On November 4, 2008, Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois defeated Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona to make history as the 44th President of the United States, becoming the first African American to be elected to the White House.
The 47-year-old Obama secured 365 electoral votes and nearly 53 per cent of the popular vote, comfortably defeating the 72-year-old McCain, who garnered 173 electoral votes and more than 45 per cent of the vote.
Obama ran alongside Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, who became his vice-president. He was sworn into office on January 20, 2009, marking a historic milestone in American politics.
