LYNDON JOHNSON, 36TH PRESIDENT - Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President aboard Air Force One after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. This was the first time that the oath of office was administer by a woman, Sarah T. Hughes, U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Texas. Upon becoming President, Johnson pushed through the Civil Rights Act and other initiatives previously undertaken by President Kennedy. Johnson used his overwhelming victory in his re-election to a second term as President to gather support for his "Great Society" social programs. He was frustrated, however, when despite his efforts for civil rights, the nation's cities erupted into inner city riots, looting and burning. Also, the college campuses erupted into anti-war protests as Johnson escalated the war in Vietnam with the bombing of North Vietnam and the commitment of increasing numbers of troops. In retrospect, one can argue that Johnson should be considered to be one of our greatest presidents because of his success in pushing through historic civil rights and social programs. When Johnson stepped down as President, however, he did so as a very frustrated and disappointed individual because of both the civil unrest throughout the country and the failure of his policies with respect to the escalation of the war in Vietnam.

JOHN F. KENNEDY, 35TH PRESIDENT - Sworn in as the 35th President on January 20, 1961, Kennedy was the first Catholic-American to be elected President. His was the first inauguration to be broadcast on color television. His was also the first inauguration to have a poet read a poem, and was the coldest of all inaugurations, with army flame throwers having to be used to clear the route of the inaugural parade. Along with his wife, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, he brought a youthfulness, optimism and sophistication to the presidency and the White House. He inherited plans for the invasion of Cuba which resulted in the failed Bay of Pigs incident. Accepting full responsibility for the failure, the public excused the incident. During the subsequent Cuban Missle crisis, President Kennedy is credited with showing more restraint and judgment than his aides who recommended a military attack on Cuba, and thus averting a nuclear war. Only after the collapse of the Soviet Union have documents come to light revealing how close we were to experiencing a nuclear war. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment, however, were his proposed social reforms, including the introduction of the Civil Rights Act. Unfortunately, he was assassinated in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald before his legislative agenda could be enacted, with the Civil Rights Act and bills passed only later after his death. Despite the short term of his presidency due to him being assassinated, in public opinion polls he is often ranked as our greatest President. One of his best known accomplishments was the creation of the Peace Corps. In the 2008 presidential election, his daughter, Caroline Kennedy, was one of the leading supporters of the presidency of Barack Obama. If you are visiting Washington, D.C., be sure the visit the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts which is named in his honor, and which is the jewel of cultural activities for the nation's capitol.

WARREN HARDING, 29TH PRESIDENT - Warren Harding was sworn in as our nation's 29th President on March 4, 1921. He was the first President to ride to and from his inauguration in an automobile. His was also the first inauguration for which loudspeakers were used, as well as the first inauguration for which a steel inaugural stand was utilized (and was used in future presidential inaugurations until 1981). He died in office while on a trip to San Francisco. While he was popular while in office, soon after his death revelations about the Teapot Dome and other scandals during his presidency soon surfaced. It also was published that he had fathered an illegitimate child and had several affairs with other women. Because of these scandals and the general lack of presidential leadership during his time in office, he is often ranked as the worst president in U.S. history.

WOODROW WILSON, 28TH PRESIDENT - Woodrow Wilson was sworn in as the 28th U.S. President on March 4, 1913. He went on to serve two terms as President, including serving as President during World War I. Despite being a Democrat and thus from the opposite party as Theodore Roosevelt, he carried on the progressive policies and agenda of Theodore Roosevelt. At the end of World War I, he also was the principal individual that led the fight for the creation of the League of Nations, but was unable to convince the U.S. Senate to approve the U.S. joining the League. While on a train trip across the country to convince the public to support legislation to approve the U.S. joining the League of Nations, he suffered a stroke which he never fully recovered from. While incapacited from the stroke, his second wife, Edith Wilson, secretly handled many of the duties of President for her husband. Despite his failure to win support for the U.S. joining the League of Nations, he is often nevertheless credited with being one of our near-great presidents for his efforts toward world peace. The 19th amendment giving women the right to vote was also passed during his presidency. The greatest criticism of his presidency was his support of racial segregation.

JAMES GARFIELD, 20TH PRESIDENT - James Garfield was the second U.S. President to be assassinated while in office. He took office on March 4, 1881. He was the first President whose mother attended his inauguration, and was the first President to view the inaugural parade from a stand in front of the White House.

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES, 19TH PRESIDENT - After being elected President, Hayes took the oath of office twice, once on March 3, 1877 in a private ceremony in the White House, and again on March 5, 1877 in a public ceremony. The reason for the initial private ceremony of taking the oath of office was begun March 3, 1877, the required date for assuming the presidency, was a Sunday - and it was not deemed prior to have a public inauguration ceremony on the sabbath.

ULYSSES S. GRANT, 18TH PRESIDENT - Grant was sworn in as President on March 4, 1869. Having served as head of the Union armies that defeated the South during the Civil War, at the time he was elected President he was the most popular man in American -- including being more popular than the assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 16TH PRESIDENT - Because of threats against his life, Lincoln secretly slipped into Washington, D.C. prior to his inauguration. He then was sworn into office on March 4, 1861 in a public ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. Four years later, after being re-elected, his inauguration parade following the swearing-in ceremony was the first to include African-Americans.

FRANKLIN PIERCE, 14TH PRESIDENT - Franklin Pierce took the oath of office as President on March 4, 1853. Tragically, on his way by train to his inauguration, his son was killed when the train derailed. As a result of grieving over this loss, his wife was not able to continue and Pierce had to go alone to Washington, D.C. There, he stood up in his carriage to and from the U.S. Capitol to his inauguration. He was the first President to affirm the required presidential oath, rather than being sworn in. He also was the first President to not refer to any notes in delivering his inaugural address.

MILLARD FILLMORE, 13TH PRESIDENT - Millard Fillmore took the oath of office of the President on July 10, 1850 upon the death of President Zachary Taylor. Previously, he had been elected and served as Zachary Taylor's Vice President.

JAMES POLK, 11TH PRESIDENT - James Polk was sworn in as the 11th President on March 4, 1845. His was the first inauguration to be reported by telegraph and to be illustrated in a newspaper (The Illustrated London News). Historians have increasingly viewed Polk as a near-great or great President based upon the accomplishments of his presidency, particularly as it related to the territorial expansion of the United States to the Pacific Ocean, leading the United States successfully through the Mexican War, and settling the Oregon question with Great Britain.

JOHN TYLER, 10TH PRESIDENT - John Tyler was sworn in as President on April 6, 1841. He was the first Vice President to assume the office of President upon the death of a sitting President (William Henry Harrison). After his presidency, when the Civil War broke out, Tyler was elected to the Confederate Congress, but died shortly therafter.

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, 9TH PRESIDENT - William Henry Harrison was sworn in as the 9th U.S. President on March 4, 1841. His campaign slogan - "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" - referred to his defeat of the Native Americans under the leadership of Tecumseh and his brother The Prophet at the Battle of Tippecanoe, and was the first presidential campaign to use a campaign slogan. He was the first President-elect to arrive in Washington, D.C. for his inauguration by train, while his was the longest of all inaugural speeches (10,000 words). His inaugural address was unusual in that he began it before taking the oath of office, then took the oath of office, and then resumed his speech. His presidency was the shortest of all U.S. Presidents, dying not long after his inauguration from pneumonia that he caught from giving such a long inauguration speech in the bitter cold.

MARTIN VAN BUREN, 8TH PRESIDENT - Martn Van Buren sworn in as President on March 4, 1837. He had previously served as the Vice President for Andrew Jackson and as the chief strategist for the Democratic Party. His inauguration was the first time that an outgoing President (Jackson) and an incoming President (Van Buren) rode together in a carriage to the inaugural ceremony. Afterwards, his inaugural parade was the first to include floats and that evening his was the first presidency to hold two inaugural balls.

ANDREW JACKSON, 7TH PRESIDENT - Andrew Jackson became our seventh President on March 4, 1829. He was the first President to take the oath of office on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol. Later, the White House was opened to the public for an inaugural celebration that included a huge wheel of cheese, and with the massive crowd destroying many of the furnishings of the White House.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, 6TH PRESIDENT - John Quincy Adams was sworn in as our sixth President on March 4, 1825. He was the first President to be inaugurated wearing long trousers. He was also the first President to be the son of a previous President, with his father John Adams having served as our nation's first Vice President and second President. He was also the first President to be photographed.

JOHN ADAMS, 2ND PRESIDENT - John Adams was inaugurated as our second President on March 4, 1797. He was the first president to be administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, who at that time was Oliver Ellsworth. During the American Revolution, Adams was perhaps the leading individual in the Continental Congress and served as a minister to France. When George Washington was elected our nation's first President, Adams was elected as the first Vice President. He then was elected President himself when Washington retired. Adams quote - "I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over this earth."

GEORGE WASHINGTON, OUR NATION'S FIRST PRESIDENT - George Washington defined the American Presidency more than any other President for the simple reason that when he assumed office, there was no model to follow. As such, he had to establish the precedents that all other Presidents have since followed. He also defined our public values as to the integrity, leadership and respect for the U.S. Constitution that we expect our U.S. Presidents to follow. Prior to his election as President, George Washington had been the indispensable man to bring about the convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution and had served as the convention's President. Prior to that, George Washington had been the indispensable man to lead the Continenal Army in defeating the British, who at that time were the greatest military power in the world. Because of the dedication and leadership of Washington, the thirteen colonies were able to do what had never been done successfully before - which was to lead a successful revolution of the people against a colonial power. Prior to the American Revolution, George Washington had co-authored with George Mason the Fairfax County Resolves, which was the first clear articulation of the rights of the American colonists to rebel and establish their own government if their natural rights were violated. He then attended both the First Continental Congress and the Second Continental Congress. At the latter, he was selected to be Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army before there even was a Continental Army, and a year before the Declaration of Independence was signed. When one talks about how the founding fathers risked their lives, liberties and property for the cause of the American Revolution, George Washington along with such other Patriot leaders as Samuel Adams, John Adams, and John Hancock was among the first to risk all for the American Revolution.