Here comes another inaugural first

Tomorrow our 46th president will take the 73rd oath of office since the nation’s birth, while surrounded by the thousands of troops who arrived since the unprecedented storm upon the capitol Jan. 6.

That’s certainly an inaugural first.

Here are a few more firsts in inauguration history:

2001 (Bush, squared): The only time, so far, a former president attended his son's inauguration.

1997 (Clinton): First live internet-broadcast (also the first inaugural which fell on MLK Day).

1985 (Reagan): It was on Super Bowl Sunday.

1977 (Carter): First provisions made for the disabled to watch the parade.

1974 (Ford): First unelected president inaugurated, under the 25th Amendment.

1965 (Johnson): First oath administered by a woman, Texas Judge Sarah Hughes; first use of a bullet-proof limousine (Kennedy was assassinated in 1963).

1961 (Kennedy): First time a poet, Robert Frost, was part of the ceremony. JFK was the last to wear the traditional stovepipe hat for the ceremony.

1949 (Truman): First televised inauguration.

1945 (F.D.R.): Only fourth-term presidential inauguration. The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, instituted a two-term limit. In 1937 FDR was also the first to be inaugurated on Jan. 20 – a date fixed by the 20th Amendment in 1933. Before that, it was usually in March.

1933 (Coolidge): Inaugurated by his father, a justice of the peace.

1917 (Wilson): First time women were allowed in the parade.

1901 (Teddy Roosevelt): Only president not sworn on a Bible. In 1853, President Pierce was the first not to kiss one.

1881 (Garfield): First time a president’s mom attended.

1873 (Grant): First time governors were invited.

1865 (Lincoln): First time African-Americans were in the parade.

1845 (Polk): First newspaper illustration of the inauguration.

1841 (Harrison): Longest speech, 10,000 words. In 1793, Washington’s was the shortest at 135 words.

1825 (J.Q. Adams): First to wear pants (his predecessors had breeches and stockings)

And three centuries ago in 1801, Jefferson was the only president to walk to his inauguration. Security was apparently not a concern back then.

How far we have come.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network hoping nothing will change the unbroken streak of peaceful presidential transitions. Sholeh@cdapress.com.