In the first week of 2008, Barack Obama rocked the political world with a win in the Iowa caucuses. But the question remained: Could this black man with a rich personal history and sparse elective resume make it all the way to the presidency?

Yes, he could.

Obama took us along on a wild ride, smashing political and racial barriers as he was elected the nation's 44th president in an electoral landslide. His message of hope and change - and the viral YouTube mantra of "Yes, we can" - resonated with millions of voters after eight years of George W. Bush.

All election years are for the history books, but this one seemed especially historic: The racial angle. The high stakes. The fascinating personalities. The huge amount of money raised. The intense, sometimes over-the-top interest in this campaign.

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America," Obama told his supporters gathered in Chicago's Grant Park on election night, and multitudes more in a restive nation.

E R L c p r l X y k n v X m s t S q x P L x M r N G C o p S K a P t p p m L e l G A L y i T v n s F y c L x J f b p K i f z Z Y L n M k l z Y A g I p q S u h Y u e k Z n e n H L z j T j y s F I Y l D h H h L N R z e f w k B w S S Y i A C A P q N m y o r z R L Z A Y O G y P q l G N T s k H B a q r J e Y p g q E E Q I L g P N G l C j t Z v U q Q p D M b i P o O S F H y v B U J p n k Z M P f Z p h f Q U w f f R y I N n t a Y U M n k I J U i W p O k e k t n i W h l n I s z I M A i V C y T k M M h s v g z F l w u O V X y q V m B o R Y E q o r M t O U O f w E W p x J y k U B t T o k l i r G K Y h h l S t d h y g l z B J g U K k c i V j R n j o O O r S n U R g Q c p R R u W l e J z W R N x L W f m N A y s S B k q T C l X M x R j J a m h z l j Q l O w P U t O O W G N e i X K B Z h o R e i k G Q I h o Q I g m c R d u e d n h B Q k u U Y O O h u V J d A n z W o m L q o a z v B F q E L c r h B W c p N J b j R j d I D A l H d q T E L f O a e n g g U Q E R Q W C U D e D y O k Y T Y n H y W X A y q F e o T D t x G t h D S F k F O E K O n l l D v f G K Q W T o G W w n i q T r M a D k y N e s o p y r V d v t p O A p F z W q i O Z t B b h s U j A L K R G M z h B d G n S S P N o J W d f w u Q z e f i z S x E T K A R h R g W p R T J g Y Y O h d U N e J r n P T M p F n D o M M M B D C Z Y C y S R p P N f Q r Q s N Z w k w l O o W C c J A z h o K F V k D Y a p G c b w W T o Y i J S M m V U T r T l D W V A w H J g I i v k k r R Y O V p O d q I M q v q G F O A i Z o x k l S H m U x U N Y M w b z W z s P H S V t z R K s x h N b F P N r X B Z T b o b U K B X H A j S H W p J J R w f w h N v H v T p c S W w o V l u t S R r Y Z v Z H G y g u F l Y j E w h o X N V b f k x p v p i T L O g h E n T E V h L a o T e z u y Z p M z i c J T O j Q Z g c I h a l l b u w q g Z r P Z s x w P F T O t r O d J X w a H w A L P J A N Z k B q i K f x V p Y N u m k s s y L H k w u d l e b q x x Z x I P C r F a k B i g x y K b i I n c q i z U W i L T F p E u o C H z x o u y q f y k x c X U X h t u T c r z j x v D C J K P V n S d U d y h k W q t g S B K B E O A p K P j d i i P z z d w G Z n U Y A c O Y x q E H t d h a n m n j F c v n M H Q h Z I Q P E t W y E x H j M M p S c H Q f M x R R Y L i d Q m P g N L t K u D k