U.S. Presidential Inauguration “Firsts” & “Memorable Moments”
In less than two months’ time, on January 20, 2009, the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., will witness a historical first. President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in as America’s first black president, the 44th U.S. President, and in all likelihood before the biggest audience for an inauguration day. Organizers are expecting possibly 3 million people to descend on D.C. for the speech, while the mayor of Washington is thinking that as many as 5 million might come. It’ll be mighty hard to stop people wanting to party and celebrate !! So far, the record audience for an inauguration day was 1.2 million, set by Lyndon B. Johnson in l965.
Transition is moving along very quickly. The Obama team designates are Rahm Emanuel for White House Chief of Staff, Timothy (Tim) Geithner as Treasury Secretary, Christina Romer as Council of Economic Advisers director/chair, Lawrence Summers as National Economic Council director, and Melody Barnes as White House Domestic Policy Council director.
People are counting the days and hours to January 20, 2009, with outgoing No. 43, President George W. Bush “officially” gone the same day at noon (E.T.) For President Bush’s second-term 2005 inauguration, being the first inauguration since Sept. 11, 2001, and in the middle of the Iraq war, he set a new record by spending $40-million on the inauguration event.
For you history buffs and others, here are U.S. Presidential Inauguration “Firsts” and “Memorable Moments” according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies:
George Washington, the 1st U.S. President who served in 1789 to 1797, added the phrase “So help me God” after taking the oath in 1789, and he kissed the Bible–two traditions that have been carried out by most presidents since.
William Henry Harrison, 9th U.S. President, was the first to arrive to his 1841 inauguration by railroad. Harrison was the first President to die in office, holding still the shortest tenure in U.S. presidential history–30 days in office from March 4 to April 4, 1841.
Franklin Pierce, 14th U.S. President, in 1853 was the first to affirm the oath of office, rather than swear it. Both are allowed. He used a Bible, but he didn’t kiss it.
Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. President, in office 1861 to 1865, was the first in 1865 (his second inauguration) to include African-Americans in the inaugural parade.
William McKinley, 25th U.S. President, was the first president to be filmed by a movie camera at his 1897 inauguration.
Theodore Roosevelt, 26th U.S. President who served from 1901 to 1909, was the first president not sworn in on a Bible at his 1901 inauguration.
Warren G. Harding, 29th U.S. President, was the first in 1921 to ride to his inauguration in an automobile.
Calvin Coolidge, 30th U.S. President, who in 1925 was the first to broadcast his inaugural speech on national radio.
Harry S. Truman, 33rd U.S. President, was the first to have the inauguration televised in 1949.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th U.S. President, broke with custom in 1953 by reciting his own improvised prayer instead of kissing the Bible.
Lyndon B. Johnson, also known as “LBJ” and 36th U.S. President, who in 1963 was the first to take the oath of office on a plane and the first to use a book other than a Bible. A Bible couldn’t be found on the plane, but Mr. Kennedy’s Roman Catholic Missal was found in a drawer and used.
Richard M. Nixon, 37th U.S. President, swore on two Bibles in 1969.
Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President, in 1977 was the first to have solar heat used to warm the reviewing stand.
Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. President, in 1985 (second-term) was the first to be inaugurated on Super Bowl Sunday.
Bill Clinton, 42nd U.S. President, was the first in 1997 (second-term) to have the inauguration broadcast via Internet.
Now, wasn’t that all interesting?
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