Presidential inaugurations mark some of the most defining moments in U.S. history, allowing presidents to establish traditions and reinvigorate the American people.
Some inaugurations make history, while others are remembered for comical blunders and even brawls.
Before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office for a second time on Monday, here are some of the most momentous Inauguration Day moments in U.S. history.
George Washington’s first inaugural address
No tradition’s story is complete without its origin. President George Washington delivered the first-ever inaugural address on April 30, 1789, just two weeks after Congress unanimously elected him to serve as the nation’s leader.
His 10-minute speech noted the ‘divine blessing’ of the nation’s founding, expressing gratitude to ‘the benign parent of the human race’ for the deliberations that led to the founding and the unity of the American people.
Andrew Jackson’s White House mob
President Andrew Jackson had some 20,000 of his supporters attend a celebration around the White House following his first inauguration in 1829.
The mob quickly grew rowdy, however, with fights breaking out and furniture being destroyed. Jackson ultimately fled out a window to the safety of a nearby hotel, according to the National Archives.
Staff at the White House then resorted to filling bathtubs with whiskey and orange juice outside the White House in order to get the crowd to leave the building.
William Henry Harrison’s only inauguration
President William Henry Harrison delivered his inaugural address on a bitterly cold day in March 1841. He refused to wear a coat and traveled to and from the inauguration on open horseback. His address is also the longest in U.S. history, with Harrison speaking for more than two hours.
Several weeks after Inauguration Day, Harrison caught a cold, which then developed into pneumonia, and he died on April 4, barely a month after taking office.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first inauguration
President Franklin D. Roosevelt first took the oath of office in 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression.
It was during his first inaugural address that he delivered a line now known to virtually all Americans, telling the people, ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’
Roosevelt’s steadfast leadership would see Americans through both the Great Depression and World War II.
John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address
President John F. Kennedy assumed office on Jan. 20, 1961, and he too delivered a line that would enter the American pantheon.
‘Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country,’ he urged.
Kennedy’s words led the country to the moon and back, and to this day, polls rank him as the most beloved recent president.
Barack Obama’s first inaugural address
President Barack Obama’s first inauguration is notable not only because he was the first Black American to become president, but also for the historical quirk that he had to be sworn in twice.
Obama and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts briefly spoke to one another as Roberts was administering the oath of office. As a result, Roberts misspoke and stated, ‘That I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully.’
Obama then repeated that phrasing, which is incorrect. The oath’s correct wording in the Constitution is, ‘That I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.’
While the ceremony moved forward regardless, Obama and Roberts met again the following day at the White House to administer the oath correctly.
