Presidential Inauguration School Trip Trivia

Presidential Inauguration School Trip Trivia

Do your students know about the Presidential Inauguration? Have fun with your students when you prepare them for this grand event of democracy with our fun school trip trivia! 

• The next Presidential Inauguration will be the 59th time a President has taken the "oath of office".

•  George Washington’s first Inauguration on April 30, 1789 took place in NYC at Federal Hall on Wall st.

• Jefferson’s Inauguration was the first to be held in the District of Columbia on March 4, 1801

• The first inaugural parade was held in 1801, also at Thomas Jefferson’s inauguration.

• The first inaugural ball was held for James Madison in 1809. Tickets were $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.

• James Buchanan’s inauguration was the first to be photographed in 1857.

• John Tyler was the First Vice President to assume Presidency upon the death of the President

• Calvin Coolidge’s inaugural address was the first to be broadcast on public radio in 1925.

• Harry S. Truman’s inauguration was the first to be televised in 1949.

• Bill Clinton’s second inauguration was the first to be live streamed on the internet in 1997.

• Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter were the only two presidents to walk in the inaugural parade from the Capitol to the White House.

• Dwight D. Eisenhower had the strangest inauguration when he was lassoed by a cowboy while on the podium in 1953.

• George Washington’s second inaugural address was the shortest with only 135 words.

• 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.

• William Henry Harrison also served the shortest presidency . He died of pneumonia a month after his inauguration in 1841.

• The warmest Jan. 20 inauguration was Ronald Reagan’s first time being sworn into office. It was 55 degrees at noon.

• Four years later, the coldest inauguration was Ronald Reagan’s second with a temperature of 7 degrees at noon.

• Barack Obama’s first inauguration had the highest attendance with an estimated 1.8 million people crowding the National Mall in 2009.

• Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president to be sworn into office at age 42.

• Barack Obama is the first African American to be elected president of the United States. He was also born in Hawaii, making him the first president not born in the continental United States.

• The oldest elected president is Joe Biden (age 78) and the youngest was JFK (age 43).  The youngest man to become president was Theodore Roosevelt at 42.

• The oldest living former president was Gerald Ford, who was born on July 14, 1913 and died on December 27, 2006 at the age of 93. The second oldest was Ronald Reagan, who also lived to be 93. Jimmy carter is the oldest living former president who is currently 96.

• In 2009, Justice Roberts slightly flubbed the oath by placing ‘faithfully’ after United States. As per Justice Roberts, “It was with an abundance of caution that it was administered” once again in private at the White house on January 22. In 2013, January 20th fell on a sunday. By tradition the public ceremony is held the next day. The oath of office was taken on the 20th at noon as per the Constitution but once again repeated on Monday the 21st for the fourth time. This was with former President Barack Obama. While the 22nd amendment allows for a two-term presidency, President Obama actually took the Oath 4 times! The same number as FDR.

There are many fun facts trip organizers can share about the Presidential Inauguration. On your next school trip, we hope you use some of these fun facts!