The memorial ceremony began about 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time and included the first-ever lighting of the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial. Both Biden and incoming Vice-president Kamala Harris spoke, in the shadow of the 16th President.

"Between sundown and dusk, let us shine the lights in the darkness," Biden said, urging Americans to remember those they had lost. Such remembrance is "how we heal," he said.

Harris emphasized the message of unity: "Tonight we grieve, and begin healing, together."

A pair of songs accompanied their remarks: "Amazing Grace," sung by Detroit nurse Lori Marie Key, and "Hallelujah," sung by gospel singer Yolanda Adams.

Across the nation, people lit candles in a show of socially distanced solidarity against the horrors of the virus. Church bells rang out, and city buildings glowed a light amber. Some of the country's most iconic buildings, among them Space Needle in Seattle and New York's Empire State Building, lit up as well.

Also on display in the nation's capital was a Field of Flags, a gathering of thousands of flags from all over the world, taking the place of the big crowd that would normally attend a presidential inauguration. Because of safety concerns, some of Biden's inauguration will be virtual. A light display helped illuminate the field of flags at night. The theme was America United; the pillars of light numbered 56, one for every U.S. state and territory.

As with the memorial ceremony, the flag display served to honor the nearly 400,000 people in the U.S. who have died during the pandemic.