The first presidential inauguration was held on April 30, 1789, in what was then the nation’s capital of New York City. On a second floor balcony of Federal Hall, George Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United States. With one hand on the Bible, Washington recited the words that would be said by every president after him: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
George Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States on April 30, 1789 in New York City. READ MORE: The First Presidential Inauguration
A huge party descended on the White House after Andrew Jackson's inauguration in 1829. READ MORE: How Andrew Jackson Rode a Populist Wave Into the White House
The first-ever inauguration to be photographed was that of President James Buchanan in 1857.
President Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration in 1865. Lincoln was assassinated just 42 days later. READ MORE: At His Second Inauguration, Lincoln Tried to Unite the Nation
President William McKinley's inaugural dinner table, 1897. Inaugural balls are typically held after the swearing-in ceremony.
On their way to his inauguration, incoming President William Howard Taft and outgoing President Theodore Roosevelt ride in a carriage along the snowy streets towards the U.S. Capitol.
Crowds gather outside the Capitol building for the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt makes his first inaugural address in 1933. Roosevelt went on to be the only president to serve four terms. READ MORE: How FDR Served Four Terms as President
A visibly aged President Franklin Roosevelt gives his fourth inaugural speech in 1945, outside the south portico of the White House. Roosevelt died three months into his final term. READ MORE: A Tour of Lesser-Known Presidential Inaugural Sites
A group on onlookers during the inaugural ceremony of President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953.
A man and his elephant participating in an inaugural parade honoring President Eisenhower. READ MORE: How the Republican and Democratic Parties Got Their Animal Symbols
People sitting in the cold to watch the inaugural parade for President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Cold weather is often a given on inaugurations.
Members of John F. Kennedy's inauguration crew hang the Presidential Seal on the inaugural platform.
Hundreds of young activists dressed in black, and wearing signs of protest around their necks, march in Washington, D.C. protesting the Vietnam War and President Richard Nixon being sworn in for his second term.READ MORE: How the Vietnam War Ratcheted Up Under Five Presidents
An overview of President Ronald Reagan's inauguration in 1981.
President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy wave to the crowd from the Presidential Limousine as they ride down Pennsylvania Avenue during the inaugural parade.
American poet Maya Angelou reciting her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton in 1993.
White House staff change the furnishings of the Oval Office while newly-elected President Bill Clinton is being sworn in.PHOTOS: Presidents Working From Home
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama ride in a golf cart after the Inaugural ball in 2009
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In the nearly 250 years since, many traditions around presidential inaugurations have remained the same—but a lot has changed. In 1801, Thomas Jefferson became the first president to be sworn in in the nation’s new capital, Washington, D.C., the site of nearly all inaugurations since. After Washington and until Franklin D. Roosevelt, inaugurations were always held on March 4, the anniversary of the Constitution first taking effect in 1789. After the passage of the 20th Amendment in 1933, however, Inauguration Day became January 20.
James Buchanan’s inauguration ceremony in 1857 was the first to be photographed. William McKinley's in 1897 was the first to be filmed and Harry Truman’s in 1949 was the first to be televised. The introduction of cameras brought a wider audience to the ceremonies and to the peaceful transfer of power in action—another sacred American tradition since the days of Washington.
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