Hillary Clinton formally accepts nomination and eyes up rival Trump
Former Secretary of State is the first ever woman to be nominated for US presidency
- Acceptance speech marks highlight of DNC in Philadelphia with many big-name speakers
- Convention had a turbulent start following protests from Bernie Sanders supporters.
Updated : 10:04
The Democratic National Convention reached its climax on Thursday night as Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be nominated to run for president of the United States.
The former Secretary of State and wife of ex-president Bill will now prepare for a battle against Republican nominee Donald Trump in the coming months.
Clinton set out her stall in her acceptance speech, focussing on the history that was made surrounding her nomination.
"Tonight, we've reached a milestone in our nation's march toward a more perfect union. The first time that a major party has nominated a woman for president," Clinton said to loud applause.
"I'm so happy this day has come," she added. "Happy for grandmothers and little girls and everyone in between. Happy for boys and men, too, because when any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit."
The Democratic nominee challenged the temperament of her rival for the White House, describing Donald Trump as too hot headed for the Oval Office.
"A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man you can trust with nuclear weapons," she said.
Clinton continued to attack Trump's policies and his nomination speech at the Republican convention, imploring voters to not "believe anyone who says: 'I alone can fix it.'"
The DNC got off to a disrupted start earlier in the week as defeated candidate Bernie Sanders took to the stage after having to calm down hundreds of his supporters who had heckled speakers during the event.
Charismatic speeches from Barack and Michelle Obama, Clinton's husband Bill, and vice-president Joe Biden brought back a sense of stability to the convention, but doubts still remain over whether Hillary has what it takes to defeat Trump.
Bookmakers have slashed odds on the billionaire becoming the next US president in recent months, with some offering as low as 15/8 on a Republican victory.
Trump responded to his competitor's acceptance speech, as he so often does, via social network Twitter.
He criticised her refusal to bring up the threat of Radical Islam, calling her "unfit to lead the country". He also said that her role in Middle-Eastern conflicts has left the area in poor condition.