HUNDREDS of thousands of Barack Obama's supporters had a massive victory party in a park in his home town of Chicago.

HUNDREDS of thousands of Barack Obama's supporters had a massive victory party in a park in his home town of Chicago.

Some people began queuing at Grant Park at 8am yesterday - more than 10 hours before the gates opened.

Many were hoping to be a part of something that would be remembered for generations - and they were not disappointed when the President-elect took to the stage.

The massive crowd cheered and screamed when he walked on with wife Michelle and daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, at his side.

He said he would not be standing on the stage without "my best friend of the past 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama".

He added: "Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House."

The park was transformed by white tents and a stage lined with American flags and hung with red, white and blue bunting.

But the security was massive. The police shut nearby streets, set up miles of barricades and patrolled the skies with helicopters and the shore with boats. And the podium was encased in bullet-proof glass.

Among the crowd was activist Jesse Jackson, TV's Oprah Winfrey and Christine King Farris, sister of murdered civil rights leader Martin Luther King. But the ordinary people were there too.

Alnita Tillman, 50, and daughter, Raven 16, were there at 8am. Mrs Tillman said: "I want her to be able to tell her children she was there when history was made."

There were also long lines to get a place in a spillover section of the park so people could watch Mr Obama on a giant screen.

Stephanie Smith, 27, and her husband flew from Tennessee. Mrs Smith said it would be worth standing to hear the words: "Our next President of the United States is Barack Obama."

Gracious in defeat

John McCain conceded defeat today in a gracious speech urging his supporters to throw their weight behind the new president.

With a tearful running-mate Sarah Palin at his side, the 72-year-old Republican leader said Barack Obama had pre-vailed in what had been a "long and difficult" contest.

Addressing a subdued crowd in his home state of Arizona, Mr McCain said it was natural to feel disap-pointed, but called on all Americans to come together to bridge their differences.

Pledging to do everything in his power to help the new president in any challenge, Mr McCain said: "I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

"Whatever our differences we are fellow Americans."

The former Vietnam prisoner of war said Mr Obama's victory was historic and had a particular significance for African Americans.

He said Mr Obama had inspired hope in millions of Americans who had once believed they had little influence in the election of an American president.

This is "something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving," he said.

But he insisted America today was "a world away from the cruel and spiteful bigotry" of a century ago.

"There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United states," he said.

Mr McCain placed the blame for defeat squarely on his own shoulders, saying: "We fell short the failure is mine not yours."

After expressing gratitude to his family and supporters, Mr McCain thanked Mrs Palin calling the Alaskan governor "one of the best campaigners I have ever seen".