Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi Egypt’s New President

Mohamed Morsi was declared the new president of Egypt on Sunday, following the first democratic election in Egypt's history.

The announcement triggered massive cheers and celebratory gunfire in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Authorities had been on "high alert" for potential violence if his rival Ahmed Shafik won. Instead, the huge crowd erupted in celebration -- even in scorching temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius).

"What we are happy for is Egyptian people could overcome the remnants of the last regime," said one man celebrating in the square.

The White House congratulated Morsi and called on the new Egyptian government to respect "the rights of all Egyptian citizens." The statement from spokesman Jay Carney also praised Egyptian authorities for supporting "a free and fair election."

Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, had more than 13 million votes, while Shafik -- the last prime minister to serve under ousted president Hosni Mubarak -- had more than 12 million, election officials announced.

Morsi ended up with just under 52% of the vote, while Shafik got just over 48%, officials said.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, on Facebook, called the election result a "tribute to the martyrs of our revolution." It vowed, "We will keep walking on the path."