A mad, happy November night in Grant Park

CHICAGO became the biggest open-air party in the world today as people flooded the streets to celebrate.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans streamed into the avenues, parks, hotels and bars, filling the air with cheers as Barack Obama notched up victory after victory.

They held hands, hugged each other and danced with joy while television sets and giant screens showed the votes piling up.

"Yes we did! Yes we did!" chanted groups of door-knockers, updating their campaign slogan Yes We Can.

At the heart of the partying was Grant Park, which last saw this kind of hysteria when a Papal Mass was held in 1979.

Stars such as Brad Pitt and Oprah Winfrey could be glimpsed in a sea of 125,000 inside the park, all waiting for the president-elect to give his first speech. When the park was deemed full, just as many packed along Michigan Avenue and squeezed around TVs in hotel foyers.

"This is absolutely historic, unbelievable, incredible, for America, for the whole world," said Atukwe Newell, 30.

In the true spirit of free enterprise, Obama-Biden car stickers that were being given away free a day ago were being sold in the street for $5 each. T-shirts with the legend "Grant Park 08 - I was there" were selling like hot cakes.

"Jeez, they are calling Pennsylvania already - it must be big," said a shirt vendor, his ear pressed to a radio.

No alcohol was allowed in the park but people were getting drunk on joy. "It's just about the most exciting thing in my lifetime," said Winfrey. Film director Spike Lee said: "I'm just happy to be here - to witness it with my own eyeballs." Jesse Jackson, the black clergyman who tried for president 20 years ago, said he felt "redeemed".

It was the hottest ticket in America. Obama officials confided that for every Hollywood star given a VIP invitation, nine others had begged to come and been refused.

When the big screens showed Virginia had gone Democrat for the first time since 1964, they went wild. The capture of Ohio, Iowa and Pennsylvania all followed. This time, there would be no dispute about the result.

Then, at 10.04pm - just after 4am in Britain - the big screens said CNN had called the election for Mr Obama. The cheer that went up almost blew the leaves off the trees and people laughed, wept and kissed.

And finally he was there. Mr Obama walked onto a stage bedecked with flags with wife Michelle and their two daughters. His powerful baritone promised to "reclaim the American dream" and people had tears pouring down their cheeks. The music swelled, the party went on and on.

Not everyone was enjoying the occasion. In the Hilton Hotel, with a grandstand view of the delirious throngs, the Chicago Young Republicans were holding their own election night party. Not many came and nobody was smiling.

History was being made on a mad, happy, warm November night. But this time, it was someone else's turn.