Seven notable and unusual inaugurations in American history

Joe Biden's ceremony, while marred by security concerns and Covid-19, is unlikely to be the oddest inauguration in history

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The extraordinary level of security around Washington after the January 6 storming of Capitol Hill and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has certainly dampened Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony as he becomes the 46th president of the United States.

But, the more remarkable inaugurations in years gone by easily compare or surpass Mr Biden's pared-back event and were unexpected, tragic or just plain weird.

From taking the oath of office next to a construction site, to 100 canaries freezing to death, here are some of history's most memorable inaugurations.

A political party to remember 

1) After Andrew Jackson’s inauguration in March 1829, the new president invited people back to the White House for an open house gathering.

The revelry soon got out of control with a crowd of nearly 20,000 people, many of whom went a little too far with the celebratory beverages.

According to historians, it took a week to clean the White House and the new president had to spend his first night in a hotel.

A chilling speech

2) William Henry Harrison's inauguration in 1841 was notable not only for being the longest address on record, coming in at 8,445 words, but also because the president, choosing to not wear a hat, gloves, or coat, caught pneumonia and died 32 days later.

Hollywood horseplay 

3) In 1953, President Dwight D Eisenhower was lassoed – with permission from the Secret Service – by California cowboy and rodeo star Montie Montana.

President Eisenhower recalled the episode in his memoir, Mandate for Change.

“A California cowboy, riding a highly trained horse, got clearance from the Secret Service, stopped in front of me and threw a lasso around my shoulders.”

There seemed to be no logical reason for this – Montana simply wanted a high-profile publicity stunt, and because he was a big name in Hollywood, the president obliged.

A tragic ceremony 

4) Lyndon B Johnson’s inauguration after John F Kennedy's assassination was the first and only time a president has taken the oath of office on an aircraft.

This was, in many ways, a formality – Johnson was technically the new president as soon as Kennedy was pronounced dead, but Washington was keen to show the world that the transfer of power would be swift.

A sombre occasion with Kennedy's widow present, it was also the first time a woman, North Texas District Judge Sarah Tilghman Hughes, administered the presidential oath.

An early security scare

5) In 1861, with the US on the cusp of civil war, Abraham Lincoln had to be smuggled into Washington for his first inauguration after his bodyguards learnt of an assassination plot against him.

Lincoln safely took the oath of office in front of a partially completed US Capitol building, but was assassinated four years later.

A bad choice of animal 

6) In 1873, at the beginning of his second term, Ulysses S Grant ordered canaries for his inauguration as a festive element.

Unfortunately, with the cold temperatures and wind chill, nearly 100 birds froze to death in their cages during the ceremony.

A secret ceremony 

7) Fearing violence after a contentious election in 1876, Rutherford B Hayes was inaugurated in secret in the White House.

He later appeared at the Capitol in front of onlookers and was sworn in a second time.