As the sun prepared to rise on Tuesday, throngs of early-risers crowded Washington to be a part of Barack Obama's inauguration as America's first black president...
At 4:15am (0915 GMT), with the skies still dark and a winter chill in the air, the underground Metro trains filled to capacity as eager riders jumped on in the hopes of scoring a good spot for the parade or inauguration ceremony...
Washington was in the grip of a massive and unprecedented security lockdown for the event, which has drawn millions of visitors to the US capital for a chance to have a front-seat view of history...
Early televised traffic reports showed lines of headlights along the dark roads, an unusual sight even in this commuter-heavy area where many of Washington's powerbrokers drive in and out of the city from suburban homes...
The Secret Service launched its final security sweep at 3:00am (0800 GMT) of the National Mall, the vast green space that is home to the Washington Monument and where some die-hards stayed awake throughout the night...
Streets were closed off across the capital with concrete security barriers guarding impassable roadways as police and army guards kept up a vigilant patrol...
Late-night revellers in downtown's trendy neighbourhoods partied into the early morning, after bars and clubs stayed open until 4:00am and exhausted staff struggled to serve the sudden surge in clientele...
Before dawn, the temperature hovered around 20 degrees Fahrenheit (six degrees below zero Celsius), with inauguration-day highs forecast at only 32 degrees (zero Celsius).
Metro officials warned that the subway system would be crowded, bicycles would be barred and public bathrooms would be closed...
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