President Barack Obama's second inauguration was a blur of politicians, celebrities, pomp and ceremony. As the moment unfolded, there were a few things that happened they may have escaped your eye:
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Obama became the first president ever to mention gay rights during his inaugural address, giving a call out to Stonewall, the New York City bar where the gay rights movement began in the early '70s, and declaring that "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law."
- Strange enough was the sight of Jay-Z, a one-time drug dealer turned rap superstar from the projects of Brooklyn, and Beyoncé, the "sexiest woman of the 21st Century," standing next to Newt and Callista Gingrich at a presidential inauguration. Truly bizarre was this screengrab of what appears to be Republican Rep. Peter King snapping a cellphone photo of Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
- Much was made of the fact that Justice Antonin Scalia wore a rather peculiar hat to President Obama's first inaugural. Well, the conservative firebrand didn’t disappoint, sporting an even more unusual hat this time. But the attention heaped on Scalia's chapeaus — including the #scaliaweirdhat hashtag — seems to be ideologically driven, as liberal Stephen Breyer sported a hat at each Obama's inaugurations to little fanfare or derision.
- Well before their father came out, First Daughters Malia and Sasha Obama were in the stands, spending much of the time chatting with their cousin Avery Robinson. But at one point, the spirit moved Malia, who suddenly busted a move (h/t to Buzzfeed for the requisite animated GIF).
- Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of civil rights martyr Medgar Evers, was called upon to deliver the Inaugural Prayer, offering a moving call for a blessing on all our leaders and our armed forces. She also made the biggest gaffe of the day, referring to Obama as the 45th president (he's actually number 44), but like a pro, she just kept going.
- As Obama left the stage following the oath of office, he stopped and turned to soak in the moment. "I want to take a look one more time, I'm not going to see this again," he said to someone off camera. Obama then stood there taking in the scene as Vice President Joe Biden and others filed past.
- Al Roker scored the unofficial first post-swearing-in interview with President Obama, screaming loud enough to get a thumbs up from the Commander in Chief, and moments later managed to yell sufficiently to get Vice President Biden to run over and shake his hand. Yes, Roker dropped the mic when it was over.
- In another inauguration first, the First Family was caught in their private box before the parade began, fiddling with their cellphones. Obama was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible while scrolling through messages on his phone, finally being interrupted by eldest daughter Malia, who insisted he repeatedly kiss Michelle until she got a decent photo with her own phone.
Photo Credit: AP