US presidential election Democrat Barack Obama was elected president of the United States, easily defeating his Republican rival John McCain to become the country’s first African-American president.
Slideshow: Election day
November 5 2008
A huge crowd turned out in Chicago's Grant Park to celebrate Barack Obama's victory
November 5 2008
Democratic Party supporters watch Barack Obama give his acceptance speech on television in Columbus, Ohio
November 5 2008
President-elect Barack Obama delivers his victory speech at his election night party at Grant Park in Chicago
November 5 2008
President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden greet supporters at their election night rally in Chicago
November 5 2008
President-elect Barack Obama and his family greet supporters at his victory rally in Chicago
November 4 2008
Republican presidential candidate John McCain concedes defeat to Democrat Barack Obama in Phoenix, Arizona. McCain congratulated Obama and called for Americans to unite behind their new president-elect
November 4 2008
Supporters cheer as CNN announces Barack Obama's historic win in Chicago's Grant Park
November 4 2008
Supporters cheer during the election night party for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois
November 4 2008
Guests gathered for Republican presidential candidate John McCain's election night party at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona
November 4 2008
Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama gather in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, where Obama will address an election night rally expected to draw as many as a million people
November 4 2008
Republican presidential candidate John McCain thanks volunteers at a get-out-the-vote telephone center in Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 4 2008
Voters wait in line to cast their ballots during evening voting at a polling station at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania
November 4 2008
Volunteer William Clark hands out 'I Voted' stickers at New Covenant A.R.P. Church in Charlotte, North Carolina
November 4 2008
Mike Paul and his son Dennis Paul pick up ballots from the local election judges before casting their ballots in the rural township of Hancock, Minnesota
November 4 2008
Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama line up early to get into Obama's election night rally at Chicago's Grant Park
November 4 2008
Voters cast their ballots at the Su Nuevo Laundromat in Chicago, Illinois
November 4 2008
Supporters of Republican presidential candidate John McCain cheer as he arrives at an Election Day rally in Grand Junction, Colorado
November 4 2008
Michelle Strimaitis casts her ballot for president in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago
November 3 2008
US Democratic presidential nominee Illinois Senator Barack Obama at the end of a rally in Jacksonville, Florida. Mr Obama and his Republican rival John McCain dashed through critical states in a frenetic final day blitz on the eve of the historic US elections
