Wednesday broke with historic results in the 2024 election, both in the contests for control of the White House and Congress.
Vice President Kamala Harris was hoping to become the first female president and first president of South Asian descent. But as of around 5:30 a.m. ET, ABC News projected that former President Donald Trump would secure Wisconsin and with it the White House, surpassing the all-important 270 electoral college votes needed to obtain the office.
The result made Trump only the second president to win non-consecutive terms, placing him alongside former President Grover Cleveland who served as the 22nd and 24th president having won the 1884 and 1892 elections.
Trump's return to the White House also makes him the first president elected who has been convicted of a crime.
ABC News contributor Mark Updegrove said Trump "rose up from the ashes" to reclaim the presidency in what he called "the most spectacular comeback in the history of our country."
"There is nothing even remotely comparable," Updegrove said. "Two impeachments, Jan. 6, the loss of the [2020] election, 34 felony counts -- on and on and on."
The notable "firsts" are not limited to the presidential ticket. In fact, there was a plethora of additional historic firsts from various branches of this year's federal election, with more potentially to come as votes continue to be counted. Here are some of the highlights, though this list is not exhaustive:
Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware will serve as the first woman and the first Black woman to represent her state in the Senate. Rochester previously made history as Delaware's first female and first Black House representative in 2017.
Democrat Angela Alsobrooks became Maryland's first Black senator. Her opponent, former Gov. Larry Hogan, was bidding to be the first Republican to win a Maryland Senate seat in nearly four decades.
Republican Bernie Moreno also become Ohio's first Hispanic statewide official and the first South-American born senator.
The House races also provided the opportunity for other minority identities to become represented in Congress for the first time, particularly among women.
Democrat Janelle Bynum of Oregon could become the first Black women to represent her state in Congress.
Republican Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota, meanwhile, won her bid to become the first women to represent the state in the House.
Democrat Marcy Kaptur of Ohio is currently the longest-serving woman in congressional history and hopes to continue this legacy in her pursuit of her 22nd term.
There could be historic firsts with Asian American representation as well.
Democrat Derek Tran could also become the first Vietnamese member of Congress from California and Democrat Amish Shah could become the first Asian American and Indian American from Arizona in Congress.
Democrat Nellie Pou could become the first Hispanic woman to represent New Jersey in Congress and Democrat Tony Vargas could be the first Latino in Congress from Nebraska.