1. The First Inauguration Ceremony to be on television was in 1949, for President Harry S. Truman.
2. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was actually lassoed by a cowboy who came up to him on a horse during the 1953 Inaugural parade ceremony.
3. The first President to get out of his limo and walk down the parade route was President Jimmy Carter.
4. Did you know that President George Washington carried a sword to his Inaugural Day ceremonies?
5. The Constitution doesn’t require the president to hold his hand on a Bible but all Presidents have done so except for Theodore Roosevelt and John Quincy Adams.
6. President Gerald Ford was the first UNELECTED President. He assumed the office of President when President Richard Nixon resigned.
7. President Barack Obama had to take the Oath of Office TWICE. Because of a mix-up of the 35 word oath by the Chief Supreme Court Justice, it was done again the next day to make sure everything was legal.
8. The first President to wear long pants to his Inauguration Ceremony was President John Quincy Adams. Prior to this, men worn knee breeches.
9. Tradition has been that the President-Elect rides to the Inaugural Ceremony with the current President of the United States. The custom is for the current president to sit on the RIGHT and the President-elect to sit on the LEFT side of the limo.
10. The first Inauguration to be streamed on the internet was President Bill Clinton.
11. The new President is elected at exactly 12 noon on January 20th.
12. The longest Inauguration speech(8,445 words) was given by President Harrison. It was 100 minutes long and it was a very cold day. President Harrison got pneumonia and died after only about one month in office!
13. The shortest Inauguration Speech was given by President George Washington. It was only 135 words!
14. The first time the Marine Corps Band performed at an Inaugural Day Ceremony was for President James Monroe.
15. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had FOUR inaugural Day Ceremonies. After his presidency, a two term limit was placed into the constitution.
16. During the Inaugural Ball of President Madison, the ballroom was so hot that people broke windows to get some cold air into the room!