Rising stars in the Democratic party, as well as venerated public servants, took the stage to pay tribute to President Joe Biden's legacy and support Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign following Biden's exit from the race.
Here are some of the biggest moments from the convention in photos.
Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the first night of the convention.
Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention.
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"Looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation, people from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here, united by our shared vision for the future of our country," she said.
She ended her brief remarks with one of her signature lines: "When we fight, we win."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a fiery speech in support of Harris and Tim Walz.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Democratic National Convention.
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"I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed, trampling on our way of life," Ocasio-Cortez said.
Hillary Clinton spoke about her vision for what lies beyond that "hardest, highest glass ceiling."
Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention.
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"On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as the 47th president," Clinton said.
Clinton's speech also included a nod to "Suffs," the Broadway show she co-produced about the women's suffrage movement, with a line from one of its songs: "Progress is possible, not guaranteed."
Kentucky resident Hadley Duvall introduced Gov. Andy Beshear with her powerful testimony in support of reproductive freedom.
Hadley Duvall at the Democratic National Convention.
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Duvall shared her story of being impregnated by her stepfather at age 12.
"I can't imagine not having a choice, but today, that's the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trump's abortion bans," Duvall said." "He calls it a beautiful thing. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent's child?"
Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia quoted the Bible in his address and said Donald Trump should "try reading it."
Raphael Warnock at the Democratic National Convention.
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"A vote is a kind of prayer for the kind of world we desire for ourselves and for our children, and we are stronger when we pray together," Warnock, a Baptist pastor, said.
First lady Jill Biden paid tribute to her husband's legacy.
Jill Biden at the Democratic National Convention.
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"With faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country. We will fight, and we will win together," Jill Biden said.
She also spoke about how her late son, Beau Biden, knew Harris while they both served as attorneys general of their respective states.
"He told me at the dinner table one night, 'Mom, she's a special someone to keep your eye on,'" she said Beau Biden told her. "And he was right. Joe and I know Kamala. We have seen her courage, her determination, and her leadership up close."
President Joe Biden wiped away tears after his daughter Ashley's introduction.
Joe Biden and his daughter Ashley Biden at the Democratic National Convention.
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Ashley Biden described her father as "the OG girl dad."
"Dad, you always tell us, but we don't tell you enough, that you are the love of our lives and the life of our love," she said.
In his speech, President Joe Biden touted his administration's accomplishments while passing the torch to Harris and the next generation.
Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention.
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"I've made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you," he said in his DNC speech.
Biden also spoke highly of Harris, saying that choosing her as his vice president was "the best decision" he's made in his career.
"Like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president," he quipped.
Stephanie Grisham, Trump's former White House press secretary, disavowed her former boss on the second night of the convention.
Stephanie Grisham at the Democratic National Convention.
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Grisham shared a screenshot of a text exchange with Melania Trump from January 6, 2021, in which she asked "Do you want to tweet that peaceful protests are the right of every American, but there is no place for lawlessness & violence?"
The screenshot showed that the then-first lady replied "No."
The roll call became a high-energy party complete with a DJ.
DJ Cassidy at the Democratic National Convention.
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DJ Cassidy introduced the delegation with a song connected to each state.
Harris and Walz joined remotely from a rally in Milwaukee once the roll call was complete.
Kamala Harris in Milwaukee.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders, who ran for president in 2016 and 2020, spoke on day two.
Bernie Sanders at the Democratic National Convention.
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Speaking in front of a screen reading "Strong middle class, strong America," Sanders told the crowd, "We need an economy that works for all of us, not just the billionaire class."
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker leveraged his billionaire status to rip into Trump.
JB Pritzker at the Democratic National Convention.
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"Donald Trump thinks that we should trust him on the economy because he claims to be very rich," he said. "But take it from an actual billionaire. Trump is rich in only one thing — stupidity."
Pritzker is worth an estimated $3.5 billion, according to Forbes. Forbes reports that Trump is worth around $4.5 billion.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff shared the story of how he met and fell in love with Harris and called her a "joyful warrior."
Doug Emhoff at the Democratic National Convention.
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"Wherever she's needed, however she's needed, Kamala rises to the occasion," he said. "And she did it for me and my family. And now that the country needs her, she's showing you what we already know: she's ready to lead."
Michelle Obama stole the show with a speech in which she urged voters to "do something."
Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention.
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Her speech also included fierce criticisms of Trump, including "Who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those 'Black jobs'?" and "If we see a mountain in front of us, we don't expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top," referencing Trump Tower's escalator.
In his speech, former President Barack Obama threw his support behind Harris.
Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention.
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"Kamala Harris is ready for the job," Obama said in his speech. "This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a champion."
He also made a suggestive hand gesture while joking about Trump's "weird obsession with crowd sizes."
On the convention's third night, the parents of an Israeli-American hostage held in Gaza, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, delivered an emotional speech.
Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg at the Democratic National Convention.
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Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, said that returning the hostages is "not a political issue" but a "humanitarian issue."
"In an inflamed Middle East, we know the one thing that can most immediately release pressure and bring calm to the entire region: a deal that brings this diverse group of 109 hostages home and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza," Polin said.
Former President Bill Clinton veered from his prepared remarks, speaking about the economy and reflecting on his presidency.
Bill Clinton at the Democratic National Convention.
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"Two days ago I turned 78, the oldest man in my family for a generation," Clinton said. "And the only personal vanity I want to assert is I am still younger than Donald Trump."
He added of Trump: "He mostly talks about himself, so the next time you hear him, don't count the lies, count the I's."
Amanda Gorman recited a new poem, "This Sacred Scene."
Amanda Gorman at the Democratic National Convention.
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"We gather at this hallowed place because we believe in the American dream," Gorman said. "We face a race that tests if this country we cherish shall perish from the Earth and if our Earth shall perish from this country. It falls to us to ensure that we do not fall, for a people that cannot stand together cannot stand at all."
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg introduced himself by saying that viewers "might recognize me from Fox News."
Pete Buttigieg at the Democratic National Convention.
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Buttigieg, a frequent Fox News guest, spoke about his family and military service and summed up Trump's campaign in one word: "darkness."
"I believe in a better politics — one that finds us at our most decent, and open, and brave — the kind of politics that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are offering," he said. "As you've felt in the last couple of days, that kind of politics just feels good to be a part of. There is joy in it, as well as power."
Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance.
Oprah Winfrey at the Democratic National Convention.
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"Let us choose truth, let us choose honor, let us choose joy," Winfrey said. "Because that is the best of America."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted the vice-presidential nomination, hearkening back to his days as a football coach with an election pep talk.
Tim Walz at the Democratic National Convention.
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"You know, you might not know it, but I haven't given a lot of big speeches like this. But I have given a lot of pep talks," he said. "So let me finish with this, team. It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal. But we're on offense and we've got the ball. We're driving down the field. And boy, do we have the right team."
Elizabeth Warren received a loud round of applause as she took the stage on the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention.
Elizabeth Warren at the Democratic National Convention.
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"Trust Donald Trump and JD Vance to look out for your family? Shoot, I wouldn't let these guys, I wouldn't trust them to move my couch," Warren said in an apparent reference to a viral joke on X about JD Vance having sex with a couch.
Rev. Al Sharpton brought out four members of the "Central Park Five" who were falsely convicted of rape and assault in 1989.
Members of the "Central Park Five" and Rev. Al Sharpton at the Democratic National Convention.
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"He called us animals. He spent $85,000 on a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for our execution," Korey Wise said of Trump. "We were innocent kids, but we served a total of 41 years in prison."
Harris' goddaughter Helena Hudlin, niece Meena Harris, and stepdaughter Ella Emhoff shared personal stories about their relationships with Harris.
Helena Hudlin, Meena Harris, and Ella Emhoff at the Democratic National Convention.
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"Kamala came into my life when I was 14, famously a very easy time for a teenager," Emhoff said. "Like a lot of young people, I didn't always understand what I was feeling, but no matter what, Kamala was there for me. She was patient, caring, and always took me seriously. She's never stopped listening to me and she's not going to stop listening to all of us."
Emhoff wore a custom dress designed by a TikTok-famous designer named Joe Ando.
Survivors of gun violence shared their stories in a powerful segment capped off by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
Mark Kelly and Gabrielle Giffords at the Democratic National Convention.
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Giffords, who sustained a brain injury in a 2011 assassination attempt, said that Harris "can beat the gun lobby."
Her husband, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, accompanied her onstage.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer praised Harris as "tough, tested and a total badass."
Gretchen Whitmer at the Democratic National Convention.
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Whitmer hit back at Trump's nickname for her, "that woman from Michigan," by referring to him as "that man from Mar-a-Lago."
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican, said he was endorsing Harris to "defend truth" and "defend democracy and decency.”
Adam Kinzinger at the Democratic National Convention.
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Kinzinger said that the Republican Party is "no longer conservative," and that Trump has "suffocated the soul of the Republican Party."
"How can a party claim to be patriotic if it idolizes a man who tried to overthrow a free and fair election?" he said.
Harris accepted the Democratic nomination, saying in her speech that she would serve as "a president for all Americans."
Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination.
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Harris spoke about her mother, her upbringing, and her vision for America's future.
"I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations," she said in her speech accepting the nomination. "A president who leads and listens, who is realistic, practical, and has common sense. And always fights for the American people. From the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life's work."
The convention ended with 100,000 balloons falling from the ceiling of the United Center.
Balloons at the Democratic National Convention.
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Harris' and Walz's families joined them onstage to celebrate their nomination.
