History Of Inauguration: Traditions And Trivia About Presidential Swearing-In Ceremonies

When Donald Trump takes the stage Friday in Washington, D.C., to become the 45th president of the United States, he'll be part of the 58th inauguration. A tradition for centuries, inaugural ceremonies have become a mainstay of American culture.

The first-ever inauguration took place, of course, for George Washington in 1789. But it wasn't in Washington, D.C. -- it occurred in New York City, which at that time was the country's capital. Washington, who had been elected unanimously, took the oath of office at Federal Hall in lower Manhattan.

Thomas Jefferson, the third president, was actually the first to have his inauguration in Washington, D.C., according to an archived White House webpage. He walked to the ceremony on foot and later attended a musical celebration of his swearing-in that would later evolve into the inaugural parade.

The first person to take the presidential oath of office on Jan. 20, the day now recognized as Inauguration Day, was Franklin Roosevelt. It was his second inauguration. He ultimately served four terms.

Here's some other interesting trivia about inaugural events throughout history:

• The first inauguration to be covered on national radio took place in 1925, with Calvin Coolidge, according to the House website. The first on TV was in 1949, and the first to be live-streamed was in 1997.
• The first inaugural ball occurred in 1809 and cost $4 to attend, according to Smithsonian.com.
• William Henry Harrison, the ninth president, died exactly one month after his inauguration -- at which he'd given a two-hour-long speech in the freezing rain.
• Harrison's was the longest inaugural address, and Washington's was the shortest. The first president said only 135 words after his ceremony in 1793.
• Since in the 1930s, the incoming president has begun Inauguration Day at a morning worship service, according to the inaugural committee's website.
• President Barack Obama took his oath of office a second time in 2009 after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts accidentally switched up the wording during the ceremony, Reuters reported.