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Inaugurations Gone Wild - Calendar Errors, No-Shows & Other Misadventures

Everyone knows that Inauguration Day takes place on January 20, but that wasn’t always the case. Did you know that the Inauguration of George Washington was held on Thursday, April 30, 1789? As it turns out, the history of Inauguration Day has been surprisingly riddled with scheduling problems, logistical nightmares, and popular uproar. Thomas J. Balcerski, presidential historian and Eastern Connecticut State University professor, will discuss this tumultuous history of the move of Inauguration from March 4 to January 20, the numerous instances of presidential no-shows on Inauguration Day, and the moments when Inaugural festivities went wildly wrong.

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White House Historical Association

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