The historic election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States has captivated Americans and foreigners alike. They traveled to Washington, D.C. from near and far in order to witness the inaugural ceremony at midday on January 20, 2009. According to official estimates from the District of Columbia government, 1.8 million people gathered on the National Mall that day. It is clear from television images and photographs that this momentous event drew a diverse crowd to the Nation’s Capital.
For President Obama’s 100th day in office, the MIT SENSEable City Lab has created visualizations of mobile phone call activity that characterize the inaugural crowd and answer the questions: Who was in Washington, D.C. for President Obama’s Inauguration Day? When did they arrive, where did they go, and how long did they stay? The results of our advanced data analyses are presented in two dazzling visualizations that celebrate Barack Obama and the people who supported him from all over the U.S. and the world.