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President-elect Barack Obama appears on stage with his family members for his victory speech at his election party in Chicago November 4, 2008.

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2008: A Look Back at President Barack Obama's Historic Election

As President Obama's second term in the White House begins to wind down, take a look back at his historic election night in 2008.

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Image: Presidential campaign buttons are for sale by a sidewalk vendor on Monday, Nov. 3, 2008 in New York.

Presidential campaign buttons are for sale by a sidewalk vendor on Monday, Nov. 3, 2008 in New York. Republican contender Sen. John McCain faced his Democratic opponent Sen. Barack Obama on Tuesday November4, 2008.
— Mark Lennihan / AP
Image: US Democratic presidential candidate Illinois Senator Barack Obama helped volunteers at an United Auto Workers union hall, phone canvassing to gather votes for him in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 04, 2008.

US Democratic presidential candidate Illinois Senator Barack Obama helped volunteers at an United Auto Workers union hall, phone canvassing to gather votes for him in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 04, 2008.
— EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP/Getty Images
Image: People line up to vote at a polling station on election day in Washington

People line up to vote at a polling station on election day in Washington, DC, November 4, 2008. Millions of voters across the United States went to the polls in record numbers to choose between Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain.
— JOSHUA ROBERTS / REUTERS
Image: Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Sasha Obama

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., center, and his wife Michelle, cast their votes at a polling place in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008. At left is their daughter Sasha.
— Jae C. Hong / AP
Image: Barack Obama Casts His Vote For President

Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and his wife Michelle vote November 4, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois.

— Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Image: Americans Go To The Polls To Elect The Next U.S. President

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) supporters Mary Decker (C), Annete Davis (L) and others celebrate as his win of the presidential election is announced November 4, 2008 in Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham, along with Selma and Montgomery, were touchstones in the civil rights movement where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led massive protests which eventually led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ending voter disfranchisement against African-Americans. Americans voted in the first presidential election featuring an African-American candidate, Democratic contender Sen. Barack Obama, who ran against Republican Sen. John McCain.

— Mario Tama / Getty Images
Image: U.S Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) speaks to the crowd during his election night rally in Phoenix

U.S Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) speaks to the crowd during his election night rally in Phoenix, November 4, 2008. Joining McCain is U.S. Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

— MIKE BLAKE / REUTERS
Image: Barack Obama Holds Election Night Gathering In Chicago's Grant Park

Rev. Jesse Jackson reacts after projections show that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will be elected to serve as the next President of the United States of America during an election night gathering in Grant Park on November 4, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. Obama defeated Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) by a wide margin in the election to become the first African-American U.S. President elect.

— Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Image: U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) arrives with his family to speak to supporters during his election night rally in Chicago

U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) arrives to speak to supporters with his wife Michelle (L) and their children Malia (2nd L) and Sasha (2nd R) during his election night rally after being declared the winner of the 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign in Chicago, November 4, 2008.

— GARY HERSHORN / REUTERS
Image: Barack Obama and Joe Biden

U.S. President elect Barack Obama (L) and Vice-President elect Joe Biden acknowledge their supporters after Obama gave his victory speech during an election night gathering in Grant Park on November 4, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois.

— Scott Olson / Getty Images file
Image: Barack Obama

President-elect Barack Obama, speaks during the election party at the Grant Park in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008.

— Nam Y. Huh / AP file
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Zeboraqh Ball-Paul listens to the projected speech of President-Elect Barack Obama in an overflow area at the Democratic election night party in Grant Park in Chicago.

— Charles Rex Arbogast / AP
Image: Barack Obama Holds Election Night Gathering In Chicago's Grant Park

U.S. President elect Barack Obama (L) and his wife Michelle (2nd L) wave to their supporters along with Vice-President elect Joe Biden (right) and his wife Jill after Obama gave his victory speech during an election night gathering in Grant Park.

— Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Image: President-elect Barack Obama appears on stage with his family members for his victory speech at his election party in Chicago November 4, 2008.

President-elect Barack Obama appears on stage with his family members for his victory speech at his election party in Chicago November 4, 2008.

— TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP/Getty Images
Image: Television talk show host Oprah Winfrey dances during a victory celebration for US President-elect Barack Obama on November 4, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois.

Television talk show host Oprah Winfrey dances during a victory celebration for US President-elect Barack Obama on November 4, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois.

— EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP/Getty Images
Image: The marquee of the famous Apollo theater proclaims the victory of President-elect Barack Obama early Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 in the Harlem section of New York.

The marquee of the famous Apollo theater proclaims the victory of President-elect Barack Obama early Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 in the Harlem section of New York.

— Frank Franklin II / AP
Image: The World Absorbs News Of US Election

A vendor sells a copy of The Times newspaper featuring Barack Obama on the cover outside the US embassy on November 5, 2008 in London. Global news outlets were dominated with news of Barack Obama's historic victory in the US presidential elections.

— Oli Scarff / Getty Images
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