Inauguration of George H. W. Bush


The inauguration of George H. W. Bush as the 41st President of the United States was held on Friday, January 20, 1989, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 51st inauguration and marked the commencement of the only term of both George H. W. Bush as President and Dan Quayle as Vice President. Chief Justice William Rehnquist administered the presidential oath of office to Bush and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor administered the vice-presidential oath of office to Quayle. Bush was the first sitting vice president to be inaugurated as president since Martin van Buren in 1837 and – as of 2019 – is the last vice president to be sworn-in as president.
The event helped the Washington Metro set a single-day record of 604,089 trips, breaking the record of 565,000 set the spring before by the Washington for Jesus '88 rally. The record would stand until the day of the National Victory Celebration in 1991.