Top 10 Presidential Inaugurations

20 Jan 2009

Here are 10 of the most famous — and infamous — ceremonies.

1. Abraham Lincoln, 1865
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933
3. John F. Kennedy, 1961
4. George Washington, 1789
5. Ronald Reagan, 1981
6. Thomas Jefferson, 1801
7. Andrew Jackson, 1829
8. Warren G. Harding, 1921
9. William Henry Harrison, 1841
10. James A. Garfield and William Taft

20 Jan 2009

Top 10 Weirdest Inaugurations

by: veronica

1. Long winded
The longest inaugural speech in U.S. history was given by President William Henry Harrison, clocking in at one hour and 45 minutes. Harrison delivered the long-winded speech during a snowstorm and without an overcoat, circumstances that are often blamed for his untimely death by pneumonia.

2. Sneaking out the back door
President Andrew Jackson, regarded as a “man of the people,” had to flee through the back door of his own inaugural reception in 1829 when the crowd crashed his party.

3. Don’t feed the pigeons
On the day of Richard Nixon’s 1973 inauguration, Pennsylvania Avenue was dotted with sick and dead pigeons

4. Less is more?
After criticism for his first inauguration in 1981, which cost $16.3 million for nine white-tie balls, President Ronald Reagan attempted to scale back the budget and have a more “for the people” celebration. However, the budget ballooned from $12 million to $20 million, and there were 10 balls instead of nine and two galas instead of one

5. Turn up the heat
After the north wing of the Treasury Building proved too small for President Ulysses S. Grant’s first inaugural ball in 1869, a temporary structure was built in Judiciary Square for his second inaugural ball in 1873. Unfortunately, the structure had no heat or insulation, so guests danced in their coats and hats to stay warm in the minus-4-degree temperature.

6. Sink or swim
The weather was so bad at Abraham Lincoln’s second inauguration that pedestrians who could not swim were urged to stay away from the muddy, rain-soaked streets.

7. Rats!
For Richard Nixon’s second inauguration, Vietnam War protesters dragged around a 25-foot-long rat made out of paper and chicken wire. To the protesters, the rat was symbolic of President Nixon.

8. Coat check, please
Ulysses S. Grant’s first inauguration in 1869 ended with fights in the coat-check line and many guests abandoning their coats and hats due to an extremely long wait. The Washington Post reported that the coat check was staffed by illiterates who were unable to read the claim tickets, which surely slowed down the line even more.

9. It’s getting hot in here
At the first inaugural ball, held for James Madison in 1809, it reportedly got so hot inside the hotel that revelers broke out windows for ventilation.

10. All dressed up with no place to go
Woodrow Wilson refused to have a ball for his 1913 inauguration because he considered it inappropriate for such a dignified and solemn occasion.