The bald eagle, a symbol of the nation for over 200 years, returned from near extinction to become America's bird − officially − this week.

While it's been a symbol of the nation since its the early days, it took the president's signature on Christmas Eve to make it the our national bird.

One prominent member of American society received a promotion with bipartisan support this holiday season: The bald eagle is now the official bird of the United States, a proclamation nearly 250 years in the making.