We are now closing our live coverage of day 1 at the Democratic National Convention.

You can read more coverage from the day below:

'America, I gave my best to you': Biden eyes legacy in emotional farewell

Hillary Clinton says it's time Kamala Harris broke 'glass ceiling'

Harris thanks Biden for his 'historic leadership'

Biden says Gaza protesters 'have a point' after thousands gather at DNC

This page was edited by Caitlin Wilson, Brandon Livesay and Emily McGarvey. Our writers were Brandon Drennon, Madeline Halpert, Mike Wendling, Phil McCausland, Courtney Subramanian and Bernd Debussman Jr.

Thank you for joining us.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

• Before the convention started, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in the streets of Chicago near the venue. The event was mostly peaceful but some arrests were made
• Kamala Harris surprised the crowd when she made a brief early appearance on stage, and received a rockstar-like reception
• Former First Lady Hillary Clinton sought to inspire hope, telling the crowd: "This is our time, America. This is when we stand up. This is when we break through [the glass ceiling]"
• First Lady Jill Biden used the stage to highlight her husband's "humility"
• Joe Biden entered the stage for his biggest moment since exiting the race. He highlighted his legacy, reminded listeners of Harris's role in his administration and criticized Donald Trump
• Biden says: "Democracy must be preserved. We are in a battle for the very soul of America"
• The crowd displayed a level of enthusiasm tonight that has long been missing from the Democrat party, chanting everything from "When we fight, we win" to "Thank you Joe"
• Other notable Democrats who spoke included Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Brandon Drenon / BBC

It didn't take long for the thousands gathered inside United Center for the DNC's opening night to empty the stadium after Joe Biden's speech.

But a small band of faithfuls hung behind, letting out one last "when we fight, we win" chant, while staff and volunteers shuffled through the aisles collecting trash.

A different speech than Biden expected to givepublished at 05:37 British Summer Time 20 August

05:37 BST 20 August

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

It was not the speech Joe Biden wanted to give. At least, not this year, under these circumstances.

But if anyone knows how quickly fortunes can change, it’s this president – whose personal and professional life has been scarred by tragedy and adversity.

In his speech to the packed arena, Biden offered a full-throated defence of his presidency – touching on many of the themes that he campaigned on in 2020 and again this year, before abandoning his bid a few weeks after a catastrophic debate performance in late June.

He also sang the praises of the woman he hopes will succeed him in the White House.

Unlike his Oval Office address four weeks ago, Biden did not speak directly of passing the torch to a new generation. Instead the message was delivered in a post-speech embrace between the president and his vice-president.

Now the president is heading to California for a holiday. This is Harris’s convention from here on out.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

Image source, Getty

Ahead of the DNC, campaign officials described Biden's speech as "passing the torch" - and that's exactly what he delivered.

While he did speak on his own administration's accomplishments at length, much of the event focused on the Harris campaign, with Biden hoping to contrast it with Trump's.

It's a message that found a receptive audience. The crowded nodded and clapped as he promised to be the "best volunteer" for the Harris-Walz campaign.

"We must save democracy in 2020, and we must save it again in 2024," he said. "It's that simple, it's that serious, and it's in your hands."

He ended his speech with a phrase that Biden has repeated dozens, if not hundreds of times over the last few years: that America "is a nation of possibilities" - and imploring the crowd to do their part to "keep it that way".

Biden acknowledged "mistakes", but said he gave his "heart and soul" to the country.

"I want you to know how grateful I am to all of you," he adds: "I'm more optimistic now than I was when elected as a 29-year-old senator."

He finished his speech as he often does: "this is America. There is nothing we can't do."

For many in the crowd, this will be among the defining moments of his presidency.

Courtney Subramanian
Reporting from the convention

Though Biden began his much-anticipated remarks asking the arena whether they were ready to elect his vice-president, he spent most of his speech revisiting many of his own campaign themes, some of which the Harris campaign has avoided.

He called the election a "battle for the soul of democracy", adding that he took office during the winter, a dark chapter in American history.

“Now it’s summer. The winter is passed,” he said.

He laid out his own legislative successes, pointing to the infrastructure bill and his drug-pricing and climate bill.

"The job of a president is to deliver for all America. Because of you, we've had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever.

"When I say we, I mean Kamala and me," he added.

Image source, Getty Images

The president has just finished his speech, with wife Jill walking up on stage to join him.

In one of his last lines, Biden sums up his 50-year career in politics, saying: "America, I gave my best to you."

Shortly after, he was met by his wife, Jill, and other members of his family on stage.

Kamala Harris then joins them on stage, giving Biden a hug and appearing to tell him, "I love you."

Stick with us, we still have some moments from his speech and further analysis on the way.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Joe Biden is now going back to what he has repeatedly characterised as Donald Trump's threat to democracy.

He speaks again about the Capitol riot on 6 January, 2021.

"On that day, we almost lost everything about who we are as a country," Biden says.

"And that threat is still very much alive.

"He's promising a bloodbath, if he loses, in his words, and that he'll be a dictator on day one, in his own words. And by the way, this sucker means it," Biden says.

Caitlin Wilson
Reporting from the convention

Biden says selecting Kamala Harris as his running mate in 2020 was the "best decision of my whole career".

He says the two have become "close friends" as they've worked together, and that she will make a great president.

"Like many of our best presidents, she's been vice-president," Biden says, making a joke about his own time as Barack Obama's number two.

"I promise I'll be the best volunteer the Harris-Walz campaign has ever seen."

Courtney Subramanian
Reporting from the convention

Immigration is one of the top issues for voters heading into November's election and one of Kamala Harris's greatest vulnerabilities.

Though she was assigned early in her vice presidency to help Central American countries tackle the economic conditions driving a surge of migrants to the border, Republicans continue to tie her to the politics around Biden's policy on border security.

Biden addressed the issue by pointing out how Trump encouraged Republicans to sink a bipartisan border bill that would have funded border agents and restricted asylum policy.

But the president's own support for the bill came amid a major shift in his administration's immigration policy. The White House embraced Trump-era restrictions on asylum after Biden ran a 2020 campaign vowing a more "humane" immigration system.

Caitlin Wilson
Reporting from the convention

"It's been the honour of my lifetime to serve as president" Biden says.

"I love the job, but I love my country more."

He says "it's not true" that he was mad at those who were pushing for him to step down.

He calls on voters to "beat Donald Trump and elect Kamala and Tim".

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

President Biden has finally addressed one of the most challenging issues for his party, Israel's war in Gaza.

Progressive Democrats want the administration to call for an immediate ceasefire and to stop sending military aid to Israel.

In the hours leading up to Biden's speech, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters had gathered in the streets outside the DNC.

"Those protesters out in the street have a point," Biden says, after acknowledging the "suffering" of civilians in Gaza.

"A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides," he says, appearing to refer to Palestinians and Israelis.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

Image source, Bernd Debussman Jr / BBC

As Biden's speech goes on (it's just after 23:00 local time), the crowd's enthusiasm hasn't waned.

Just to my left, a small child - perhaps 10 years old - is waving a "we love Joe" placard and shouting "thank you!" throughout the speech.

As someone who watches the president regularly, Biden's talking points tonight seem like his regular stump speech - particularly his oft-repeated refrain of this election cycle being "an inflection point" in history.

What does seem different is his delivery, and the crowd's reaction.

While he has at times seemed tired recently, or trailed off, tonight he seems energetic, with little of what his detractors often described as lethargy or old age.

He has cracked jokes, eliciting laughter from the crowd. At times, he has even seemed angry, waving his fingers furiously as he speaks of some of Trump's comments.

The crowd also seems enthralled, which - frankly - has not universally been the case at other Biden events I've been to.

Only a few attendees have trickled out tonight - probably eager to get ahead of the massive crowds and Chicago traffic that await them outside.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Biden is taking aim at the Republican Party's stance on guns.

"More children are killed in America by gunshot than anywhere else," Biden says.

That's why Kamala and I are proud to have passed major gun legislation, he says.

"Now it's time to ban assault weapons," Biden tells the crowd.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Reuters

Joe Biden is not losing sight of the main objective of the DNC, celebrating Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee and boosting her momentum ahead of November.

He has not missed any opportunity to say "we" when referring to agendas he and Vice-President Harris have achieved.

When the crowd chanted "thank you Joe", he added: "Thank you Kamala."

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Biden has been speaking of his work alongside unions.

He says he was the first president to walk the picket line with workers during a union strike, adding I've "been labelled the most pro-union president in history and I accept it".

"Union Joe," the crowd chants.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Joe Biden continues to run through his achievements as president, which include putting a cap on the cost of insulin.

He then talks about his infrastructure bill, which helped restore roads and bridges and brought internet to rural areas

"We're building a better America, because that's who we are," he says.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

For the first time tonight, there has been a small disturbance from protesters in the stands.

Near the Florida delegation, a banner was unfurled - and quickly removed - calling on the Biden administration to "stop arming Israel".

Most attendees failed to notice, but from where I am standing I saw about five security guards rush past and into the stand, and unintelligible shouts from behind me.

The relatively small size of the protest may come as a surprise to many, who expected "uncommitted" delegates to make their presence more known.

Over the last two years that I've been attending White House events with the president, the interruptions have been much more visible and much more frequent.

Tonight's disturbance, on the other hand, was ignored and drowned out by the crowd.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Getty Images

Biden is running through some of his achievements in office, and specifically mentioning that he did these things alongside Kamala Harris.

"I also ran to rebuild the backbone of America, the middle class," he tells the audience.

He then touts building what he calls "the strongest economy in the entire world" in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

These comments, however, are at odds with some national polls. Cost of living and inflation have been significant issues for Biden and Harris.