Inauguration Day: The defining images as Joe Biden becomes US president

The Independent takes a look at the day that the Biden era began

At noon on 20 January 2021, the tumultuous and divisive Trump term ended and Joe Biden, the former VP and longtime senator with working-class Scranton roots, became the 46th president of the United States.

The swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday was a stark reminder of the uphill challenges that the new president faces in office. 

Washington DC is surrounded by a ring of steel and troops reminiscent of a war zone following an insurrectionist siege at the US Capitol by a pro-Trump mob earlier this month. And the capital, normally packed with jubilant scenes on such a historic occasion, is strangely empty due to pandemic precautions.

Here, The Independent, takes a look at the defining images on the day that the Biden era began.