Inauguration Day 2005 on the west steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Inauguration Day is the day on which the President of the United States is sworn in and takes office. Originally held every four years on March 4, the ratification of the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution changed the time for the President and Vice President's terms to begin to noon on January 20th, beginning with Franklin Roosevelt's second term in 1937. Seal of the President of the United States The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ... An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before officially assuming an office. ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... Amendment XX (the Twentieth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, also called The Lame Duck Amendment, establishes some details of presidential succession and of the beginning and ending of the terms of elected federal officials. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... Seal of the President of the United States The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ... The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government, the person who is a heartbeat from the presidency. As first in the presidential line of succession, the Vice President becomes the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Inaugural traditions

The Inaugural Parade on Pennsylvania Avenue passes the Presidential reviewing stand in front of the White House.

The U.S. armed forces have participated in inaugural day ceremonies since George Washington, because the president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Since the first inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953, that participation has been coordinated by the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (now called the Joint Task Force-Armed Forces Inaugural Committee). The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... Order: 1st President Vice President: John Adams Term of office: April 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797 Preceded by: None Succeeded by: John Adams Date of birth: February 22, 1732 Place of birth: Westmoreland, Virginia Date of death: December 14, 1799 Place of death: Mount Vernon, Virginia First Lady: Martha Washington... Order: 34th President Vice President: Richard Nixon Term of office: January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961 Preceded by: Harry S. Truman Succeeded by: John F. Kennedy Date of birth: October 14, 1890 Place of birth: Denison, Texas Date of death: March 28, 1969 Place of death: Washington, D.C. First... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Joint Task Force-Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (JTF-AFIC) coordinates the United States Armed Forces participation in the ten-day period of U.S. Presidential Inauguration Day ceremonies. ...

The oath of office is traditionally administered by the Chief Justice of the United States on the steps of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Following the oath, the President delivers an inaugural address, setting the tone for the new administration. Should January 20 be a Sunday, the President is usually administered the oath of office in a private ceremony on that day, followed by a public ceremony the following day. The Vice President is traditionally sworn into office a few minutes before the president. The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the Judicial Branch of the government of the United States, and presides over the Supreme Court of the United States. ... United States Capitol The Capitol when first occupied by Congress, 1800. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the... Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday, and the second day of the weekend in some cultures. ...

Protests at the Inauguration Day 2005

Since 1953 the President and Vice President have been guests of honor at a luncheon held by the United States Congress immediately following the inaugural ceremony. Other than at State of the Union addresses and Red Mass, it is the only time the President, Vice President, and both houses of Congress congregate in the same locale. 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... Alternative meanings in State of the Union (disambiguation) The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the U.S. Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate). ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...

Since Thomas Jefferson's second inaugural on March 4, 1805, it has become tradition for the president to parade down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House. The only president not to parade down Pennsylvania Avenue was Ronald Reagan. He paraded down Pennsylvania Ave. during his first inauguration, in 1981, amidst the joyous news just minutes into his term that the American hostages held in Iran for more than a year had been released, but didn't do so in 1985 because freezing cold temperatures, made dangerous by high winds, cancelled the parade. In 1977, Jimmy Carter started a new tradition by walking from the Capitol to the White House, although for security reasons, subsequent presidents have only walked a part of the way. Order: 3rd President Vice President: Aaron Burr; George Clinton Term of office: March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809 Preceded by: John Adams Succeeded by: James Madison Date of birth: April 13, 1743 Place of birth: Shadwell, Virginia Date of death: July 4, 1826 Place of death: Charlottesville, Virginia First Lady... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Pennsylvania Avenue street sign, 2004. ... The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. ... Order: 40th President Vice President: George H.W. Bush Term of office: 20 January 1981 – 20 January 1989 Preceded by: Jimmy Carter Succeeded by: George H.W. Bush Date of birth: 6 February 1911 Place of birth: Tampico, Illinois Date of death: 5 June 2004 Place of death: Bel-Air... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Iran hostage crisis was a 444-day period during which the new government of Iran after the Iranian Revolution held hostage 66 diplomats and citizens of the United States. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... Order: 39th President Vice President: Walter Mondale Term of office: January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981 Preceded by: Gerald Ford Succeeded by: Ronald Reagan Date of birth: October 1, 1924 Place of birth: Plains, Georgia First Lady: Rosalynn Carter Political party: Democratic James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ...

The inaugural celebrations usually lasts 10 days, from 5 days before the inauguration to 5 days after. However, in 1973, the celebrations marking Richard Nixon's second inauguration ended just two days after he was inaugurated because of the four days that marked the death and state funeral of Lyndon Johnson. 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... Order: 37th President Vice President: Spiro Agnew (1969–1973), Gerald R. Ford (1973–1974) Term of office: January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974 Preceded by: Lyndon B. Johnson Succeeded by: Gerald R. Ford Date of birth: January 9, 1913 Place of birth: Yorba Linda, California Date of death: April 22... A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ...

Other inaugural facts

Due to his religious beliefs, Zachary Taylor refused to be inaugurated, even in a private ceremony, on March 4 in 1849, a Sunday. He and Vice President Millard Fillmore were sworn in the following day, leading to the urban legend that David Rice Atchison, the former President pro tempore of the Senate was, for that day, President of the United States. Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850), also known as Old Rough and Ready, was the twelfth President of the United States, serving from 1849 to 1850. ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday, and the second day of the weekend in some cultures. ... Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the thirteenth (1850–1853) President of the United States and the second President to succeed to the office from the Vice Presidency on the death of the predecessor. ... David Rice Atchison David Rice Atchison (August 11, 1807 - January 26, 1886) was a mid-19th century Democratic United States Senator from Missouri. ... Ted Stevens, the current President pro tempore of the United States Senate. ... Seal of the President of the United States The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ...

References

• Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
• Inaugural addresses
• Presidential inaugural parades
• 2001 protests

External links

• The 55th Presidential Inauguration