapp
copylink
Democrat Barack Obama won with more than 64 million votes - exit polls said that African-Americans, young people and new voters supported him in great numbers [AFP]
Classes at Obama's former primary school in Indonesia were suspended so that pupils could follow the election [EPA]
American voters abroad and fans of Obama and John McCain, the Republican candidate, watched the election, for instance here in Amsterdam [EPA]
Times Square in New York provided big screens on which onlookers saw the Democrats win key battleground states [AFP]
As the results unfolded voters at a party near Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, began to realise that the first US black president was to become reality [AFP]
The historic and convincing victory also saw the Democrats extend their number of seats in the US Congress [AFP]
The Republicans lost out in states such as Ohio that had been deemed necessary to win to gain the presidency [AFP]
McCain and his runnning mate Sarah Palin held a rally in Phoenix Arizona where McCain conceeded defeat [AFP]
McCain applauded Obama and commended his ability to inspire Americans [EPA]
Incumbent President George Bush phoned Obama to offer his congratulations and invite him and his family to the White House [Reuters]
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi revelled in the Democrats' unseating 10 Republicans in the House of Representatives [REUTERS]
Obama has two daughters and the family appeared at an election night gathering in Chicago, Illinois [AFP]
Obama embraces his wife Michelle who will become first lady when they enter the White House on January 20 next year [AFP]
Democrat vice-president elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill also appeared in Chicago to a crowd that spanned generations [AFP]
Obama spoke to those assembled about such issues as social justice and the experience of minorities and women in America, saying that change had now come [AFP]
Supporters celebrated the Illinois senator's win in Kenya, where Obama's father is from [Reuters]
While countries around the world congratulated Obama [Reuters]
And back in Washington, DC, preparations began almost immediately for the inauguration in January [GALLO/GETTY]