After months of campaigning, the most groundbreaking(草分けの、革新的な)election in recent US history ended last night with the momentous(重大な、重要な)selection of the country's first African-American president. Democratic candidate Barack Obama, the son of a black man from Kenya and white woman from Kansas, will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States on January 20, 2009. American war veteran and Republican candidate John McCain conceded(敗北を認める)defeat and pledged to support Obama as he leads the country through the coming challenges.