This article is for quizzes on Monday January 9th...
The first inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson as the 36th President of the United States was held on Friday, November 22, 1963 aboard Air Force One at Love Field in Dallas, Texas, following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy earlier that day. The inauguration marked the commencement of the first term (a partial term of 1 year, 59 days) of Lyndon B. Johnson as President. This was the eighth non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place since the presidency was established in 1789.
The swearing-in ceremony administered by Judge Hughes in an Air Force One conference room represented the first time that a woman administered the presidential oath of office as well as the only time it was conducted on an airplane. Instead of the usual Bible, Johnson was sworn in upon a missal found on a side table in Kennedy's Air Force One bedroom. After the oath had been taken, Johnson kissed his wife on the forehead. Mrs. Johnson then took Jackie Kennedy's hand and told her, "The whole nation mourns your husband."
At almost exactly the same time as the ceremony, CBS anchor Walter Cronkite read aloud on the air wire copy from the Associated Press officially confirming Kennedy's death, subsequently adding that Johnson would be sworn in as president. According to the Museum of Broadcast Communications's Encyclopedia of Television, during their frantic afternoon coverage of the unfolding events, American broadcasters made a "determined effort" to refer to him as "President Johnson".
The famous photograph of the inauguration was taken by Cecil Stoughton, John F. Kennedy's official photographer. On Stoughton's suggestion Johnson was flanked by his wife and Jacqueline Kennedy, facing slightly away from the camera so that blood stains on her pink Chanel suit would not be visible. The photograph was taken using a Hasselblad camera.[7] The inauguration was sound recorded by White House press secretary Malcolm Kilduff using Air Force One's dictaphone.
