Presidential inaugurations of yesteryear

53 photos

On Jan. 21, Barack Obama will be sworn in, for a second time, in the fifty-seventh inaugural ceremonies in our nation’s capital. Look back at past presidential inaugurations from the archives. Photos include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.

According to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, some interesting facts:

• The Jan. 21, 1985 inaugural ceremonies for Ronald Reagan was the coldest Inauguration day on record. Brrrr. Imagine a noon temperature of 7°F.
• The Jan. 20, 1949 inaugural ceremonies for Harry S. Truman was the first to be televised.
• The March 4, 1857 inaugural ceremonies for James Buchanan, first known to have been photographed.
• The March 4, 1825 inaugural ceremonies saw a change in fashion. John Quincy Adams was the first to wear long trousers. Knee breeches were so last year.
• The March 4, 1793 inaugural ceremonies for George Washington, his second, was held in Philadelphia. 135: The number of words in his inaugural address.

Click to read more facts, firsts and precedents.