George Washington’s second inaugural address in 1793 is the shortest on record, a mere 135 words.
With more than one million in attendance, Barack Obama’s first inaugural in 2009 drew the largest gathering of people to any event in the history of Washington.
Ronald Reagan’s inaugural events recorded both the warmest (55 degrees in 1981) and coldest (7 degrees in 1985) temperatures for a swearing in ceremony.
William McKinley’s 1897 inauguration was the first filmed inaugural event in Presidential history.
Harry Truman’s 1949 inaugural address was the first to be shown on television, reaching an audience of millions.
William Jefferson Clinton was the first president to broadcast an inaugural address online, in 1997.
Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration was the most widely streamed internet event in Presidential history.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt used the same bible for each of his four inaugural ceremonies.
Barack Obama is using two bibles for his 2013 swearing in ceremony, the one used by President Abraham Lincoln at his inauguration, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “traveling” bible.
The first inaugural ball was held in 1809, in honor of James Madison (tickets cost $4 each). Presidents Wilson, Pierce, and Harding skipped that tradition entirely, while Presidents Coolidge, Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt celebrated with charity balls.
William Jefferson Clinton set a record in 1997, attending 14 inaugural balls on the night of his swearing in.
William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia in 1841, one month after giving the longest inaugural address – lasting two hours – without coat, scarf, or gloves.