This Day in History: January 20, 1937

Medium (920px wide max)

Wide - use max window width - scroll to see page ⇅

Fit all of image in window

set default image size: small | medium | wide

Download (new tab)

by Simonov

Gallery

This Day in History

« prev 248 in pool next »

On January 20, 1937, the US presidential inauguration is held on January 20 for the first time. Previously the date of the inauguration was held on March 4; however, the passage of the 20th Amendment to the US Constitution moved the date for the president and vice-president to January 20 as well as moving the swearing-in of members of Congress from March 4 to January 3. It also established that if the 20th were to fall on a Sunday, the official inauguration ceremonies would be held on January 21. The amendment was adopted on January 23, 1933, and the first presidential inauguration to be held on January 20 was the second inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Since then only three presidents have been inaugurated on a day other than January20/21. Harry S. Truman assumed the presidency on April 12, 1945, following the death of FDR, Lyndon B. Johnson on November 22, 1963, following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and Gerald Ford on August 9, 1974, following the resignation of Richard Nixon.

Keywords