Among those celebrating were a number of famous faces, who took to the streets and social media to send their heartfelt congratulations to the new president-elect and vice president-elect Kamala Harris, who made history as the first woman to be elected VP.
Lizzo
Singer Lizzo posted a live video to Instagram as the news was announced, with tears streaming down her face.
“There are few times in this country where I am hopeful,” she said, before taking a second to gain her composure. “I think Trump is out of office, officially. I’m seeing the news everywhere, I think this is the end of that four-year term that felt like 1,000 years, where people lost their lives, their livelihoods. This country fell into a pandemic, a recession.
“And you can’t really blame one president for things but you can blame them for how they handle it,” she continued. “It was so mishandled, and I felt so unseen and so neglected. Whether you’re blue or red, that man didn’t care about you.”
Lady Gaga
Also sharing a teary video to Instagram was Lady Gaga, who has been a vocal supporter of Biden and joined him for a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. “I hope all the women know in this country that there is a real reckoning and a real change,” she said.
“I hope people whose voices who have been oppressed by power, I hope you know your voices were heard.
“I’m just ... I’m honestly kind of speechless,” she continued. “This is a very, very special day. It’s a day where a lot of people who felt like we were living in a state of terror and aggression all the time, that it’s over. You can feel warm now.”
Later posting a photo of herself hugging Biden, she wrote: “Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and the American people, you just gave the world one of the greatest acts of kindness and bravery humanity has ever seen. Nothing but love for our new Commander in Chief and the first female VP elected to the White House.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Vice President Selina Meyer in HBO's popular comedy Veep was among the first to offer her congratulations to Harris.
"'Madam Vice President' is no longer a fictional character," she tweeted.
Mindy Kaling
A poignant moment came from actor and writer Mindy Kaling who, like vice president-elect Harris, is of Indian heritage. "Crying and holding my daughter, 'look baby, she looks like us'", she wrote in a tweet, alongside an image of Harris as a young girl.
Bella and Gigi Hadid
Supermodel sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid, who are of Palestinian-Dutch heritage, also shared their happiness.
"Christmas came early," wrote new mother Gigi. "Proud to be an American."
Bella said: “This is how you come together and make a difference. I am so proud America. I feel hopeful for the future and for the lives of the people. Finally.”
Mark Ruffalo
Avengers actor Mark Ruffalo, who spent the weeks leading up to the election actively encouraging his fans to vote, shared a picture with his daughter saying they were "so happy today".
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
In California, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen – who have made no secret of their disdain for Trump during his four-year presidency – took to the streets for a drive-by, perched on top of their car as they waved to the crowds who had gathered to celebrate.
Sharing videos to Twitter, Teigen said it was the “best moment of her life".
“Oh my god I do not know how to act, I’m just so happy,” she said, retweeting a post that described her and Legend’s visit as a “royal drive-by”.
Spike Lee
Director Spike Lee joined crowds on the streets of Brooklyn, where an impromptu party then broke out in front of his studio, with hundreds dancing until the early hours.
Jonathan Van Ness
Star of Netflix's Queer Eye, Jonathan Van Ness, joined crowds on the streets of New York City, posting videos of himself cheering excitedly. "Democracy works," he said, sharing a post to Instagram.
Karamo Brown
His co-host Karamo Brown shared a video of himself in tears. “This moment ... we are going to begin healing and to every little girl and woman ... this moment of for you!"
Miley Cyrus
Sharing a viral meme of Biden dancing along to a song played during a speech, Miley Cyrus edited in her famous track. “Now this is a party in the USA!,” she wrote.
Jordan Peele
Taking Trump's own line from his days as host of reality television show The Apprentice, director Jordan Peele tweeted: "You're fired."
Beyonce
Beyonce congratulated Biden and Harris, sharing pictures of each of them when they were young, as well as an image of them holding hands in front of an American flag. The same image was shared by Kim Kardashian West as she offered her congratulations.
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Scoreline
Switzerland 5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka
