What Happened on January 20?

Thanks to the Twentieth Amendment, January 20 is Inauguration Day in most years — starting with FDR in 1937. It is also the day 52 American hostages flew home in 1981, the roller coaster was patented in 1885, and Dr. King's first federal holiday was observed in 1986.

• 1885 — LaMarcus Thompson patents his 'roller coasting structure'

  Inventor LaMarcus Adna Thompson received a patent for his gravity-powered switchback railway — the design behind America's first roller coaster craze. Read the full story →

• 1937 — FDR becomes the first president inaugurated on January 20

  Franklin D. Roosevelt's second inauguration was the first ever held on January 20 — the new date set by the freshly ratified Twentieth Amendment. Read the full story →

• 1981 — 52 American hostages fly home from Iran

  Minutes after Ronald Reagan took the oath of office, Iran released the 52 Americans it had held for 444 days — ending the Iran hostage crisis on Inauguration Day itself. Read the full story →

• 1986 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed for the first time

  After a 15-year campaign, Americans celebrated the first national Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday on January 20, 1986. Read the full story →

• 2009 — Barack Obama is inaugurated as the first African American president

  On a freezing Washington morning, Barack Obama took the oath as the nation's 44th president before a record-setting crowd of about 1.8 million people. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Buzz Aldrin (1930) · Federico Fellini (1920–1993) · Questlove (1971)

Days & observances

Presidential Inauguration Day