Actor Sam Waterston will recite Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address to mark the 150th anniversary of his swearing-in as President of the United States on March 4, 1861. The oath of office will be re-enacted and Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer will deliver remarks. As was the sequence in 1861, the swearing-in follows the reading of the inaugural address.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 Presidential Inauguration was the last one held in March. The 20th Amendment fixed inauguration day in January.

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In honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1961 inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, Congress held a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol with remarks by House and Senate leaders and a "word of thanks" by Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the late president.

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Fifty years ago, on January 17, 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered a farewell address to the nation in which he warned against the influence of the “military industrial complex”. The speech took place just days before his successor, John F. Kennedy, was sworn in as the 35th president of the United States. We’ll hear first from President Eisenhower – and then, after his 15 minute speech, we’ll see footage from JFK’s inauguration day.

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On January 20th, 1993, Bill Clinton was sworn in as the 42nd President of the United States. Watch C-SPAN’s coverage of Bill Clinton and his family on that inauguration day.

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On January 20th, 1989, George H.W. Bush was sworn in as the 41st President of the United States. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor administering the vice-presidential oath to Dan Quayle, followed by Chief Justice William Rehnquist administering the presidential oath to George H.W. Bush.

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This is the story of the first African American major league baseball player in the modern era, Jackie Robinson. Raymond Doswell of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum focuses on Robinson’s athletic career, his ability to steal bases and home plate, and the racism and obstacles he faced. Over the course of his ten-season Major League career between 1947 & 1956, Robinson played in six World Series and was selected for six All-Star games. His achievements are widely viewed as an important contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. This event was hosted by the National Archives at Kansas City in Missouri.

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New York University professor Michael Gomez teaches a class on the transatlantic slave trade from the 16th century into 19th century. Professor Gomez discusses the countries involved and the methods used in the procurement of slaves, such as raiding and kidnapping. He also discusses the complex history of Africans dealing in the slave trade to pay debts and to punish neighboring factions.

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Author James Robertson discusses the life, death and legacy of Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. He talks about General Jackson’s childhood, his education at West Point, and his military career. Mr. Robertson also looks at the Battle of Chancellorsville, where General Jackson was mortally wounded on May 2, 1863, in a “friendly fire” incident. He died of medical complications eight-days later. The Hanover Tavern in Virginia and the Museum of the Confederacy co-hosted this event. 

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Jonathan Hansen presents a history of America's presence at Guantanamo Bay.  The author reports on the United States' early interest in the area, which was central to U.S. plans to control the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.  Mr. Hansen examines the creation of the U.S. naval base and prison at Guantanamo and its continued use despite calls for its closure.

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