1. Washington started a trend with his nervousness
George Washington was so nervous during his first inauguration in 1789 that he reportedly shook while reading his speech. It was also the shortest inaugural address in history—just 135 words.
2. The longest inaugural speech led to a president’s death
William Henry Harrison delivered the longest inaugural address in 1841, at over 8,445 words, lasting nearly two hours in freezing weather without wearing a coat or hat. He caught pneumonia and died just 31 days later, the shortest presidency in U.S. history.
3. John Quincy Adams swore on a book of law
Rather than a Bible, John Quincy Adams used a law book for his 1825 oath, symbolizing his commitment to upholding the Constitution.
4. A president fainted before his inauguration
Franklin Pierce fainted during his inauguration in 1853, reportedly due to exhaustion and grief after the tragic death of his son in a train accident weeks earlier.
5. Inaugurations haven’t always been in January
Prior to the 20th Amendment in 1933, inaugurations took place on March 4, to allow time for election results to be certified and the president-elect to travel to Washington, D.C.
6. A drunken party trashed the White House
Andrew Jackson’s inauguration in 1829 turned into a chaotic party. Thousands of people swarmed the White House, broke furniture, and drank punch spiked with whiskey. Jackson had to escape through a window!
7. A snowstorm disrupted JFK’s inauguration
A massive snowstorm hit Washington, D.C., the night before John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961. Military troops and work crews had to clear snow all night to make the ceremony possible.
8. Teddy Roosevelt had no Bible
During his first inauguration in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt didn’t use a Bible when taking the oath of office. He was sworn in quickly after the assassination of President William McKinley.
9. Calvin Coolidge’s father swore him in
After the sudden death of President Warren G. Harding in 1923, Calvin Coolidge was sworn in by his father, a notary public, at their family home in Vermont.
10. Barack Obama’s oath was repeated due to an error
In 2009, Chief Justice John Roberts slightly flubbed the wording of Barack Obama’s oath of office, so they repeated the oath in a private ceremony the next day to avoid any constitutional issues.
11. No one knows what Washington said the second time
There is no official record of George Washington’s words during his second inauguration in 1793, which was the shortest in history. He reportedly spoke just 135 words.
12. The oath almost didn’t happen for LBJ
After John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in aboard Air Force One, making it the only presidential inauguration held on an airplane.
13. Silent Calvin Coolidge gave an ironic inaugural address
Known for being laconic, Calvin Coolidge delivered one of the longer inaugural addresses in 1925—about 4,000 words long!
14. Jefferson walked instead of riding
Thomas Jefferson broke with tradition by walking to his first inauguration in 1801 rather than riding in a carriage, symbolizing his image as a “man of the people.”
15. Inaugurations have been frozen before
In 1841, William Henry Harrison’s cold-weather speech wasn’t the only chilly ceremony. Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985 was moved indoors due to a wind chill of -25°F.
These unusual moments highlight the human and historical quirks that have shaped presidential inaugurations!
