The first inauguration of George W. Bush as the 43rd president of the United States took place on Saturday, January 20, 2001, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 54th inauguration and marked the commencement of the first term of George W. Bush as president and Dick Cheney as vice president. Chief Justice William Rehnquist administered the presidential oath of office at 12:01 p.m., after he administered the vice presidential oath of office as well."Bush gets keys to White House, flexes first presidential muscles" , Cable News Network, January 20, 2001. Last accessed January 22, 2009. An estimated 300,000 people attended the swearing-in ceremony.Angela Greiling Keane and Chris Dolmetsch, "Washington Braces for Chaos, Gridlock at Inaugural (Update1)" Bloomberg.com, January 18, 2009. Last accessed January 22, 2009.Jemal R. Brinson, "INAUGURATION 2009: Where history will be made", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 18, 2009. Last accessed January 22, 2009. This was the first presidential inauguration to take place in the 21st century, and the first in the 3rd millennium.
Weather conditions for 12 noon at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, located 3.1 miles from the ceremony, were: 36 °F (2 °C), wind 12 mph, and cloudy.
Pre-inaugural events
On the eve of the inauguration, there was a celebration for U.S. authors hosted by Laura Bush at DAR Constitution Hall. Live pre-inaugural entertainment was provided by Wayne Newton, Brooks & Dunn, and Ricky Martin.
Thousands of demonstrators attended the inaugural ceremonies in Washington, D.C., to protest the outcome and controversial circumstances of the 2000 presidential election."President Bush sworn in", BBC News, January 20, 2001. Last accessed January 22, 2009."Protesters line inaugural parade route" Cable News Network (via archive.org), January 20, 2001. Last accessed January 22, 2009. Four protesters were arrested and Bush's limousine was hit by a tennis ball and an egg thrown from the crowd during the inaugural parade.
See also Presidency of George W. Bush Presidential transition of George W. Bush Second inauguration of George W. Bush Timeline of the George W. Bush presidency (2001) 2000 United States presidential election George W. Bush 2000 presidential campaign
References
External links
Sites for news coverage of the 2001 inauguration Text of Bush's First Inaugural Address