In the final days leading up to November 4th, 2008, people from all over the country sent us countless inspirational stories -- from volunteers on their final weekend GOTV canvasses, folks who had driven from their home to faraway battleground states, and those who watched election returns and saw their states turn blue for the first time in a generation.

These stories poured in from every corner of America, each with a unique perspective on how things were going.

Today, we celebrate the anniversary of our historic win. If you have a favorite November 4 story, you can use this thread to share it with others, or to discuss why you joined the movement, and why you are still involved.

Watching my wife vote for the first time in her life because she knew it was important.

I have a memory of the campaign promises. I miss those. Bring them back, please.

I just remember when Obama won! I was in my college apartment with my best friend. We watched the election coverage all night long. This was also my first time voting, and I've never felt so proud to be an American! I was so happy when he won, I cried a lot.

i was watching and updating the CNN site every 30 seconds to see what states voted for who and print-screened them to my computer. i still have them on my computer!!

My first time to vote for a president!

I'm not American, but my class and me went to the American Embassy in Brussels to follow the elections. We didn't sleep all night, just partied with all the Americans. It was a great night :)

I just remember watching TV, realizing that as soon as the polls here in CA closed that it would be official....the excitement in my living room was palpable. And when it was officially announced, I cried tears of pride and happiness. I served in the Marine Corps but was never more proud to be an American than I was on Nov. 4th, 2008.

Sitting in my livingroom in Glasgow, Scotland, watching all through the night and thinking the world is certainly changing. Amazing moment even for us here across the Atlantic.

i basically followed the entire thing on youtube
some parts of your speeches made me so excited for the USA...
it even gave me chills sometimes

Standing in Rockefeller Plaza.

me and my mom crying (out of happiness) during his speech that night :)

I cried because I felt so proud...yes I cried...

My favorite memory of Nov 4th 2008 was voting. As college students in Bozeman, MT, my friends and I new our polling station at the football stadium would be packed. We got up at 6am and walked across campus in the snowy morning light to stand in line to vote. We even beat the little old polling ladies there! We finally voted when they opened at 7am. I was the first to cast a vote in our section (for Pres. Obama of course). As my friends and I walked home, we knew we had just made a great decision and were involved in something historic.

joyeux anniversaire pour votre election.
il faut continuer votre travail.
il faut continuer vos reformes.
Vous et Mr Sarkozy êtes le futur de notre monde.
une nouvelle fois mes sinceres félicitations
and good work

The Dusty show on WFMU, reactions in New York City on Election Night
Listen here- amazing!
http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/29219
<<November 6, 2008: ELECTION NIGHT SPECIAL 2008
This episode attempts to capture the excitement which happened in Manhattan at Union Square Park and in the immediate vicinity following the election Barack Obama. One elderly gentleman told me that he hadn't seen anything like it in NYC since the end of WWII. I know that I will never forget it. This show is a personal favorite of mine that reminded me how lucky I am to get to document moments like this. Election night 2008. Always remember ...

Clay>>


November 6, 2008: ELECTION NIGHT SPECIAL 2008
This episode attempts to capture the excitement which happened in Manhattan at Union Square Park and in the immediate vicinity following the election Barack Obama. One elderly gentleman told me that he hadn't seen anything like it in NYC since the end of WWII. I know that I will never forget it. This show is a personal favorite of mine that reminded me how lucky I am to get to document moments like this. Election night 2008. Always remember ...

Clay

I will never forget this day. I had cast an absentee vote the week before the election. My son, who was voting for the first time was up at 5:30 a.m. so he could go vote before he had to get ready for school. The church where we vote is around the corner from our house. He dressed hurriedly and I drove him around the corner. I had never seen such a large crowd of people. I saw old, young, black, white, able-bodied, disabled. It was a sight to see and a reminder of our strong democracy.

one of the first times i went to my girlfriend house...a great joy, also here, in the north of italy.

Going outside to dance in the street and finding the neighbors party had the same idea and was coming down the street in a conga-line with pots and pans banging. We joined in for a bit. 40 crazy people having a blast!

Eating ice-cream at work... :-)

Watching the TV, crying, listening to "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" (always a favorite of mine, but even more so now!) and watching people cry on the TV--then seeing all the people in Chicago and how uplifted they looked while the new President-Elect spoke!

I felt relief but most of all, hope. Nothing like I feel here in Virginia today as a full sweep of Republicans were elected - a very scary governor. Much different than the joy of last year.

I have never been so excited for America as I was last election day. So proud of us!!

I was rocking my seven month old son to sleep and bawling my eyes out because he was born in such a historic year. He and I are both mixed. I never thought I would see am mixed person as President in my lifetime, so I am so happy it has happened now.

I was watching the election coverage extensively on my laptop via BBC News. I started growing more and more anxious as the time went by, it felt like my heart was going to explode. Then 11:00 rolled by and it was noted that Barack Obama had been forecast to become President of the United States. Immediately I jumped up and shouted "He won!" I ran into the living room where my mom was looking at the television, "This is so surreal." she said. And people on TV were celebrating, and as time has gone by it's incredible to think how many people across the world were celebrating all within that one minute afterwards -- from my current college, to Grant Park, to Kenya, to Britain, everywhere.

I ran as fast as I could around the neighborhood that night, there were no cars in sight, not a sound. And I sang to myself: "It was a creed written in the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation -- Yes We Can."

biking home after watching the election, yelling out "OBAMA!!!" and hearing everyone on the street cheer. having these moments of connection with total strangers because we were all so happy and hopeful.

Yeah, I remember being excited because of all the promises you made to your gay supporters. Now I'm just disgusted because you've done NOTHING.

it's been a dismal failure...........

On the election night (I live in the UK but am an American citizen), one of the bars on my university campus was staying open all night to broadcast coverage of the election, and the bar probably couldn't have fit another person inside it — the floor was covered with students sitting in groups because the chairs had long since been taken.

I will never forget the moment when the last state needed for Obama to win turned blue. Everyone in the bar was counting down until the map would change colour, and when it did, everyone in the packed bar cheered wildly. It was one of the most incredible moments of my life. The enthusiasm from everyone in the room, even though this was not their government, was phenomenal, and I will never forget it.