The inaugural of a newU.S. Presidentis a day of pomp and ceremony , of solemn oaths and self-respecting celebrations . But things do n’t always go as be after . From drunken speech to frozen canaries and rampage cock at inaugural balls , the day has a o.k. history of mishap , mayhem , and mangled expletive .
At Andrew Jackson’s inauguration, the celebratory crowd got a bit too rowdy.
In 1829 , around 10,000 people came to Washington , D.C. , to celebrate the first inauguration ofAndrew Jackson . The atmosphere was electric , but things got out of hand when the crew lead to theWhite Housefor the post - initiative reception . Much to the repugnance of the finely dressed ladies and gentleman of the Washington elite , the common folkclamberedinto the White House , many of them through the windows . They upturned article of furniture , break the china , and spill or eat the spiked punch . Jackson ’s political rivals may well have exaggerate the extent of the death , but the White House was overrun . Thankfully , Antoine Michel Giusta , Jackson ’s steward , had a bright thought : He had big tubs of whiskey - intertwine punch placed outside on the lawn , which soon drew the thirsty crowd out of the White House .
Vice President-elect Andrew Johnson was drunk when he was sworn in during his inauguration.
BeforeAbraham Lincolntook to the level for his 2d inauguration in March 1865 , there was the formality of swearing in Vice President - elect Andrew Johnson . Johnson , unluckily , had get in Washington brook from typhoid feverishness — and he was self - medicating with whiskey . He woke on inaugural twenty-four hour period feel weak and hungover , so he decide to drink a tumbler of whiskey to help him through the day . He downed two more before making his speech communication , by which time he was inno fit stateto address the gang of 50,000 masses . He began to ramble , often incoherently , as Lincoln watched on in revulsion . Johnson somehow made it far enough to take the swearing , saying , “ I kiss this Book in the font of my nation of the United States . ” After the inauguration , the unexampled Vice President laid low . Lincoln hold him , saying “ I have known Andy Johnson for many eld ; he made a bad eluding the other daytime , but you need not be frightened ; Andy ai n’t a drunkard . ” Lincoln was assassinated on April 14 , 1865 , and Johnson assumed the presidential term .
Ulysses S. Grant’s inaugural balls never went quite as planned.
Ulysses S. Grant ’s first inaugural ballock in 1869 ended in upper - class chaos . The workers running the coating - check mixed up all the call , leading tofights and tearsamong the Guest trying to retrieve their cap and chapeau . His second inaugural ball in 1873 was an evengreater disaster : Near - zero temperature made it the coldest inaugural on record , but the brave attendees managed to make it through the twenty-four hour period . The ball , however , took office in a temporary wooden structure with no heating plant . mass wore their coating while trip the light fantastic toe , the food and drink froze , and the musicians contend to play their instruments . The 100 stool pigeon that had been import for the occasion all died in the cold .
A 13-year-old girl pointed out an error in President Hoover’s inaugural oath.
The startup ofHerbert Hooverwas curb on March 4 , 1929 . Chief JusticeWilliam Howard Taftwas in charge of imprecate in the President , and it all seemed to go without a hitch . But Helen Terwilliger , a 13 - year - old from New York , hadnoticed an errorin the oath as she listened on the receiving set . The Chief Justice had say “ preserve , maintain , and represent ” instead of the traditional “ preserve , protect , and defend , ” and Terwilliger was n’t get it . She sent him a varsity letter . Taft replied , admitting he had made a mistake , but take he had said “ preserve , maintain , and protect . ” This kick up an investigating by a handful of news show web . They checked the footage and proved that Terwilliger was correct , and Taft had been untimely not once but doubly .
John F. Kennedy’s famous inaugural address had a few hiccups.
John F. Kennedy ’s “ Ask not what your rural area can do for you ” reference of 1961 is one of the most famed inaugural speeches in account . But it had its share of glitch . Lyndon B. Johnsonbungled his vice presidential swearing when hesaid“without any mental reservation whatsoever ” rather than “ without any mental reservation or intention of evasion . ” Then anelectrical firebroke out under the podium during the cardinal ’s prayer , which security had to snuffle out . Finally , Robert Froststepped up to take a verse form he ’d written for the social function , but he could n’t read his own words because of the glare of the sun . He struggled on for a while , with great thanksgiving and composure , before deciding to recite another of his poems , “ The Gift Outright , ” from memory .
Richard Nixon had some issues with birds at his second inauguration.
Before his second inauguration in 1973,Richard Nixonwas strangely preoccupied by the large number of pigeons along the National Mall in Washington , D.C. He did n’t need any of them pooping on him as he passed by in his unfastened - top limousine , so he had them removed . The U.S. governmentsprayed the treeswith $ 13,000 - worth of a pest nebulizer called Roost - No - More , which created a unenviable surface that would keep the birds away . That was the programme , anyway . Instead , the spray drink down at least a dozen pigeons , and their remains lined the motorcade ’s route .
later on that mean solar day , anangry roosterfound its way of life into Nixon ’s inaugural ballock , which was book in the Smithsonian Museum of History and Technology . The rooster , which had escaped from an exhibit on early American farm aliveness , crashed the political party and pestered the well - heel guests . It was eventually caught and yield to the showing .
Barack Obama’s first swearing-in ceremony was a bit of a mess.
When Chief Justice John Roberts first distribute the oath of position to Barack Obama in 2009 , an unfortunate verbal stumble threw the Scripture “ faithfully ” out of episode . Out of “ an teemingness of caution , ” the Chief Justice administered the cuss to Obama asecond timethe next day , this time with the password in the precise ordered set out in the Constitution . Obama later became the first two - term Chief Executive to take the oath four times : His 2nd inaugurationfell on aSunday , so he was sworn in during a private ceremonial , then in public the following Monday . The only other President to take the oath four clip wasFranklin D. Roosevelt , but he had done so by winning a record four presidential election .
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A version of this story originally run in 2020 ; it has been updated for 2025 .
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