Former presidents, ex-secretaries of state and a New York elevator operator provided some of the high points of Tuesday's night 2 of the Democratic National Convention — but it was Jill Biden who stole the show.
Here are some of the most notable moments from the second night:
1. Jill and Joe
Speaking from the high school where she used to teach, Jill Biden closed the night by talking about her relationship with Joe Biden, and the pain they've shared over the years.
"How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole. With love and understanding, and with small acts of kindness," Jill Biden said. Her husband joined her in the classroom at the end of the speech.
"You can see why she's the love of my life," he said.
2. Past presidents
In their separate remarks, former president Jimmy Carter focused on Biden's positives while former president Bill Clinton focused mainly on President Donald Trump's negatives.
The 95-year-old Carter recorded a message saying "Joe has the experience, character, and decency to bring us together and restore America's greatness."
Clinton ripped Trump for bringing "chaos" to the Oval Office. Just one thing never changes — his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there," Clinton said.
3. AOC
Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York raised eyebrows with her brief appearance in the proceedings, where she seconded the nomination of Biden's former rival Bernie Sanders for president, a vote which is required for any candidate who crosses the delegate threshold during the primaries.
"In a time when millions of people in the United States are looking for deep systemic solutions to our crises of mass evictions, unemployment, and lack of health care, and espíritu del pueblo and out of a love for all people, I hereby second the nomination of Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont for president of the United States of America,” she said.
She later congratulated Biden on winning the nomination on Twitter and called for victory in November.
4. Former secretaries of state
Colin Powell, a Republican who served under President George W. Bush, never mentioned the current president's name but said the nation must chart a new course abroad, while John Kerry, a former Democratic presidential nominee, was more direct.
"Donald Trump inherited a growing economy and a more peaceful world and, like everything else he inherited, he bankrupted it. When this president goes overseas, it isn't a goodwill mission, it's a blooper reel," Kerry said.
5. An unlikely friendship
A digital video focused on the long-time friendship between Biden and the late Sen. John McCain, a former Republican nominee for president and Trump nemesis. It was narrated by McCain's widow, Cindy. "They would just sit and joke," McCain says in the clip. "It was like a comedy show sometimes to watch the two of them."
6. Bidencare
Single payer health care activist Ady Barkan, who is suffering from the nervous system disease ALS, pleaded with Americans to vote for Biden, because "even during this terrible crisis, Donald Trump and Republican politicians are trying to take away millions of people’s health insurance. With the existential threat of another four years of this president, we all have a profound obligation to act."
7. Travelogue
The virtual nature of the convention allowed for a trip around the country's 57 states and territories during the roll call of delegates delivering Biden the nomination- a welcome reprieve for viewers who've been stuck at home.
One state even used the roll call as an opportunity to pitch their seafood — the "calamari comeback state of Rhode Island."
"Rhode Island, the Ocean State, where our restaurant and fishing industry have been decimated by this pandemic, are lucky to have a governor, Gina Raimondo, whose program lets our fisherman sell their catches directly to the public, and our state appetizer calamari is available in all 50 states," said the delegate/pitchman, state Rep. Joseph McNamara.
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8. Brady bunch
The keynote address typically focuses on a rising star in the party. Tuesday's keynote featured 17 different speakers - all of whom were featured in "Brady Bunch"-style boxes at the end.
9. Rise up
Jacquelyn Asbie, an elevator operator at The New York Times who's excited response at meeting Biden at work went viral, officially nominated him for president. "In the short time I spent with Joe Biden, I could tell he really saw me, that he actually cared, that my life meant something to him," Asbie said.
10. Mask up
After Biden was nominated, he offered his thanks to his supporters — and then put on a mask as "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang played in the background.
Bonus:
John Legend and his piano closed out the night with a performance of "Never Break."
