Inauguration Day: Fun and fascinating facts about Presidential Inaugurations

Jan. 20, 2017, is Inauguration Day in the U.S.A. Every four years, the President and Vice President of the United States are sworn in on January 20th.

Fun & Fascinating Facts About Inauguration Day

• Did you know Inauguration Day was originally observed on March 4th?

• The Twentieth Amendment of United States Constitution specifies January 20 as Inauguration Day. If January 20 falls on a Sunday, a private swearing-in ceremony is held and a public swearing-in will take place the following day.

• The Oath of Office contains just 35 words. "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

• "So help me God" is not part of the official oath although most presidents include it.

• The shortest inaugural address was made by George Washington during his second term. It was 135 words long - or short!

• The longest Inaugural address was given by William Harrison. He delivered his 8,445 word address outside, which took nearly two hours to read. And despite the weather, Harrison did not wear an overcoat or hat. One month after his swearing-in, Harrison died of pneumonia, probably caused by his exposure to the inclement weather on Inauguration Day!

• The warmest January 20 Inauguration Day occurred in 1981, when Ronald Reagan was sworn in. It was a balmy 55 degrees.

• President Reagan was not only sworn in on the warmest January day, he was also sworn in on the coldest Inauguration Day. On Jan. 21, 1985, it was 7 degrees!

• The coldest Inauguration Day in March was when Ulysses Grant was sworn in. It was 16 degrees on March 4, 1873.

• The snowiest Inauguration took place in 1909. It snowed nearly 10 inches on the day William Taft was sworn in.

• The first time African Americans participated in the Inaugural Parade was in 1865, when Abraham Lincoln was sworn in.

• The first time women participated in the Inaugural Parade was in 1917 when Woodrow Wilson became president.

• James Madison is credited as introducing the Inaugural Ball to the event.

• Richard Nixon used two family heirloom Bibles during his swearing-in.

• The very first time the Inaugural ceremony was broadcast live on the Internet was during President Bill Clinton's swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20, 1997.

• While the Constitution does not specify who does it, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has had the honor of administering the Oath of Office since 1797.

• Because Chief Justice John Roberts made a mistake when swearing in Barack Obama in 2009, the oath was re-administered later that evening to ensure it was constitutionally accurate.

• The largest attendance of ANY event in the history of Washington D.C. and the largest attendance of any Presidential Inauguration occurred on Jan. 20, 2009, during Barack Obama's first Inaugural Ceremony.

• Donald J. Trump not only refused to concede the election but refused to attend Joe Biden's inauguration. Both Trump and Melania refused to invite the Biden's over to the White House for the traditional tea, visit of the residence, etc.

• Just a few of the items on the menu at the Fifty-Seventh Inaugural Luncheon include Steamed Lobster Tails, Hickory Grilled Bison, Sweet Potato Hay and Hudson Valley Apple Pie.

Sources:

Weather Channel. Inauguration Weather

Fifty-Seventh Presidential Inauguration. Facts and Fun

I Make News. Fun Facts About Inauguration Day