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The History of Inauguration Day, From George Washington to Joe Biden

Looking back at the highs and lows of past presidential inaugurations.

Alex Dalenberg

Read when you’ve got time to spare.

The United States has seen 58 previous presidential inaugurations, but none like this one. On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President amid a global pandemic and the aftermath of an attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the defeated incumbent, Donald Trump, who became only the fourth president not to attend his successor’s inauguration.

But while 2021's inauguration completed arguably the most tumultuous transfer of power in American history, the drama is not entirely unprecedented. Read on to explore the history of past inaugurations and presidential transitions, including John Adams snubbing Thomas Jefferson’s inauguration, the threats against President-elect Abraham Lincoln on the eve of the Civil War, and the bitter transition from Herbert Hoover to Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression.

Why the Presidential Inauguration Is in January

The Presidential Inauguration is January 20th as a result of a twentieth century change to the U.S. Constitution. Originally, it was March 4th.

What to Know About Every Inauguration in American History

Inauguration Day is a crucial moment in American democracy, a celebration of the peaceful transfer of power even in the most divided of times.

]What the Best Inaugural Addresses Have in Common [WATCH]

For a new American president, there is no formula to follow when writing an inaugural address. In fact, an address isn’t even required by the US Constitution.

George Washington Wanted a Simple Inauguration 225 Years Ago. No One Listened.

Why the presidency has seemed like a prison ever since.

The First Time a U.S. President Skipped His Successor’s Inauguration

The country was young, and many were excited about the peaceful transition of power after a bruising election. But not John Adams.

Watching Andrew Jackson’s Inauguration

One society leader compared the sight to the sacking of Versailles.

The Unsuccessful Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln

On the eve of his first inauguration, President Lincoln snuck into Washington at night, evading the would-be assassins who waited for him in Baltimore.

Lincoln's Greatest Speech

Frederick Douglass called it “a sacred effort,” and Lincoln himself thought that his Second Inaugural, which offered a theodicy of the Civil War, was better than the Gettysburg Address.

This Impeached, One-Term President Refused to Go to His Successor’s Inauguration. Now Trump Will Do The Same.

It’s been 152 years since Andrew Johnson decided not to attend the swearing-in of Ulysses S. Grant.

The Bitter Origins of the Fight Over Big Government

What the battle between Herbert Hoover and FDR can teach us.

From That Day Forth

Washington had never seen anything like it: the tidal wave of glamour, promise, and high spirits that descended on the capital for the 1961 inauguration of the youngest president ever elected, John F. Kennedy.

The President’s Hero

How Congressman John Lewis experienced President Barack Obama’s first inauguration.

35 Fascinating Facts About Presidential Inaugurations Past

From drunk vice presidents to poisoned pigeons, anything can happen on Inauguration Day—and often does, as these 35 fascinating facts prove.