The oath of office to be taken by Barack Obama today, only 35 words long, was used by George Washington and all presidents since. At the end of his first oath, Washington added "so help me God," words not in the Constitution. Every president since has made an appeal to providence; most have needed it.
Except for Washington's two inaugurations in New York and John Adams' in Philadelphia, all formal inaugurations have been in Washington. All presidents have taken the oath on a Bible, except John Quincy Adams, who used a copy of the Constitution.
No tradition limits the length of the inaugural address. The shortest, only 135 words, was Washington's second. The longest, by William Henry Harrison, had 8,578 words and took nearly two hours. In a macho performance, Harrison wore neither hat nor coat despite miserable weather. He caught a cold that became pneumonia and died 30 days later.
Presidents often try for immortal words. Only a few succeed. Jefferson's first inaugural speech declared, "We are all republicans, we are all federalists." Lincoln's second contained the unforgettable words "With malice toward none, with charity for all ..."
In his first inaugural, at the start of the Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." And most schoolchildren know John F. Kennedy's "and so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."
Who said, "I have no fears for the future of our country. It is bright with hope"? None other than Herbert Hoover, who presided over the 1929 stock market crash.
Our first five presidents wore breeches to their inaugurations. John Quincy Adams was the first to wear trousers. Andrew Jackson wore black, because his wife had died three months earlier. Theodore Roosevelt started a tradition of bareheadedness and wore a ring that was Lincoln's. Jimmy Carter was the first to wear a business suit, for which he paid $175. No one remembers the ties.
The first full-scale inaugural reception was for Jackson. A boisterous crowd burst into the Executive Mansion, smashing crystal and china. Lincoln's second inaugural White House reception turned rowdy, too; police were called in to stop people from carrying off silverware, china, and pieces of curtains. Ulysses S. Grant's, featuring stampedes for food, heavy jostling, and torn clothes, was the last of the rowdy receptions.
Lincoln's first inaugural parade included a float carrying 34 young women representing the existing states; Lincoln kissed each one. It also was the first to include black marchers.
Grover Cleveland's second inaugural parade was the first to include women marchers. Eisenhower's in 1952 had 22,000 military marchers, an Alaskan dog team, three elephants, and 59 floats; it lasted 4 1/2 hours.
Barack Obama's parade will include about 7,500 active military personnel, 4,000 National Guard troops, and selected Boy Scouts. He also invited 225 surviving Tuskegee Airmen, the African American pilots who fought in World War II.
Official inaugural balls began with James and Dolley Madison in 1809, with 400 tickets at $4 each. Grant's inaugural ball supper, in 1873, cost $6. By Lyndon Johnson's day, admission was $25. The first George Bush had 10 inaugural balls; tickets were $175.
Harry Truman's inauguration in 1949 was the first in which black guests were invited to all of the social events.
There were no inaugural balls in 1937 because of the Depression, and none in 1941 and 1945 because of the war. But the Iraq war did not dampen George W. Bush's 2005 inaugural, a $42 million, four-day extravaganza with nine balls.
Obama will probably spend more, having scheduled 10 balls, including one for military personnel and a "neighborhood ball" open to the public.
Security has always been necessary. The 2005 inauguration's was the heaviest ever, with more than 10,000 law-enforcement officers lining the parade route.
Police estimate that three million to four million people will be in Washington for today's inauguration, compared with less than half a million in 2005. The Washington Mall will be open, with a huge screen showing the inauguration. More than 8,000 police will take direction from the Secret Service.
Today's inauguration promises to be one of historic proportions. It will likely have the largest number of television viewers in history, even more than the Super Bowl a week later. But it will be unlike the Super Bowl in that we already know the winner, and we can rejoice - even in this troubled time.