You probably noticed the numbers don't add up. Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025. But everywhere you looked—on the news banners, the official programs, the commemorative coins—it said "The 60th Presidential Inauguration."
Wait, what?
If we have 47 presidents, why aren't we on the 47th ceremony? Or maybe the 45th, since a few guys died in office? It feels like one of those weird math problems from high school that nobody actually explains. Honestly, the answer is a mix of constitutional requirements, the quirk of "double counting" certain presidents, and a very specific definition of what counts as a "formal" inauguration.
Let’s get into the weeds of why is it the 60th inauguration and why the math is actually right, even if it looks wrong.
The Every-Four-Years Rule
The biggest reason the number is so high is pretty simple: we hold an inauguration every four years, regardless of whether the person in the moving truck is new or just renewing their lease on the Oval Office.
The U.S. Constitution doesn't care if you just won your first term or your second. Article II, Section 1, Clause 8 requires the President to take the Oath of Office before they can "enter on the Execution" of their duties. Because a presidential term is exactly four years, that oath has to happen like clockwork.
Think about it this way. George Washington had two. Abraham Lincoln had two. Franklin D. Roosevelt? He had four. Every time a president wins re-election, the counter for "inaugurations" ticks up, even if the "President" counter stays the same.
If we only counted new people, we’d be stuck in the 40s. But since we count the ceremonies scheduled by the passage of time, the 2025 event officially became the 60th.
The Mystery of the Missing Vice Presidents
Here’s where it gets kinda confusing. We’ve had plenty of vice presidents who stepped up when a president died or resigned. Think Lyndon B. Johnson after JFK, or Gerald Ford after Nixon.
You’d think those would count as inaugurations, right? They’re taking the oath. They’re becoming the leader of the free world.
But they aren't "Inaugurations" with a capital I—at least not in the way the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) counts them. Those are considered "swearing-in ceremonies." They happen in a hurry, often in a living room, an airplane, or a small office.
Why they don't count toward the 60
The official tally only counts the scheduled, quadrennial ceremonies that take place at the start of a new four-year term.
- 1789: Washington’s first.
- 1793: Washington’s second.
- 1865: Lincoln’s second (the one where he gave the famous "with malice toward none" speech).
- 2025: The 60th.
When Andrew Johnson took over after Lincoln was assassinated, he was sworn in at a hotel. That didn't count as an "Inauguration" in the official sequence. It was just a transition. The next official one was in 1869 when Ulysses S. Grant took over.
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Grover Cleveland and the "Double President" Glitch
We can't talk about why is it the 60th inauguration without mentioning the only two guys to pull off the non-consecutive term trick.
For over a century, Grover Cleveland was the lone trivia answer to: "Who was the 22nd and 24th president?" He won in 1884, lost in 1888, and then came back to win again in 1892. Because he had a gap, he's counted as two different presidents.
Donald Trump just became the second person to do this. He was the 45th president (2017-2021) and is now the 47th (2025-2029).
Even though he’s one human being, he has participated in two different numbered inaugurations. His first was the 58th in 2017. Joe Biden had the 59th in 2021. And now, the 2025 event is the 60th.
When Sundays Mess Up the Schedule
There is another weird sub-category of "extra" oaths that usually doesn't change the official number, but it definitely confuses people.
Inauguration Day used to be March 4. Since 1937, it’s been January 20. But what happens if January 20 falls on a Sunday?
The Constitution says the old term ends at noon on the 20th. Period. If the president doesn't take the oath by then, we basically don't have a legal president for 24 hours. To avoid that "oops, no leader" situation, the President usually takes a private oath on Sunday and then does the big, flashy public one on Monday.
This happened with Ronald Reagan in 1985 and Barack Obama in 2013. Technically, they took the oath twice in two days. But the JCCIC still just counts the whole event as one inauguration in the historical sequence.
Why the Numbering Actually Matters
It’s not just for historians or people who write textbooks. The numbering—the "60th"—is a big deal for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
They use this number for branding, security planning, and historical archiving. It’s a way to track the "peaceful transfer of power" (or the peaceful continuation of power) in a linear way that dates all the way back to April 30, 1789, when Washington stood on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York.
If we didn't have a consistent numbering system, we’d lose track of the quadrennial rhythm that defines the American executive branch.
Quick Cheat Sheet: The Math of the 60th
If you're still scratching your head, basically just look at it like this:
- Years since 1789: If you divide the years by 4, you get close to the number.
- The First One: 1789 (1st)
- The Pattern: Every 4 years from 1793 onward.
- The Total: 60 scheduled ceremonies.
- The People: Only 45 people have actually held the office (counting Cleveland and Trump twice for their separate terms).
What’s Next for This Tradition?
Knowing why is it the 60th inauguration helps you appreciate the sheer weight of the history involved. We've done this through civil wars, world wars, depressions, and pandemics.
If you're a history buff or just someone who likes to be right at dinner parties, keep these dates in mind. The 61st Inauguration is already scheduled for January 20, 2029.
Actionable Insights for the History Curious:
- Check out the official JCCIC website to see photos and programs from the previous 59 ceremonies.
- If you're visiting D.C., go to the National Museum of American History; they have a massive collection of "Inaugural" memorabilia that uses this specific numbering.
- Next time someone says Trump is the 47th president so it should be the 47th inauguration, you can politely explain the "every four years" rule—you'll sound like the smartest person in the room.