U.S. Presidential Inauguration Facts

The shortest speech was by George Washington in 1793. It was just 135 words.

The longest inauguration speech was by William Henry Harrison, who delivered it on a freezing cold day in 1841. It was 8445 words. He died a month later of pneumonia.

George W. Bush mentioned the word 'freedom' more than 20 times in his second inaugural address (2005).

Some enduring quotes have come from the inauguration speeches, generally used by presidents to outline their vision. In his speech in 1961, JFK delivered the famous line: "And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."

President Obama's Inaugural Address -

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

Read entire address

Inauguration Theme:

The theme "A New Birth of Freedom" commemorates the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.

Inauguration:

The inauguration platform is located in the West Front of the Capitol.
The inaugural platform is constructed entirely from scratch for each inaugural ceremony.
The 2009 platform will be more than 10,000 square feet.
The platform is built entirely of lumber, to protect the surfaces of the Capitol.
The platform is fully ADA compliant.
Planning and design of the platform began more than a year ago.

The Constitution requires every President-elect to swear an oath before he can become President.
Traditionally the chief justice administers the oath to the President.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. administered the oath to President Obama.
Chief Justice Rehnquist participated in every inauguration since becoming chief justice in 1986 through Bush's second inaugural in 2005.
The practice of taking oaths upon Bibles stemmed from English and American colonial history.
President Obama took the oath of office with his right hand on the same Bible used to swear in Abraham Lincoln.
Obama is the first president sworn in using it since Lincoln in 1861.
The use of Lincoln's Bible fits the inaugural theme, "A New Birth of Freedom," a phrase Lincoln used in his Gettysburg Address that the inaugural committee selected to mark the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.

Inaugural Luncheon Menu:

First Course

* Seafood Stew
* Duckhorn Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

Second Course

* A Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck), served with Sour Cherry Chutney and Molasses Sweet Potatoes
* Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

Third Course

* Apple Cinnamon Sponge Cake and Sweet Cream Glacé
* Korbel Natural "Special Inaugural Cuvée," California Champagne

Inaugural Parade:

The Presidential Inaugural Committee put 5,000 tickets, priced at $25 apiece for bleacher seats, on sale on Jan. 9 at 1 p.m. and they sold out in less than a minute.
The tradition of an Inaugural parade dates back to the very first Inauguration, when George Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, in New York City.

Cost

$40 million to $45 million is the estimated cost of the 2009 inaugural parade, balls, opening ceremonies, and other expenses for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
The inauguration will also cost the District, Virginia, and Maryland a fair amount for security, cleanup, etc.
10,000: The number of buses that city transportation and Secret Service officials expect to ferry people to Washington. Placed end to end, the buses would stretch 85 miles (137km).

Security

Obama was sworn in under the tightest security ever, shielded by a new, heavily armored Cadillac limousine, bullet-resistant glass, fighter planes overhead and Secret Service SWAT teams toting automatic weapons.
Obama wore bullet-resistant clothing, speak behind a protective glass shield and ride in the parade in the armored Cadillac limousine, with doors and windows so thick that he probably would survive a bomb blast, law enforcement officials said.
Nondescript boxes that can detect the airborne releases of chemical or biological weapons such as lethal anthrax spores were scattered among the crowds.
Snipers were positioned on rooftops and balconies along Pennsylvania Avenue.
58 law-enforcement and other agencies were working on security.
Every one of the 240,000 people attending the actual swearing-in ceremony were be screened by walk-through or hand-held metal detectors.

240,000: That is how many tickets have been distributed, free of charge, for the swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill.

1-2 million: The number of people expected to view the inauguration from the National Mall. Hundreds of thousands more will pack Pennsylvania Avenue to watch the inauguration parade. The record was set during the 1965 inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson, when 1.2 million people attended.

$8249 ($NZ15,367): The price of a seat at the swearing-in ceremony being advertised by one online ticket broker.

850: Washington's Metro rail service says it will have that many rail cars, capable of carrying 120,000 people every hour, operating between 4am and 9pm on the day.

8000: Some 4000 city police officers will be deployed along with 4000 from 96 other law enforcement agencies across the country.

32,000: The total number of military personnel who will be on duty or on standby for the inauguration.

5000: The number of portable toilets to be distributed on the National Mall. ( For how many people???)

!st Inauguration -
George Washington - April 30, 1789

!st to receive the oath from the Chief Justice of the United States-
John Adams - March 4, 1797

1st Inauguration in Washington D.C.-
Thomas Jefferson - March 4, 1801

1st Inauguration to be photographed -
James Buchanan - March 4, 1857

1st Inauguration to be recorded by motion picture camera-
William McKinley - March 4, 1897

1st President to ride to and from his inauguration in an automobile-
Warren G. Harding - March 4, 1921

1st Inaugural ceremony broadcast nationally by radio -
Calvin Coolidge - March 4, 1925

1st Inauguration recorded by talking newsreel -
Herbert Hoover - March 4, 1929

1st President Inaugurated on January 20th -
Franklin D. Roosevelt - January 20, 1937

1st and only President sworn in for a fourth term -
Franklin D. Roosevelt - January 20, 1945

1st televised Inauguration -
Harry S. Truman January 20, 1949

1st televised in color -
John F. Kennedy - January 20, 1961

1st unelected Vice President to become President -
Gerald R. Ford - August 9, 1974

1st Inauguration broadcast live on the internet -
William J. Clinton

1st time an oath was repeated -
Barak H. Obama - January 20, 2009

5000: The number of portable toilets to be distributed on the National Mall.

10,000: The number of buses that city transportation and Secret Service officials expect to ferry people to Washington. Placed end to end, the buses would stretch 85 miles (137km).

240,000: That is how many tickets have been distributed, free of charge, for the swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill.

55: The number of previous presidential inaugurations.

1- 2 million: The number of people expected to view the inauguration from the National Mall. Hundreds of thousands more will pack Pennsylvania Avenue to watch the inauguration parade. The record was set during the 1965 inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson, when 1.2 million people attended.

$8249 : The price of a seat at the swearing-in ceremony being advertised by one online ticket broker.

850: Washington's Metro rail service says it will have that many rail cars, capable of carrying 120,000 people every hour, operating between 4am and 9pm on the day.

8000: Some 4000 city police officers will be deployed along with 4000 from 96 other law enforcement agencies across the country.

32,000: The total number of military personnel who will be on duty or on standby for the inauguration.

$150 million: The amount estimated to have been spent on the entire inauguration. We actually have no idea of what was spent as there is no way to track all of the different accounts.

Aretha Franklin sang My Country Tis of Thee, I haven't heard anyone speak about her performance, BUT her hat has become quite a controversy. You can even find a Facebook page on her hat.

The $179 hat, customized with Swarovski crystals, came from Mr. Song Millinery in Detroit where Luke Song has been making ladies dress hats for 25 years.

I myself like the hat on Aretha.

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Credit for the US Flag Clipart goes to Lee Hanson Graphics