UPDATES: 

Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 45th president of the United States today, January 20, 2017. Throughout the morning President-elect Trump and his wife Melania have been getting ready for the big moment - from Church service to meeting with Barack and Michelle Obama. 

11 p.m.: President Trump visited members of the military at the Armed Services Ball. In remarks the president promised that he would do more for the military than ever. The president also spoke to service members deployed overseas before dancing.

9:30 p.m.: President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at the Freedom Ball to dance to "My Way." They were joined on stage by Vice President Pence and his wife and the children of the Trump and Pence families. 

8:26 p.m.: The inaugural balls have begun. There have been performances by The Rockettes, tony Orlando and Pelican 212. No sign of the first couple yet.

7:05 p.m.: With the parade now over, next come the inaugural balls. There are three balls in Washington, and the first couple are expected to attend all three. They are the Freedom and Liberty balls at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and the Armed Services Ball at the National Building Museum. 

There are also unsanctioned balls taking place throughout D.C.

Spectrum Networks' Grace Rauh will be reporting from the Armed Services Ball tonight.

7 p.m.: From AP -- Donald Trump's hotel in Washington is tweeting a photo of flag-waving staffers welcoming the new president, and that's not sitting well with a prominent government ethics lawyer.

The tweet reads: "We are waiting for you Mr. President! Thank you!"

Former chief White House ethics lawyer Norm Eisen says the tweet "puts the lie" to Trump's vow that his company would avoid even the appearance of using the presidency to promote his business.

Trump made the pledge in a six-page "White Paper" released last week to avoid conflicts of interest. He promised his company would not take "any actions that actually exploit, or even could be perceived as exploiting, the Office of the Presidency."

The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

5:45 p.m.: The Coastal Florida Police & Fire Pipes & Drums are marching in the inauguration parade. Brittany Jones profiled this Flagler County-area band earlier this month.

5:20 p.m.: The Trump and Pence families are entering the White House parade viewing enclosure to watch the inauguration parade.

4:40 p.m.: The Trump family has arrived at the White House.

4:30 p.m.: Before the parade, the president took part in a luncheon with Congress. It included toasts from several congressional leaders, along with a presentation of gifts. During the luncheon, Trump spoke and thanks former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for coming to the inauguration and the led a standing ovation for the two, saying he has "a lot of respect for those two people."

4:13 p.m. The limo stopped on Constitution Avenue, and President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and son Baron have gotten out and are now walking along the parade route. Other members of the Trump family have gotten out of other limos. The Trumps got out of the limo right near Trump Hotel, not far from the White House. Crowds along the route are chanting "USA! USA!"

4 p.m.: President Trump's motorcade is making its way through Washington at the head of the inaugural parade. The president is making his way down Pennsylvania Avenue in the new presidential limo, nicknamed "The Beast," with thousands waving along the parade route.

2:50pm: Shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday, Trump sent his first tweet as the President of the United States. 

1:21pm: Just over an hour after Trump was sworn in as president, he signed his first orders as president. President Trump signed a legislation allowing retired Gen. James Mattis to serve as defense secretary. 

12:18pm: Trump finished his speech saying, "Together we will make America strong again, wealthy again, proud again, safe again, and great again." 

12:15pm: "Our country will thrive and prosper again," Trump said.

12:13pm: "We will not impose our way of life on anyone, but use it as an example." We will let it shine." 

"When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice."

"When America is united, America is unstoppable."

12:10pm: "We are now only looking toward the future," Trump said.

Trump: "From this day forward a new vision will govern our land." He added, "From this day forward it's going to be only America first." 

"We will bring back our wealth and our dreams. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work," he siad.

Trump: "We follow two simple rules: Buy American, hire American."

12:03pm: Trump gives his inaugural speech. 

"We are not only transferring the power of office, but giving the power back to the people."

"This moment is your moment. It belongs to you," Trump said.

"What truly matters is not which party controls the government, but whether our government is controlled by the people." He added, "January 20, 2017, is the day the people became the rulers of this nation again."

12:01pm: Trump is now officially the President of the United States. 

12pm: Trump is taking the oath of office of the United States. 

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

11:55am: Mike Pence has been sworn in as the Vice President of the United States.

Donald Trump is waiting to go on stage to take the oath of office, while the Morman Tabernacle Choir performs. 

11:30am: President-elect Donald Trump has made his way on to the platform for the inauguration ceremony. 

Senator Roy Blunt opened up the swearing in ceremony, followed by Timothy Michael, Reverend Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, and Pastor Paula White-Cain. 

11am: President Obama and President-elect Trump leave the White House for inaugural swearing-in ceremony. 

10:45am: Pres. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have sent a farewell message to Americans: "We want to thank you once again from the bottom of our hearts."

10:30am: Former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush have arrived for Inauguration Day. 

10am: Donald and Melania Trump have arrived at the White House and were greeted by Barack and Michelle Obama. 

JUST IN: President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet President-elect Trump and wife Melania https://t.co/RxTvfL9m8H #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/eHs2pgD35O

FUN FACTS: 

George W. Bush was not the first president who is a son of a former president. That title goes to John Quincy Adams, the 6th president of the U.S. 

When Trump takes office, it will mark only the fourth time in American history when five former presidents have been alive at the same time.

 

ORIGINAL POST:

Ten weeks after winning the presidency in an historic upset, New York real estate mogul Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the nation's leader this afternoon.

The former reality TV star will be sworn in as the United States' 45th president on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building at noon EST. Trump will then deliver his inaugural address, followed by the traditional parade up Pennsylvania Avenue at 3 p.m. EST.

The inaugural festivities will get underway with a musical program on the National Mall starting at 9:30 a.m. EST.

But the president-to-be started the festivities early with this tweet:

Trump arrived in the capital on Thursday accompanied by his wife and children. In the afternoon he and Vice President-elect Mike Pence laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.

On Thursday night Trump attended a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where he told the crowd that "there's never been a movement like this."

"I had something to do with it, but you had much more to do with it," he said.

Organizers of the "Make America Great Again" welcome celebration had struggled to find big name musical acts eager to perform. They ended up with rockers 3 Doors Down and country singer Toby Keith.

Earlier Thursday Trump attended a leadership luncheon with transition officials and incoming staff at his Washington hotel. The incoming president took the opportunity to praise House Speaker and fellow Republican Paul Ryan, saying that he was "starting to really, really love Paul."

Demonstrators are expected to gather at three locations to protest the inauguration festivities. Filmmaker and liberal activist Michael Moore is among those expected to speak at a rally in Washington's McPherson Square following the swearing-in ceremony.

According to the Associated Press, permit applications show about 20,000 people are expected to attend that event. Organizers have vowed to disrupt the inauguration and risk arrest by interfering with security checkpoints.

A larger protest event, billed as the Women's March on Washington, is scheduled for Saturday.

A forecast of rain may make for a wet day of festivities. As a result, the National Park Service will allow revelers to use collapsible mini umbrellas — but not long, non-collapsible umbrellas — on the mall and along the parade route.