HISTORY

Inaugural Firsts

When was the first inaugural parade? Who had the longest inaugural address? A look at presidential inaugurations through time

Brian Wolly

Digital Editorial Director

Inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961
Inauguration of President Kennedy on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol. Architect of the Capitol

First Inauguration on January 20th
1937 – Franklin Roosevelt takes the oath of the Presidency for the second time, but for the first time on January 20th. The 20th Amendment changed the date from March 4 to January 20 when it was ratified in 1933.

First Inauguration in Washington, D.C.
1801 – Thomas Jefferson is the first to take the oath of office in the new capital city, Washington, D.C. His inaugural speech is also the first to be reprinted in a newspaper.

First President to Be Sworn in on the Steps of the Capitol
1829 – Andrew Jackson is the first president to be inaugurated on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol, facing the Library of Congress and Supreme Court. In 1981, Ronald Reagan became the first President inaugurated on the West Terrace, in front of the National Mall.

Last to Wear a Hat
1961 – John F. Kennedy was the last president to wear the traditional stovetop hat to his inauguration.

First Inaugural Poet
1961 – Robert Frost recited his poem, The Gift Outright at John F. Kennedy's inauguration. He was 87 years old at the time.

First Parade
1805 – Thomas Jefferson's second inauguration hosted the first inaugural parade.

First Inaugural Ball
1809 – James and Dolly Madison attend the first inaugural ball held on the same day as the inauguration. Tickets were $4 each.

First Inauguration in Wartime
1813 – Only a few months after declaring war on the British in 1812, James Madison delivers an address criticizing Great Britain. One year later, the Capitol would be set ablaze by the British Army.

Longest Inaugural Address
1841 – Without a hat, coat, or gloves, William Henry Harrison famously gave the longest inaugural address ever at 10,000 words long in the midst of a snowstorm. He died one month later from pneumonia contracted on Inauguration Day.

First Broadcast
1925 - Calvin Coolidge's inauguration was the first to be broadcast nationally over radio waves. In 1949, President Harry S. Truman was the first to deliver his inaugural address to a televised audience; Kennedy would be the first to do so on color television in 1961. In 1997, Bill Clinton's second inauguration was the first to be streamed live over the Internet.

First Recorded for a Newsreel
1929 – Herbert Hoover's inauguration was the first recorded for a newsreel. In 1897, William McKinley's address was the first to be recorded by a motion picture camera.

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Chief Justice John Marshall administering the oath of office to Andrew Jackson on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1829. Architect of the Capitol
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The inauguration of Gen. Zachary Taylor on March 5, 1849. Library of Congress / Prints and Photographs Division
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Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration on March 4, 1865. Architect of the Capitol
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Crowd in front of the Capitol for Grover Cleveland's second inauguration on March 4, 1893. Library of Congress / Prints and Photographs Division, Brady-Handy Collection
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Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller administering the oath of office to Benjamin Harrison on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1889 Library of Congress / Prints and Photographs Division
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President Woodrow Wilson with top hat and speech in hand, delivering his inaugural address on March 5, 1917. Library of Congress / Prints and Photographs Division
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Chief Justice William H. Taft administering the oath of office to Herbert Hoover on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1929. Library of Congress / Prints and Photographs Division
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Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes administering oath of office to Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1933. Architect of the Capitol
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President and Mrs. Nixon waving to the crowd from the Presidential limousine in the inaugural motorcade on January 20, 1969. Nixon Presidential Library & Museum
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Chief Justice Earl Warren administering the oath of office to Dwight D. Eisenhower on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol. Architect of the Capitol
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Chief Justice William Rehnquist administering the oath of office to George Bush on the west front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 1989. Architect of the Capitol
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President Ronald Reagan delivering his inaugural address on the west front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 1981. Architect of the Capitol
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Bill Clinton, standing with wife Hilary and daughter Chelsea, taking the oath of office of president of the United States on January 20, 1993. Library of Congress / Prints and Photographs Division / Courtesy of The White House

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Brian Wolly

Brian Wolly is the digital editor of Smithsonian.com