From Biden's Bible to the colour purple: 5 things you may have missed during the inauguration

Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday in a scaled-down celebration, because of the coronavirus pandemic, and heightened security following the mob attack atthe Capitol two weeks ago.

But there was no shortage of interesting details of historic significance during the swearing-in ceremony,from Biden'sfamily Bible to Kamala Harris's choice of the colour purple.

Biden'sBible

Biden used a Bible for his swearing-in that's been in thefamily since at least 1893. Several inches thick, it's the same onehe used twice when being sworn in as vice-president and seven times as a Delaware senator.

(Erin Schaff/Reuters)

The colour purple

Harris chose purple for several reasons. She often wore that colour during her bid for the presidency last year to honour Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress and first Black majority-party candidate to run for president. The colour is also a symbol of unity and bipartisanship:Republican red and Democratic blue make purple.

(Patrick Semansky/AFP/Getty Images)

Harris was escorted to the podium by Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, who single-handedly took on a mob of Trump supporters as they tried to break intothe Senate chamberto overturn the election results on Jan. 6.

(Biden Inaugural Committee/Getty Images)

Singing in haute couture

Lady Gaga went for red and let her giant broochdo the talking. She sang the national anthem in a Schiaparelli gown designed by Daniel Roseberry with a full red skirt and a navy coat adorned with a hugegold dove holding an olive branch.

(Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

(Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)

In revered company

Mindful of the past, inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, 22,wore earrings and a caged bird ring a tribute to Maya Angelou's classic memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings given to her by Oprah Winfrey, a close friend of the late writer.

After Biden's inaugural address, Gormanrecited apoemshe wrote calledThe Hill We Climb.

(Patrick Semansky/Reuters)

Sanders's mittens

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders drew fashion praise on social media for his cozy, comfortable inauguration clothing, whichincluded a pair of mittens. The look earned him his own inauguration bobbleheadfigure, now available topre-orderat the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum's online store.

(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)