6 facts you should know from the past presidential inaugurations in the US
There are thousands of people who do not look forward to watching or attending an inauguration ceremony because they think the ceremony will be a long and boring affair.
Some get weary of having to sit all day at an event like that when they could simply wait and see how the administration of the person sworn in would be. The most talked about inauguration at the moment is that of the president of the United States.
With Donald Trump about to be sworn in as the new president of the most powerful federal republic in the world. While the world is waiting to see how the event would unfold, there are some beautiful facts you need to know about the past presidential inaugurations.
Find some of these interesting facts below:
1. The oath has been taken four times by two presidents
File photo of President Obama.
In the history of the United States, only two presidents have had the chance of taking the oath of office four times. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times before the constitution was amended. It was after this that presidents were limited to two terms in office.
Barack Obama also took the presidential oath four times because Chief Justice John Robert mangled the wordings in the vow. In order to avoid being picked on by critics, Obama and the judge completed the oath some days later in a private ceremony in the white house.
However, the president and the judge decided to be as transparent as possible; thus, the oath was recited publicly in a public ceremony on Capitol Hill.
The fourth time Obama took the oath of office was during his second inauguration.
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2. The podium caught fire during John Kennedy's inauguration
File photo of President John F. Kennedy.
The presidential inauguration of John F. Kenndey will never be forgotten in the US. To start with, a storm made eight inches of snow accumulate in Washington the night before the inauguration.
This created a mess as officials had to get the streets cleaned in preparation for the ceremony. The weather also prevented many dignitaries from attending the ceremony.
Also, 86-year-old Robert Frost was unable to read the poem he wrote specially for the occasion because the sun's reflection on the fallen snow was too bright for him. This made him recite a poem from his memory.
To make matters worse, a small electrical fire started beneath the lectern when Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston gave the invocation. Although the secret service fire were able to save the day, the fire was blamed on a faulty heater set up to prevent some speakers from freezing.
3. Kennedy’s missal was mistaken for a Bible
The swearing in of Lyndon B. Johnson aboard Air Force One a few hours after the assassination of John Kennedy.
After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in aboard Air Force One by a female judge. The oath of office was taken on a Catholic missal. There were controversies over his decision since Johnson was known as a protestant.
A report emerged later and it explained that the judge and the sworn in president mistook the missal for a small leather-bound Bible.
4. The snowiest presidential inauguration was in March
File photo of William Howard Taft.
Before the passing of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in 1933, presidents were sworn in on March 4th and not January 20th.
The snowiest presidential inauguration was in March. A day before the inauguration of William Howard Taft, a storm swept through Washington. The storm came along with rain and lightening before a heavy snow accumulated.
The snow that accumulated was about 9.2inches. This made Taft crack the joke 'I always knew it would be a cold day in hell when I became president.'
5. Abraham Lincoln's assassin attended his second inauguration
John Wilkes Booth was spotted at the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln's assassin was present during his second inauguration. The photos taken by Alexander Gardner show that John Wilkes Booth was present at the swearing in ceremony of Abraham Lincoln.
Booth was said to have been involved in a plot to kidnap Lincoln and help the south's chances in the civil war. Booth confessed to having the perfect chance to kill Lincoln at the inauguration having gotten the tickets from Lucy Lambert Hale, the daughter of a former senator.
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6. Donald Trump is the 45th president of the US
File photo of Donald Trump.
Although Donald Trump would be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, he is actually the 44th president because only 44 people have served as commander-in-chief.
Grover Cleveland had the opportunity to serve two non-consecutive terms as president and is considered to be both the 22nd and 24th president of the United States.