Democrat Joe Biden will formally assume office as the 46th president of the United States on January 20 at the Capitol in Washington, DC, when he takes office alongside Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
The theme of the inauguration is 'America, United'.
The ceremony has been held for more than two centuries in the United States and is considered
a letter of introduction of the new leaders to the citizens of their country and the world.
This will be the first time that a president takes office amid a pandemic that has claimed the lives of almost 400,000 people in the country.
Therefore, there will be no parade with crowds to celebrate the new era that is beginning, nor an opening dance for Biden, Harris and their spouses to enjoy the moment of assumption.
Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem at Joe Biden's inauguration
Jan. 14, 202100: 24
Throughout history, takeovers have left milestones — some cute, some chilling — for which they hold a special place.
From a president who died just a month after swearing in to another who canceled the dances because he considered them too expensive, here are eight curiosities and historical data of the date that marks the beginning of a new government in the United States.
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A president who refused to bundle up ... and died a month later
In 1841, William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States, refused to wear a coat during his inauguration speech (the longest to date, at over 100 minutes).
William Henry Harrison's inauguration, March 4, 1841 in Washington, DC Universal History Archive / Univer
The cold caused
Harrison to contract pneumonia and die a month after being sworn.
Although that was the official cause of his death, it has been questioned.
Some say he could have died from drinking contaminated water.
Harrison became the first president to die in office and served the shortest term in American history.
As another curiosity: President George Washington is the one who has delivered the shortest inauguration speech, with only 135 words.
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The custom of using a Bible
Although the Constitution does not actually require that a Bible be used during the ceremony, it is a tradition that has been passed down since George Washington took office in 1789 as the first president of the United States.
Sacred writing has kept some kind of personal or historical meaning in the inaugurations.
Some presidents like Barack Obama and Donald Trump have used two instead of one.
Obama used those of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. Trump also used that of Abraham Lincoln, but he also used one that his mother gave him in 1955, when he graduated from elementary school at age 9 in New York.
Chief Justice John Roberts takes the oath from Donald Trump on two Bibles on January 20, 2017. Getty Images
The custom of the Bible has had exceptions.
The most notable perhaps was that of John Quincy Adams, who chose to take his presidential oath on a "Volume of Laws," and declared that he chose to defend the Constitution and not the Bible, as president.
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A president who canceled the inaugural ball ... because it was too expensive
In 2021, it was the COVID-19 pandemic and not Joe Biden who ruined all the crowded events, including the traditional inaugural dance.
Not all presidents have wanted to celebrate.
In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson requested that all dances be canceled from the event calendars for the inauguration, arguing that they were too expensive and unnecessary.
In contrast,
President Bill Clinton had a record 14 official balls for his second inauguration, in 1997.
Bill Clinton with his wife, Hillary Clinton, during the opening dance.
AFP via Getty Images
The first inaugural ball in the history of the inaugurations was held by James Madison, on March 4, 1809. The ball was organized by the first lady, Dolly Madison.
It took place at the Long´s Hotel in DC
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When the president of the Supreme Court was wrong and made Obama swear again
The president of the Supreme Court is the one who takes the official oath to the president-elect during the inauguration, asking him to repeat the recitation of 35 words that symbolizes the transition of powers from the outgoing president to the incoming president.
In 2009, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, made a mistake while reciting the oath to Barack Obama.
This caused Obama to have to hold a separate one the next day to make sure he was sworn in correctly.
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When the man who would assassinate Abraham Lincoln attended his swearing-in a month earlier
In 1865, during Lincoln's second inauguration, there were concerns about his safety.
His first swearing in had been the first to incorporate significant protective measures.
Original image of Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration.
Corbis via Getty Images
That day there was a guest in the crowd who would become the president's greatest threat.
A man named John Wilkes Booth, who would shoot Lincoln a month later, is seen in photos from the time near the president as he delivers his speech.
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The first president to use a car in an inauguration
On March 4, 1921, President Warren Harding Harding became the first in the United States to travel to and from his inauguration in an automobile.
The car was specially manufactured by AAA (American Automobile Association).
President Warren Harding Harding in the first car used by a president to attend his inauguration Library of Congress
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The president who inaugurated the tradition of leaving a written message in the White House for his successor
In a lesson in elegance that is often remembered in American politics, George HW Bush left a letter to Bill Clinton after losing the 1992 election, saying: “You will be our president when you read this note.
I wish you the best, I wish the best to your family.
Your success now is the success of our country.
I am betting on you.
Good luck".
Then Clinton thanked him publicly: “He made us feel at home, as much as he could.
Total class ".
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How many bedrooms and bathrooms will Joe Biden have in the presidential residence?
The residential area of the White House has 16 bedrooms and 35 bathrooms.
The president's family occupies an area of 20,000 feet.
It has a private kitchen and family rooms, located on the second and third floors.
With information from CNN, The Huffington Post and BBC Mundo