Will Donald Trump's inauguration join this list of history-makers?
The time has come for a new president to take the oath of office. Although strictly traditional, the presidential inauguration has seen its fair share of groundbreaking events.
Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th president will surely bring in some firsts. For starters, at the age of 70 he is the now the oldest president to be elected (surpassing Ronald Reagan) and is expected to have the most expensive inauguration in American history, topping President Barack Obama’s $170 million in 2009.
Here are some facts on presidential inaugurations as they currently stand, but who knows what may change or happen on Friday’s 58th inauguration:
1. Thomas Jefferson was the first President to be sworn in in Washington D.C. in 1801.
2. The first inaugural parade was held in 1801, also at Thomas Jefferson’s inauguration.
3. The first inaugural ball was held for James Madison in 1809. Tickets were $4.
4. The first President to be sworn in on Jan. 20 ,as mandated by the 20th amendment, was Franklin Roosevelt during his second inauguration in 1937.
5. James Buchanan’s inauguration was the first to be photographed in 1857.
6. Calvin Coolidge’s inaugural address was the first to be broadcast on public radio in 1925.
7. Harry S. Truman’s inauguration was the first to be televised in 1949.
8. Bill Clinton’s second inauguration was the first to be live streamed on the internet in 1997.
9. Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter were the only two presidents to walk in the inaugural parade from the Capitol to the White House.
10. Dwight D. Eisenhower had the strangest inauguration when he was lassoed by a cowboy while on the podium in 1953.
11. George Washington’s second inaugural address was the shortest with only 135 words.
12. William Henry Harrison delivered the longest inaugural address with 8,445 words. He spoke for one hour and 45 minutes in a snowstorm without a coat.
13. William Henry Harrison also served the shortest presidency . He died of pneumonia a month after his inauguration in 1841.
14. The warmest Jan. 20 inauguration was Ronald Reagan’s first time being sworn into office. It was 55 degrees at noon.
15. Four years later, the coldest inauguration was Ronald Reagan’s second with a temperature of 7 degrees at noon.
16. Barack Obama’s first inauguration had the highest attendance with an estimated 1.8 million people crowding the National Mall in 2009.
17. Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president to be sworn into office at age 42.