Making history at presidential inaugurations

On Jan. 20, 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the United States' first African-American president. Scroll through the following slides for a look at other history-making moments at U.S. presidential inaugurations.

2013: First Hispanic to deliver oath of office

sotomayor, biden, obama — Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will administer the oath of office for Vice President Joseph Biden, making her the first Hispanic and fourth female judge to administer an oath of office. Biden personally selected Sotomayor for the job. In this picture, in the East Room of the White House on May 26, 2009, Sotomayor makes brief remarks after President Obama announced her as his choice to replace retiring Justice David Souter.

2009: First openly LGBT group invited

President Obama, who later became the first president to support same-sex marriage, invited the Lesbian and Gay Band Association to participate in his inaugural parade. They are returning for the 2013 inauguration. The Lesbian and Gay Band Association was founded in Chicago in 1982 by seven member bands and now consists of 37 member organizations in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

2001: Protests at the inaugural parade

Protesters gathered in the streets of Washington on Jan. 20, 2001, to demonstrate against George W. Bush's inauguration. The first inauguration of the 21st century followed one of the most contested elections in U.S. history.

1993: Maya Angelou reads "On the Pulse of Morning"

At Bill Clinton's first inaugural ceremony on January 20, 1993, Maya Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning." She was the second poet to recite her work at a presidential inauguration -- Robert Frost was the first to do so, at John F. Kennedy's 1961 inauguration -- and she was the first black American and first woman to do so. The next year, Angelou won a Grammy Award in the "Best Spoken Word" category for her recording of "On the Pulse of Morning."

1981: First inaugural ceremony on West Front of the Capitol Building

Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president on the U.S. Capitol Building's West Front on Jan. 20, 1981. Before that, inaugural ceremonies took place on the Capitol's East Portico. In his inaugural address, Reagan made note of the new location, observing that it gave him a view of the historical monuments on the National Mall: "Standing here, one faces a magnificent vista, opening up on this city's special beauty and history. At the end of this open mall are those shrines to the giants on whose shoulders we stand..."

1961: First Catholic sworn in as president

On Jan. 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the nation's first Catholic president. He also made history that day by delivering in his inaugural address the famous words, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you

1953: Eisenhower lassoed by a cowboy

During the inaugural parade on January 20, 1953, Dwight Eisenhower was lassoed by cowboy star Montie Montana (with permission from the Secret Service) as Vice President Richard Nixon and other dignitaries looked on. Eisenhower also made history at his first inauguration by breaking precedent and reciting his own prayer after taking the oath, rather than kissing the Bible.

1949: First televised ceremony

President Harry Truman's second inauguration, on Jan. 20, 1949, was the first to be nationally televised. It was viewed by 10 million Americans, making it the most-watched event in history, according to the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. The 1949 inauguration was also the first openly integrated presidential inauguration, with the president ensuring minorities were welcome to attend all events.

1933: FDR delivers famous quote

When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office on March 4, 1933, the nation was three years into the Great Depression. The banking industry was failing and millions of Americans were out of work. The president began his inaugural address by reassuring the nation with the famous words, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." He also committed to taking extraordinary actions to revive the economy if Congress failed to act, likening the crisis to a war. "I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis

1925: First time a former president delivers the oath

William H. Taft served as president from 1909 -1913. In 1921, President Warren G. Harding appointed Taft -- who earlier served as a Federal circuit judge and as U.S. solicitor general -- Chief Justice of the United States. On March 4, 1925, he administered the oath of office to Calvin Coolidge, making Taft the first former president to deliver the oath. This picture shows Taft administering the oath to Coolidge on the east portico of the U.S. Capitol.

1913: Inaugural ball cancelled

Woodrow Wilson, William H. Taft — Library of Congress

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson suspended the Inaugural ball for the first time since 1853. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies says Wilson thought the ball would be inappropriate for the solemn occasion. Wilson also reportedly disapproved of modern dances he expected to see at the ball, such as the Turkey Trot, the Grizzly Bear and the Hunny Bug. In this picture, President-elect Wilson (at left) stands by President Taft at the White House, prior to Wilson's inauguration ceremonies, March 4, 1913.

1865: First time African Americans participate in the inaugural parade

President Abraham Lincoln invited African Americans to participate in the 1865 inaugural parade for the first time, two years after he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. President Obama at his second inauguration this year is marking the 150th anniversary of that document. In this photo, President Lincoln is shown delivering his inaugural address on the east portico of the U.S. Capitol, March 4, 1865.

1841: Longest address delivered (leading to the president's death)

harrison, inauguration — Library of Congress

William H. Harrison's inaugural address was a killer -- almost literally. At 8,445 words, Harrison delivered the longest-ever presidential inaugural address. The ceremony, on March 4, 1845, fell on an overcast day with cold winds, according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Harrison died one month later of a pneumonia thought to have been brought on by his prolonged exposure to the bad Inauguration Day weather. This is a lithograph of that fateful day.

1809: First inaugural ball

The first ever inaugural ball took place the evening after James Madison was sworn in on March 4, 1809. The party took place at Long's Hotel, and tickets cost $4.