First inauguration of Ronald Reagan
Encyclopedia
The first inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th President of the United States
was held on January 20, 1981. The inauguration marked the commencement of the first four-year term of Ronald Reagan
as President and George H. W. Bush
as Vice President
. Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
administered the oath of office. Minutes later, the Americans held hostage
in Iran were released.
Building. The decision to move the ceremonies from the East Front was made in June 1980 by the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
. This was done partly to save money, since the West Front's steps could be used as a base for the ceremonial platform, obviating the need to construct one. Another factor was the ability of the facing National Mall
to accommodate more spectators.
in the distance. As Reagan was giving his address, 52 Americans held hostage in Iran
for the previous 444 days were released.
The Reverend Donn Moomaw, pastor of the Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, where Reagan and his wife, Nancy
, worshipped, gave the invocation and benediction at the ceremony, and said: "We thank you, oh God, for the release of our hostages." But his prayer came before the hostages left Teheran.
President Reagan was about to have lunch with Congressional leaders in Statuary Hall in the Capitol after the inauguration ceremony when he received word about the plane carrying the hostages had left Iranian airspace. During the luncheon, he broke the news saying: "With thanks to Almighty God, I have been given a tag line, the get-off line, that everyone wants for the end of a toast or a speech, or anything else. Some 30 minutes ago, the planes bearing our prisoners left Iranian air space, and they're now free of Iran."
Throughout Washington and throughout the country, there were celebrations to mark the inauguration and the release of the hostages. For the first and only time, the national Christmas tree on the ellipse near the White House was lighted on an Inauguration Day, and it was done to mark the release of the hostages. There were signs saying "444 DAYS!" as part of the celebrations. People wrapped the country in yellow ribbons, plastered freedom messages on billboards, and started preparations for welcoming the freed hostages home. The yellow-ribbon became a symbol of the solidarity of Americans with the hostages. The Statue of Liberty in New York harbor was bathed in light, the Empire State building lit in red, white, and blue, and the Boston Fire Department sounded gongs to hail deliverance of the hostages.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
was held on January 20, 1981. The inauguration marked the commencement of the first four-year term of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
as President and George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
as Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
. Chief Justice
Chief Justice of the United States
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
Warren E. Burger
Warren E. Burger
Warren Earl Burger was the 15th Chief Justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986. Although Burger had conservative leanings, the U.S...
administered the oath of office. Minutes later, the Americans held hostage
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
in Iran were released.
Ceremonies
The inauguration was the first to be held on the West Front of the United States CapitolUnited States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
Building. The decision to move the ceremonies from the East Front was made in June 1980 by the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
United States Congress Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
A Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is a special committee formed every four years to manage presidential inaugurations.- Membership :...
. This was done partly to save money, since the West Front's steps could be used as a base for the ceremonial platform, obviating the need to construct one. Another factor was the ability of the facing National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
to accommodate more spectators.
Address and release of hostages
Reagan's inaugural address was 2,452 words long. It utilized the vista offered by the West Front, invoking the symbolism of the Presidential memorials and Arlington National CemeteryArlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
in the distance. As Reagan was giving his address, 52 Americans held hostage in Iran
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
for the previous 444 days were released.
The Reverend Donn Moomaw, pastor of the Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, where Reagan and his wife, Nancy
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
, worshipped, gave the invocation and benediction at the ceremony, and said: "We thank you, oh God, for the release of our hostages." But his prayer came before the hostages left Teheran.
President Reagan was about to have lunch with Congressional leaders in Statuary Hall in the Capitol after the inauguration ceremony when he received word about the plane carrying the hostages had left Iranian airspace. During the luncheon, he broke the news saying: "With thanks to Almighty God, I have been given a tag line, the get-off line, that everyone wants for the end of a toast or a speech, or anything else. Some 30 minutes ago, the planes bearing our prisoners left Iranian air space, and they're now free of Iran."
Throughout Washington and throughout the country, there were celebrations to mark the inauguration and the release of the hostages. For the first and only time, the national Christmas tree on the ellipse near the White House was lighted on an Inauguration Day, and it was done to mark the release of the hostages. There were signs saying "444 DAYS!" as part of the celebrations. People wrapped the country in yellow ribbons, plastered freedom messages on billboards, and started preparations for welcoming the freed hostages home. The yellow-ribbon became a symbol of the solidarity of Americans with the hostages. The Statue of Liberty in New York harbor was bathed in light, the Empire State building lit in red, white, and blue, and the Boston Fire Department sounded gongs to hail deliverance of the hostages.
See also
- Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
- Presidency of Ronald Reagan
- Second inauguration of Ronald ReaganSecond inauguration of Ronald ReaganThe second inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th President of the United States was held privately on January 20, 1985 and publicly on January 21, 1985. The inauguration marked the commencement of the second four-year term of Ronald Reagan as President and George H. W...
- Iran hostage crisisIran hostage crisisThe Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...