Second Inauguration of Harry S. Truman

Second Inauguration Of Harry S. Truman

The inauguration of Harry S. Truman as the 33rd President of the United States was held on January 20, 1949. The inauguration marked the commencement of the first full four-year term of Harry S. Truman as President and the only four-year term of Alben W. Barkley as Vice President. (Harry Truman served out most of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 4th term but was not inaugurated as President in 1945. Rather, he was inaugurated as Vice-President in 1945) Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson administered the Oath of office.

It was the first televised US presidential inauguration and the first with an air parade. Truman also restarted the tradition of an official inaugural ball, which had disappeared since Warren G. Harding. The day before the inaugural ceremony, Truman signed a law doubling President's salary to $100,000 a year—the first such increase since Ulysses S. Grant's salary doubled to $50,000 in 1873.

Read more about Second Inauguration Of Harry S. Truman:  Celebration, Ceremony, Demonstrations

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