Happy 200th, President Lincoln

"What Lincoln never forgot, not even in the midst of civil war, was that despite all that divides us — North and South, black and white — we were, at heart, one nation and one people, sharing a bond as Americans that could bend but would not break," Obama said at a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda.

The bipartisan tribute was the centerpiece in a day of celebrations. In Springfield, Ill., Lincoln impersonator Michael Krebs of Chicago and Gov. Pat Quinn led hundreds of kids and their parents, together with thousands worldwide, in reading aloud the 272 immortal words from November 1863 that Lincoln penned for a cemetery dedication at Gettysburg, Pa., the site of the tide-turning Civil War battle.

"I got up at 4:30 this morning to be here," said Emma Bradford, 9. "Abraham Lincoln is my idol. He was one of the most important presidents, and this is a very historic day."

Wreaths were laid in Hodgenville, Ky., where Lincoln was born. Gov. Steve Beshear told several hundred onlookers that "the heart of every Kentuckian is bursting with pride" knowing that Lincoln got his start in their state.