Ce n’est pas la valse à trois temps, mais l’inauguration à deux temps : un serment prêté en privé à la maison Blanche hier et aujourd’hui devant le Capitole et 800 000 Américains. La raison ? Tout simplement parce que le 20 janvier est tombé un dimanche. C’est la septième fois qu’un tel événement intervient. La première fois que cet événement est arrivé, James Monroe a consulté la Cour Suprême qui a convenu d’organiser la cérémonie le lendemain.
Traditionnellement, les présidents prêtent serments devant le Capitole. Lorsque George Washington a prêté serment le Capitole n’existait pas. C’est Thomas Jefferson qui a le premier honoré en 1801 ce qui est devenu depuis une tradition, mais devant un Capitole qui n’était pas encore fini.
A quelques reprises, la météo n’a pas permis que cette manifestation se tienne à l’extérieur. Le dernier qui a dû se plier aux conditions fixées par la nature est Ronald Reagan pour l’inauguration de son second mandat.
Parmi les bizarreries de l’histoire, on se souvient de Lyndon Johnson prêtant serment dans l’avion le ramenant à Washington après l’assassinat de John Kennedy en 1963.
The inauguration of President Barack Obama. Jan. 20 is the traditional day to take the oath, but it fell on a Sunday. Obama joined six other presidents in having the ceremony pushed forward one day to Monday.
Faits et chiffres (Source CNN)
January 20, 2013 — The date President Barack Obama will be sworn-in to his second term. The public ceremony will be held on Monday, January 21st.
7 — The number of times the constitutionally-mandated inauguration date has fallen on a Sunday.
56 — Number of formal presidential inaugural ceremonies held since 1789. (Obama’s upcoming inauguration will be the 57th.)
69 — Number of times the U.S. president has taken the oath of office.
Up to 800,000 — Estimated number of people that will attend President Obama’s second inauguration.
More than 1.8 million — Estimated number of people that attended President Barack Obama’s first inauguration on January 20, 2009.
Historical Facts
1789 — Date of the first presidential inauguration, that of George Washington. It was held at Federal Hall in New York City.
6 — The number of times the president has been inaugurated or sworn-in outside of Washington.
135 — Number of words in George Washington’s second inaugural address, the shortest on record.
8,445 — Number of words in William Henry Harrison’s inaugural address in 1841, the longest on record. Harrison died one month after his inauguration, possibly from prolonged exposure to bad weather during his swearing-in.
$4 — The cost to attend the first inaugural ball, held in 1809 for President James Madison.
1821 — The first year that the presidential inauguration fell on a Sunday. President James Monroe consulted with the Supreme Court and agreed that ceremonies would be held on Monday.
1901 — The first year that the House of Representatives was involved in preparations for the inauguration. Since that date the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has organized the inaugural ceremonies.
4 — The number of outgoing presidents who did not attend the inauguration of their successors.
Technological Firsts
1857 — James Buchanan’s inauguration is believed to be the first to be photographed.
1897 — The inauguration of William McKinley is the first to be recorded by motion picture cameras.
1949 — President Harry Truman’s inauguration is the first shown on television.
1997 — The inauguration of President Bill Clinton is the first broadcast live on the Internet.