A few minutes before noon on Wednesday, Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States, declaring that "democracy has prevailed" and urging Americans to "lower the temperature” as he came to power in a deeply divided country riven by multiple crises.

At age 78, Biden is the oldest US President to be inaugurated. Light snow flurries dusted parts of the city on a historic morning before Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn in.